DE-102025124275-A1 - COMMAND NETWORK-BASED REPLICATION OF VIRTUAL MACHINES

DE102025124275A1DE 102025124275 A1DE102025124275 A1DE 102025124275A1DE-102025124275-A1

Abstract

A method and system for replicating data change operations in a virtualized environment are provided. A data change filter in a hypervisor of a virtualization host intercepts data change operations from a virtual machine. A network connection is established between the data change filter and a replication processing service running on a separate replication host. The replication processing service receives the data change operations from the data change filter via the network connection and replicates them to a backup location.

Inventors

Omer Uretzky
Gil Barash
Roi Romy

Assignees

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20250624
Priority Date: 20241111

Claims (20)

A method that includes the following: using a data modification filter in a hypervisor of a virtualization host, where the hypervisor is used to run a virtual machine is configured and the data change filter is configured to intercept data change operations from the virtual machine; establish a network connection between the data change filter and a replication processing service, the replication processing service being run on a replication host, the replication host being different from the virtualization host, and the replication host and the virtualization host being in an active site; and instruct the replication processing service to: receive the data change operations from the data change filter over the network connection; and replicate the data change operations to a backup site.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the data change filter is one of several data change filters used in multiple hypervisors, the network connection is one of several network connections established between the replication processing service and the data change filters, and the method further comprises instructing the replication processing service to receive respective data change operations from respective data change filters via the network connections.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the replication processing service is one of several replication processing services, the network connection is one of several network connections established between the data change filter and the replication processing services, and the method further comprises balancing the receipt of the data change operations over the network connections based on a workload distribution of the replication processing services.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , where the network connection is established using a TCP/IP-based protocol.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , which further includes: compressing the data change operations at the data change filter before the compressed data change operations are transmitted over the network connection.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , which further includes: encrypting the data change operations at the data change filter before the encrypted data change operations are transmitted over the network connection.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , which further includes instructing the replication processing service to aggregate the data change operations from the data change filter at a configurable interval before replicating the data change operations.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the data modification operations include input/output operations for a virtual storage disk, and each of the input/output operations includes an offset of the virtual storage disk and binary data.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the data modification operations include input/output operations for a virtual storage disk and the data modification filter intercepts the data modification operations by asynchronously copying the input/output operations without preventing the input/output operations from being forwarded to the virtual storage disk.
A device comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: configure a data change filter in a hypervisor of a virtualization host, wherein the hypervisor is configured to run a virtual machine, and the data change filter is configured to intercept data change operations from the virtual machine; and configure a replication processing service on a replication host, wherein the replication host is distinct from the virtualization host, the replication host and the virtualization host are located at the same active site, and the replication processing service is configured to receive data change operations from the data change filter over a network connection and replicate the data change operations to a backup site.
Device according to Claim 10 , where the network connection is established using a TCP/IP-based protocol and the data change filter is configured to encrypt and compress the data change operations before sending the data change operations to the replication processing service.
A system comprising: a first replication host located at an active site; and a first virtualization host located at the active location, wherein the first virtualization host is different from the first replication host, wherein the first virtualization host is connected to the first replication host via a first network connection, wherein the first virtualization host is configured to: run a first virtual machine on a first hypervisor; intercept first data change operations from the first virtual machine using a first data change filter of the first hypervisor; and send the first data change operations to the first replication host via the first network connection.
System according Claim 12 , further comprising: a second replication host located at the active site, wherein the first virtualization host is connected to the second replication host via a second network connection, wherein the first virtualization host is further configured to intercept second data change operations from the first virtual machine using the first data change filter and send the second data change operations to the second replication host via the second network connection.
System according Claim 12 , further comprising: a second virtualization host located at the active site, wherein the second virtualization host is connected to the first replication host via a second network connection, wherein the second virtualization host is configured to: run a second virtual machine on a second hypervisor; intercept second data change operations from the second virtual machine using a second data change filter of the second hypervisor; and send the second data change operations to the first replication host via the second network connection.
System according Claim 12 , which further includes: a second replication host located at a backup site, the backup site being different from the active site, the first replication host being configured to replicate the initial data change operations to the second replication host.
System according Claim 15 , further comprising: a second virtualization host located at the backup site, wherein the second virtualization host is different from the second replication host, wherein the second virtualization host is configured to run a second virtual machine on a second hypervisor, and wherein the second replication host is configured to rebuild a storage disk for the second virtual machine using the first data modification operations.
System according Claim 16 , where a second data change filter of the second hypervisor is configured to provide data to the second virtual machine while the storage disk is being rebuilt.
System according Claim 15 , which further includes: a data store located at the backup site, with the second replication host configured to log the first data change operations on the data store.
System according Claim 12 , wherein the first virtualization host is further configured to compress the first data modification operations before sending the first data modification operations to the first replication host over the first network connection.
System according Claim 12 , wherein the first virtualization host is further configured to encrypt the first data modification operations before sending the first data modification operations to the first replication host over the first network connection.

Description

BACKGROUND Virtualization technology enables the execution of multiple virtual machines on a single physical host, thereby improving resource utilization and flexibility in computing environments. These virtual machines function as independent systems, each with its own operating system and applications. By abstracting the hardware resources of a physical machine, virtualization allows the creation of multiple isolated virtual environments on a single physical server. This technology has revolutionized data centers and cloud computing, enabling more efficient use of computing resources and greater scalability. The concept of virtualization has gained considerable importance in recent years due to advances in hardware and software capabilities. Modern virtualization platforms use a hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine monitor, to manage the allocation of physical resources to virtual machines. This layer of abstraction allows multiple operating systems and applications to utilize the same physical hardware without interfering with each other. Virtualization can be applied to various components of IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networks, thus forming the basis for flexible computing environments. Virtualization offers numerous advantages for businesses, including reduced hardware costs, improved energy efficiency, and simplified IT management. It enables the rapid deployment of new virtual machines, facilitates test and development environments, and supports legacy applications on modern hardware. Furthermore, virtualization improves business continuity by enabling easier migration of virtual machines between physical hosts. In a virtualized infrastructure, data backup and disaster recovery are crucial to protect against data loss and system failures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this revelation and its benefits, reference is now made to the following descriptions in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 1 is a block diagram of a virtualized environment according to some implementations. The 2A-2C illustrates different configurations of a virtualization backup system during a replication process according to some implementations. 3 This is a flowchart of a replication process according to some implementations. The 4A-4B Block diagrams are block diagrams of intermediate steps in a failover process according to some implementations. The 5A-5B These are block diagrams of intermediate steps in a failover process according to some other embodiments. The corresponding numbers and symbols in the various illustrations generally refer to corresponding parts, unless otherwise stated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following disclosure contains many different examples of the implementation of various functions. To simplify the present disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are, of course, only examples and are not intended to represent a limitation. Backup systems for virtualized environments often replicate virtual machines from one location to another for disaster recovery purposes. For example, a backup system replicates a virtual machine by continuously capturing data change operations performed on the virtual machine and sending these data change operations to a backup location. Data change operations can be captured using a filter operating within the virtualization host's hypervisor. This filter, also known as a data change filter, is a software component of the hypervisor that intercepts and copies the changes made to the virtual machine's data. The data change operations might be I/O operations, and the data change filter could be an input/output (I/O) filter that intercepts the I/O operations of the protected virtual machine. By operating within the hypervisor, the filter can capture data change operations with minimal impact on the virtual machine's performance. A replication processing service retrieves the captured data change events from the filter and replicates these events to the backup location. The data change events can be received by the filter via any suitable communication channel, such as a network. A replication management service monitors the backup system, including... the configuration and coordination of the data change filter and the replication processing service. This disclosure describes a backup system that separates the replication processing service from the virtualization host on which the data change filter is installed. This separation enables more flexible deployment options and improved resource utilization. A replication processing service is installed on a dedicated replication host, which can be physical or virtual. Furthermore, a single replication processing service can manage multiple data change filters across different virtualization hosts, eliminating the need for each virtualization host to have its own dedicated replication processing service. The backup syste