A hardware-assisted paravirtualized hardware watchdog is described that is used to detect and recover from computer malfunctions. A computing device determines that a hardware-implemented watchdog of the computing device does not comply with predetermined watchdog criteria, where the hardware-implemented watchdog is configured to send a reset signal when a first predetermined amount of time elapses without receipt of a first refresh signal. If the hardware-implemented watchdog does not comply with the predetermined watchdog criteria, a runtime watchdog service is initialized using a second predetermined amount of time. The runtime watchdog service is directed to periodically send the refresh signal to the hardware-implemented watchdog before an expiration of the first predetermined amount of time that causes the hardware-implemented watchdog to expire. The hardware-implemented watchdog is directed to send the reset signal when the second predetermined amount of time elapses without receipt of a second refresh signal.

Boot failure protection on smartNICs and other computing devices is described. During a power-on stage of a booting process for a computing device, a boot loading environment is directed to install an application programming interface (API) able to be invoked to control operation of a hardware-implemented watchdog. During an operating system loading stage of the booting process, the application programming interface is invoked to enable the hardware-implemented watchdog. During an operating system hand-off stage of the booting process, a last watchdog refresh of the hardware-implemented watchdog is performed, and execution of the boot loading environment is handed off to a kernel boot loader of an operating system. The application programming interface may not be accessible after the hand off to the kernel boot loader.

Methods and systems for reducing the amount of time to restore a database or other application by dynamically generating and storing synthetic snapshots are described. When backing up a database, an integrated data management and storage system may acquire snapshots of the database at a snapshot frequency and acquire database transaction logs at a frequency that is greater than the snapshot frequency. In response to detecting that the database is unable to provide a database snapshot, the integrated data management and storage system may generate a synthetic snapshot of the database by instantiating a compatible version of the database locally, acquiring a previously stored snapshot of the database, applying data changes from one or more database transaction logs to the previously stored snapshot to generate the synthetic snapshot, and storing the synthetic snapshot of the database within the integrated data management and storage system.

Techniques are provided for incrementally restoring a virtual machine hosted by a computing environment. In response to receiving an indication that the virtual machine is to be incrementally restored, a snapshot of the virtual machine may be created while the virtual machine is shut down into an off state. The snapshot is transmitted to a storage environment as a common snapshot. The snapshot and the common snapshot are common snapshots comprising a same representation of the virtual machine. The common snapshot and a prior snapshot of the virtual machine are evaluated to identify a data difference of the virtual machine between the common snapshot and the prior snapshot. An incremental restore is performed of the virtual machine by transmitting the data difference from the storage environment to the computing environment to restore the virtual machine to a state represented by the prior snapshot.

A “backup services container” comprises “backup toolkits,” which include scripts for accessing containerized applications plus enabling utilities/environments for executing the scripts. The backup services container is added to Kubernetes pods comprising containerized applications without changing other pod containers. For maximum value and advantage, the backup services container is “over-equipped” with toolkits. The backup services container selects and applies a suitable backup toolkit to a containerized application to ready it for a pending backup. Interoperability with a proprietary data storage management system provides features that are not possible with third-party backup systems. Some embodiments include one or more components of the proprietary data storage management within the illustrative backup services container. Some embodiments include one or more components of the proprietary data storage management system in a backup services pod configured in a Kubernetes node. All configurations and embodiments are suitable for cloud and/or non-cloud computing environments.

Embodiments of this application disclose a virtual machine migration method. One example method includes: indicating, by a controller, a proxy virtual machine to mount a volume; replacing, by using the proxy virtual machine, a driver of an original platform in the volume with a driver of a target platform; and then, mounting a replaced volume to a target virtual machine.

CRYSTAL “Cognitive radio you share, trust and access locally” (CRYSTAL) is a virtualized cognitive access point that may provide for combining multiple wireless access applications on a single hardware platform. Radio technologies such as LTE (Long-Term Evolution), WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), and the like can be supported. CRYSTAL platforms can be aggregated and managed as a cloud, which provides a model for access point sharing, control, and management. CRYSTAL may be used for scenarios such as neighborhood spectrum management. CRYSTAL security features allow for home/residential as well as private infrastructure implementations.

Modifying a clone image of a dataset, including: generating, based on metadata describing one or more updates to a dataset, a tracking copy of replica data on a target data repository; generating, after receiving an indication to begin accepting modifications to the tracking copy of the replica data, a cloned image of the dataset that is modifiable without modifying the tracking copy of the replica data; and responsive to a storage operation directed to the target data repository, modifying the cloned image of the dataset without modifying the tracking copy of the replica data.

Executing serverless application functions is provided. A response to a user request for a service is received with an include callback parameter and a transaction identifier of the user request included in a header of the response from an external service via a network. A checkpoint of a container corresponding to the service is retrieved from a data store using the transaction identifier of the user request. The container corresponding to the service is restored using the checkpoint to process the response received from the external service.

In a real-time communication processing system of the present disclosure, at least one computer transmits a notification to a management apparatus when a virtual machine on the computer has the possibility of experiencing unstable operation related to real-time communication processing. When a virtual processor is free, the management apparatus instructs the computer to allocate the virtual processor to the virtual machine that has the possibility of experiencing unstable operation. When a virtual processor is not free, the management apparatus instructs the computer to allocate a virtual processor, secured by live migration of a virtual machine capable of live migration, to the virtual machine that has the possibility of experiencing unstable operation.