Data back up method and its programs

• US 20030204690A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Motoaki, Yamada, Mitsugu, Yamada, Kyoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The present invention is characterized by user data backup functions realized through a computer, which is located on the management service provider corporation side and interferes between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service. This computer selects plural storage devices which meet the user side conditions from a plurality of empty storage devices owned by the storage service side computer environment, receives user data from the user side computer environment, divides the user data into records of a predetermined size and transmits the records to the storage service side computer environment so that the records are to be distributed and stored to the selected plural storage devices.

Claims

1. A method by computer means to support storage service, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a storage device which meets the user conditions from storage devices managed by a first computer;

receiving data from a second computer; and

transmitting said data to the said first computer for storing said data in the selected storage device.

2. A user data backup method by computer means which interferes between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, said data backup method comprising the steps of:

selecting plural storage devices which meet the user side conditions from a plurality of entirely or partially empty storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment;

receiving user data from said user side computer environment;

dividing said user data into records of a predetermined size; and

transmitting said records to the storage service side computer environment so that said records are to be distributed and stored to the selected plural storage devices.

3. The data backup method according to claim 2 wherein a record having code information to restore one record of the user data is stored in one of the selected plural storage devices.

4. The data backup method according to claim 2 wherein:

said user side conditions include an end date until which said user data is to be held, said end date being registered to memory means;

said computer means checks if said end date passes; and

if said end date is found passed, said computer means issues a request to said storage service side computer environment to release the area in which said user data are stored in the storage devices.

5. The data backup method according to claim 2 wherein:

holding storage service side conditions for providing said storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment;

said storage service side conditions include end dates until which the respective storage devices are available, said end dates being registered to memory means;

said computer means check if said end dates pass;

if any of said end dates is found passed, at least one storage device which meets said user side conditions is selected;

said computer means receives at least part of said user data stored in the storage device whose end date has passed; and

said computer means transmits the received user data to the selected alternative storage device.

6. A data backup method by computer means which interferes between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, said backup method comprising the steps of:

receiving divided user data which is distributed and stored to a plurality of storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment from said storage service side computer environment;

restoring user data from the received divided user data; and

transmitting the restored user data to said user side computer environment.

7. A data backup computer program for computer means which interferes between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, said data backup computer program allowing the computer means to implement the functions of:

selecting a storage device which meets the user side conditions from a plurality of entirely or partially empty storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment;

receiving user data from said user side computer environment; and

transmitting said user data to said storage service side computer environment for storing said user data in the selected storage device.

8. A data backup computer program for computer means which interferes between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, said data backup computer program allowing the computer means to implement the functions of:

selecting plural storage devices which meet the user side conditions from a plurality of entirely or partially empty storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment;

receiving user data from said user side computer environment;

dividing said user data into records of a predetermined size; and

transmitting said records to the storage service side computer environment so that said records are to be distributed and stored to the selected plural storage devices.

9. The data backup computer program according to claim 8, which further implement the function of storing a record having code information to restore one record of the user data in one of the selected plural storage devices.

10. The data backup computer program according to claim 8, wherein said user side conditions include an end date until which the user data is to be held, said end date being registered to memory means;

and

wherein said data backup computer program allowing the compute means to further implement the functions of;

checking if said end date passes; and

if said end date is found passed, issuing a request to said storage service side computer environment to release the area in which said user data is stored in said storage devices.

11. The data backup computer program according to claim 8, wherein said computer means holds storage service side conditions for providing said storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment;

and

said storage service side conditions include end dates until which the respective storage devices are available, said end dates being registered to memory means; and

wherein the data backup computer program allowing said computer means to further implement the functions of;

checking if the dates pass;

if any of said end dates is found passed, selecting at least one storage device which meets said user side conditions;

receiving at least part of said user data stored in the storage device whose end date has passed; and

transmitting the received user data to the selected alternative storage device.

12. A data backup computer program for computer means which interferes between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, said data backup computer program allowing the computer means to implement the functions of:

receiving divided user data which is distributed and stored to a plurality of storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment from said storage service side computer environment;

restoring user data from the received divided user data; and

transmitting the restored user data to said user side computer environment.