Apparatus and method to copy computer files

• US 20040215628A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaczmarski, Michael Allen, Warren, Donald P. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive

Abstract

A method to copy computer files, where that method includes receiving a computer file, mapping that file to its constituent blocks, generating meta-data describing those constituent blocks, saving that meta-data in a memory device, and copying the file to one or more information storage media, where the mapping step, the generating step, and the saving step, are performed substantially synchronously, and where the copying step is performed at a later time. A data storage and retrieval system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to copy computer files on one or more information storage media disposed therein. A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein for copying computer files.

Claims

1. A method to copy a computer file using a backup cache and a copy manager, comprising the steps of:

mapping said computer file to one or more constituent blocks;

generating meta-data describing said one or more constituent blocks;

storing said meta-data in said backup cache;

providing said meta-data to said copy manager; and

copying said computer file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing one or more copy criteria; and

determining if said computer file meets one or more of said one or more copy criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mapping, generating, and storing, steps are performed substantially synchronously.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said copying step and said providing step are performed synchronously.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said storing step and said providing step are performed asynchronously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said mapping step is performed over two or more different time periods.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said copying step further comprises using a SCSI-3 Extended Copy command.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said mapping step, said generating, and said recording step, further comprise the steps of:

receiving an original computer file;

mapping said original computer file to one or more first constituent blocks;

receiving a modified computer file;

mapping said modified computer file to one or more second constituent blocks;

comparing each of said one or more first constituent blocks to each of said one or more second constituent blocks; and

recording in said backup cache meta-data describing each of said one or more second constituent blocks that differs from each of said one or more first constituent blocks.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to copy computer files, wherein said article of manufacture is capable of communication with one or more host computers comprising a backup cache and with a copy manager, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

receiving a computer file;

mapping said computer file to one or more constituent blocks;

generating meta-data describing said one or more constituent blocks;

storing said meta-data in said backup cache;

providing said meta-data to said copy manager; and

copying said computer file on one or more of said one or more portable information storage media.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, further comprising one or more copy criteria, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect determining if said computer file meets one or more of said one or more copy criteria.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to substantially synchronously map said computer file, generate said meta-data, and store said meta-data.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to substantially synchronously provide said meta-data to said copy manager and copy said computer file.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to asynchronously store said store said meta-data and provide said meta-data to said copy manager.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect mapping said computer file to one or more constituent blocks over two or more different time periods.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect using a SCSI-3 Extended Copy Command.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

receiving an original computer file;

mapping said original computer file to one or more first constituent blocks;

receiving a modified computer file;

mapping said modified computer file to one or more second constituent blocks;

comparing each of said one or more first constituent blocks to each of said one or more second constituent blocks; and

recording in said backup cache meta-data describing each of said one or more second constituent blocks that differs from each of said one or more first constituent blocks.

17. A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein for copying a computer file using a backup cache and a copy manager, comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a computer file;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to map said computer file to one or more constituent blocks;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to generate meta-data describing said one or more constituent blocks;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to store said meta-data in said backup cache;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to provide said meta-data to said copy manager; and

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to copy said computer file.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to substantially synchronously map said computer file, generate said meta-data, and store said meta-data.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to substantially synchronously provide said meta-data to said copy manager and copy said computer file.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to asynchronously store said store said meta-data and provide said meta-data to said copy manager.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said computer file meets one or more predetermined copy criteria.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to map said computer file to said one or more constituent blocks further comprises computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to map said computer file to said one or more constituent blocks over two or more different time periods.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to copy said computer file further comprises computer readable program code to use the SCSI-3 Extended Copy command.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive an original computer file;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to map said original computer file to one or more first constituent blocks;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a modified computer file;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to map said modified computer file to one or more second constituent blocks;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to compare each of said one or more first constituent blocks to each of said one or more second constituent blocks; and

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to record in said backup cache meta-data describing each of said one or more second constituent blocks that differs from each of said one or more first constituent blocks.