Migratable backup and restore

• US 20050010609A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Katoh, Hiroshi, Miyamori, Hirokazu, Watanabe, Kei, Yamakoshi, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A backup system for backing up target data stored in an information processing device comprises a backup program stor for retaining a backup program, a read authentication information stor for retaining read authentication information, a backup function sender which transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to the device, and a data stor which retains the target data to be transferred to the backup system by the device which has executed the backup program, wherein the backup program is invoke-able on the device by a user of the device, and comprises a read authentication mechanism for obtaining permission to read the target data from the device by causing the read authentication information to be authenticated, and a transfer mechanism for causing the device to read the target data and transfer the target data to the backup system.

Claims

1. A backup system comprising:

a program stor which retains a backup program which transfers target data of an information processing device to the backup system when executed on the information processing device;

a read authentication stor which retains read authentication information for causing the information processing device to permit reading of the target data by the backup program;

a backup function sender which is coupled to the program stor and the read authentication stor and which transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to the information processing device; and

a data stor which is accessible to the backup program and which retains the target data to be transferred to the backup system by the information processing device which has executed the backup program;

wherein the backup program includes;

read authentication code which obtains permission to read the target data from the information processing device by causing the information processing device to authenticate the read authentication information sent to the information processing device; and

transfer code which reads the target data permitted to be read and transfers the target data to the backup system.

2. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein the backup function sender transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to the information processing device as an archive file in an executable form which is expanded to the backup program and the read authentication information to execute the backup program when executed on the information processing device.

3. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein the backup function sender includes:

a backup program sending section which sends the backup program to the information processing device, and

an authentication information sending section which sends the read authentication information to the backup program in response to a request from the backup program invoked on the information processing device.

4. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein

the read authentication stor retains an authentication information file which associates a device ID identifying each of a plurality of information processing devices with the read authentication information for causing that information processing device to permit the backup program to read the target data stored in that information processing device,

the backup function sender transfers the backup program and the authentication information file to each of the plurality of information processing devices,

the read authentication code executed in each of the plurality of information processing devices causes that information processing device to authenticate the read authentication information associated with one of a plurality of the device IDs contained in the authentication information file, which matches a device ID set for that information processing device, so as to be permitted to read the target data from that information processing device,

the transfer code executed in each of the plurality of information processing devices causes that information processing device to read the target data permitted to be read and transfer the target data to the backup system, and

the data stor retains the target data transferred to the backup system by each of the plurality of information processing devices having executed the backup program.

5. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein

the read authentication stor further retains backup destination authentication information that causes the data stor to permit the target data to be stored,

the backup function sender transfers the backup program, the read authentication information, and the backup destination authentication information to the information processing device, and

the backup program further has backup destination authentication means for causing the data stor to authenticate the backup destination authentication information sent to the information processing device so as to obtain permission to store the target data in the data stor.

6. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein

the backup function sender transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to a plurality of information processing devices,

the data stor retains the target data to be transferred to the backup system by the respective information processing devices which have executed the backup program, and

the backup system further comprises a completion notifier which informs an administrator of the backup system that the target data has been completely backed up for all of the plurality of information processing devices when the data stor has stored all the target data to be transferred to the backup system by each of the plurality of information processing devices.

7. The backup system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an invocation instructor which communicates a message which instructs a user of the information processing device to invoke the backup program if the target data is not transferred to the backup system from the information processing device even after a predetermined period has passed since the backup function sending function sent the backup program to the information processing device.

8. The backup system according to claim 1 wherein the backup function sender transfers the backup program and the authentication information to the information processing device again if the target data is not transferred to the backup system from the information processing device even after a predetermined period has passed since the backup function sending function sent the backup program to the information processing device.

9. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein

the data stor retains the target data which the information processing device transferred to the backup system, in association with the device ID set for the information processing device, and

the backup system further comprises a target data sender which sends, upon receiving a device ID from another information processing device for which the same device ID as that for the information processing device has been set, the target data stored in association with the device ID to the another information processing device to cause the another information processing device to store the target data.

10. The backup system according to claim 9, wherein

the backup program further includes update code for causing, if the target data is updated on the information processing device after being transferred by the transfer code to the backup system, the information processing device to read updated data which is an updated portion of the target data and to transfer the updated data to the backup system,

the data stor further retains the updated data in association with the device ID, and

the backup system further comprises an updated data sending section for further sending, upon receiving the device ID from the another information processing device replacing the information processing device storing the target data, the updated data stored in association with the device ID to the another information processing device to update the target data stored in the another information processing device.

11. A backup method comprising:

storing a backup program to be executed on an information processing device to transfer information-processing-device target data to a provided computer system;

storing read authentication information used for causing the information processing device to permit reading of the target data by the backup program;

a backup function sending step of sending the backup program and the read authentication information to the information processing device;

obtaining permission to read the target data from the information processing device by causing the information processing device to authenticate the read authentication information sent to the information processing device;

reading the target data permitted to be read and transferring the target data to the computer system; and

storing the target data to be transferred to the computer system by the information processing device which has executed the backup program.

12. The backup method according to claim 11 wherein the backup function sending step transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to the information processing device as an archive file in an executable form which is expanded to the backup program and the read authentication information to execute the backup program when executed on the information processing device.

13. The backup method according to claim 11, further comprising:

instructing a user of the information processing device to invoke the backup program if the target data is not transferred by the information processing device to the computer system even after a predetermined period has passed since the backup function sending function sent the backup program to the information processing device.

14. A product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having a backup program stored therein for backing up target data stored in an information processing device, wherein the backup program is sent from a managing device for managing the information processing device to the information processing device and invoked on the information processing device, the backup program including;

read authentication code which obtains permission to read the target data from the information processing device by causing the information processing device to authenticate read authentication information sent from the managing device to the information processing device to cause the information processing device to permit reading of the target data by the backup program; and

transfer code for causing the information processing device to read the target data permitted to be read and transferring the target data to a storage device for storing the target data.

15. The product of claim 14 wherein the managing device transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to the information processing device as an archive file in an executable form which is expanded to the backup program and the read authentication information to execute the backup program when executed on the information processing device.

16. A restore system comprising:

a program stor which retains a restore program to be executed on the information processing device to cause the information processing device to store the target data received from the restore system;

a write authentication stor which retains write authentication information for causing the information processing device to permit writing of the target data by the restore program;

a restore function sender which is coupled to the program stor and the write authentication stor and which transfers the restore program and the write authentication information to the information processing device; and

a target data sender which operates under the control of the restore program and which transfers the target data to the information processing device which has executed the restore program;

wherein the restore program includes;

write authentication code which obtains permission to write the target data in the information processing device by causing the information processing device to authenticate the write authentication information sent to the information processing device; and

target data storing code which causes the information processing device to store the target data received from the target data sending section.

17. A method comprising:

storing a restore program to be executed on an information processing device to cause the information processing device to store target data in the information processing device which is received from a computer system;

storing write authentication information for causing the information processing device to permit writing of the target data by the restore program;

sending the restore program and the write authentication information to the information processing device; and

sending the target data to the information processing device which has executed the restore program;

the restore program, when invoked on the information processing device by a user of the information processing device, being effective to;

obtain permission to write the target data in the information processing device by causing the information processing device to authenticate the write authentication information sent to the information processing device; and

causes the information processing device to store the target data received at said sending of target data.

18. A product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having a restore program stored therein for restoring target data in an information processing device, wherein the restore program is sent from a managing device for managing the information processing device to the information processing device and invoked on the information processing device wherein the invocation is approvable by an administrator of the information processing device, the restore program including;

write authentication code for obtaining permission to write the target data in the information processing device by causing the information processing device to authenticate write authentication information sent from the managing device to the information processing device to cause the information processing device to permit writing of the target data by the restore program; and

target data storing means for causing the information processing device to store the target data received from a storage device storing the target data.

19. A migration system comprising:

a program stor which retains a backup program which transfers target data of an information processing device to the migration system when executed on the information processing device;

read authentication stor which retains read authentication information for causing the one information processing device to permit reading of the target data by the backup program;

a backup function sender which is coupled to the program stor and the read authentication stor and which transfers the backup program and the read authentication information to the one information processing device;

a data stor which is accessible to the backup program and which retains the target data to be transferred to the migration system by the one information processing device which has executed the backup program; and

a target data sender which operates under the control of the backup program and which transfers the target data to the another information processing device;

wherein the backup program includes;

read authentication code which obtains permission to read the target data from the one information processing device by causing the one information processing device to authenticate the read authentication information sent to the one information processing; and

transfer code which causes the one information processing device to read the target data permitted to be read and transfer the target data to the migration system.

20. A migration method for migrating target data stored in one information processing device to another information processing device by means of a computer system, the migration method comprising:

storing a backup program to be executed on the one information processing device to transfer the target data to the computer system;

storing read authentication information for causing the one information processing device to permit reading of the target data by the backup program;

sending the backup program and the read authentication information to the one information processing device;

storing the target data to be transferred to the computer system by the one information processing device which has executed the backup program; and

sending the target data to the another information processing device;

wherein the backup program is invoked on the one information processing device by a user of the one information processing device, and comprises;

read authentication code which obtains permission to read the target data from the one information processing device by causing the one information processing device to authenticate the read authentication information sent to the one information processing; and

transfer code which causes the one information processing device to read the target data permitted to be read and transfers the target data to the computer system.