Method for visualizing data backup activity from a plurality of backup devices

• US 20050015662A1
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bocada LLC
• Original Assignee: Bocada Incorporated
• Inventors: Scanlan, Liam
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method and system for examining historical records of backup activity consolidated from a plurality of backup engines is disclosed. The method includes reorganizing historical records of backup activity originating from a plurality of backup engines into unique visual representations to facilitate the identification of backup activity failures. The method allows representation of many levels of data extraction relating to backup successes, partial successes, and failures. In another aspect, a method of combining summary level data (summarized by backup server) with subsequently lower levels of detail in a single report that provides the ability to expand and contract at will is provided. In another aspect, a system for associating owners of computers being backed up with respective backup charges, rearranging data extracted from the RDB consisting of historical records originating from different backup engines, and constructing Billing Reports to reflect charges relating to said backup activities.

Claims

1-3. -3. (Canceled)

4. A method for visually representing backup activity successes and failures for a plurality of data backup products, the method comprising:

obtaining records from one or more data backup products, the records containing data backup activity information;

inserting the information in the records into a canonical database; and

generating a visual display that illustrates the backup failures and successes for one or more servers and clients and targets associated with the one or more data backup products, the visual display further comprising a first object indicating a backup failure for a backup product, a second object indicating a backup success for a backup product, and a third object indicating a backup partial failure for a backup product wherein the visual display displays the backup status of the clients and servers and targets of the data backup products.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual display further comprises a first color-coded object indicating a backup failure for a client or server of a backup product, a second color-coded object indicating a backup success for a client or a server of a backup product, and a third color-coded object indicating a backup partial failure for a client or a server of a backup product wherein the visual display displays the backup status of the clients and servers of the data backup products are indicated by the color-coded objects.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual display further comprises a first mixed color object that indicates the partial failure of a client or server of the data backup product.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the visual display further comprises selecting one or more clients and servers in order to reduce the scope of the visual display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting further comprises generating an SQL statement in order to limit the scope of the data displayed on the visual display.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the visual display further comprises generating a table having one or more columns and one or more rows including an element at the intersection of each column with each row, wherein each row represents one of a server and a client of a server, wherein each column represents a day of backup activity for all of the servers and clients and wherein each element represents the backup status for a particular client or server on a particular day.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the visual display further comprises determining the number of days being displayed on the visual display and generating the table having a number of columns corresponding to the number of days being displayed on the visual display.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the table further comprises a server row and one or more client rows underneath the server row wherein the one or more clients are associated with the server and one or more target rows associated with a client or server corresponding to pieces of data that have been backed up.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the visual display further comprises determining the color of the object being placed into an element of the table corresponding to the status of a target on a particular day, wherein the color determining further comprises changing the indicator for one of the client and server based on the indicator for a particular target associated with the element of the table.

13. A method of constructing backup activity billing reports from data originating from one or more data backup products, the method comprising:

obtaining records from one or more data backup products, the records containing data backup activity information; and

generating a billing report for the backup activities associated with the one or more data backup products based on the records, the billing report comprising an owner field indicating the owner of the particular backup product, a client name field indicating the server and client associated with the particular backup activity, a file number field indicating the number of files associated with the particular backup activity and a cost field indicating the cost of the backup for the plurality of data backup products.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the billing report further comprises determining the cost of each backup activity and providing a backup cost field in the billing report.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the billing report further comprises determining the cost of each backup activity per backup amount and wherein the billing report further comprises an amount of backup data field indicating the amount of data associated with each backup activity and a data backup cost field indicating the cost of each backup activity per backup amount.

16. A data structure for visually representing backup activity successes and failures for a plurality of data backup products, the data structure comprising:

a table having one or more columns and one or more rows including an element at the intersection of each column with each row, wherein each row represents one of a server, a client of a server and a target associated with a client, wherein each column represents a day of backup activity for all of the servers and clients and targets and wherein each element represents the backup status for a particular client or server or target on a particular day; and

each element in the table further comprising one of a first object indicating a backup failure for a backup product, a second object indicating a backup success for a backup product, and a third object indicating a backup partial failure for a backup product.

17. The data structure of claim 16, wherein each element further comprises a first color-coded object indicating a backup failure for one of a client, a server and a target of a backup product, a second color-coded object indicating a backup success for one of a client, a server and a target of a backup product, and a third color-coded object indicating a backup partial failure for one of a client, a server and a target of a backup product.

18. The data structure of claim 17, wherein each element further comprises a first mixed color object that indicates the partial failure for one of a client, a server and a target of the data backup product.