Data backup services

• US 20070136541A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Fear, Andrew, Herz, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,643 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 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive

Abstract

Methods and systems of initiating a backup process of data stored on a computer are described. One method calls for the data to be backed up to be identified. A backup event trigger is defined, and the computer is monitored for the occurrence of the backup event trigger. If the trigger occurs, a balancing heuristic is applied, to determine whether to initiate the backup process.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a backup process on a computer, said method comprising:

identifying data to be backed up;

defining a backup event trigger;

monitoring said computer for an occurrence of said backup event trigger; and

in response to said occurrence of said backup event trigger, applying a balancing heuristic to determine whether to initiate a backup process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said defining a backup event trigger further comprises:

assigning a level of importance to said backup event trigger.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring current activity on said computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said balancing heuristic comprises determining if said current activity on said computer is of higher importance than said level of importance of said backup event trigger.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to said determining if said current activity on said computer is of higher importance, delaying said backup process and increasing said level of importance of said backup event trigger.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting if said computer switches between an active and an idle state;

in response to said computer switching to an idle state, initiating an incremental backup process; and

in response to said computer switching to an active state, suspending said incremental backup process.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compressing said data to be backed up.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said compressing said data further comprises:

applying a loss-less compression process to said data to be backed up.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting said data to be backed up.

10. A method of backing up a computer, said method comprising:

identifying data to be preserved within said computer, wherein said identifying is accomplished before a backup process is initiated;

detecting a trigger event; and

in response to said detecting a trigger event, performing said backup process to back up said data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

duplicating said data within said computer, wherein said duplicating is accomplished before said backup process is initiated.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

compressing said data within said computer, wherein said compressing is accomplished before said backup process is initiated.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning a priority level to said data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

assigning a plurality priority levels to said data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

backing up said data with reference to said priority level.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said detecting said trigger event further comprises:

monitoring a security system, said security system for detecting intrusion into the environment of said computer.

17. A method of remotely initiating a backup process on a client computer over a network connection between said client computer and a server, said method comprising:

executing client software on said client computer, said client software configured to determine status information about said client computer, said client software also configured to initiate a backup process;

transmitting said status information over said network connection to said server; and

in response to said transmitting said status information, receiving an instruction into said client computer from said server over said network connection, said instruction for causing said client software to initiate said backup process.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said status information comprises information about the activity level of said client computer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said status information comprises information about data stored on said client computer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said status information comprises information about the status of the hardware of said client computer.