SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SHADOWING DATA AND FILE DIRECTORY STRUCTURES FOR A PLURALITY OF NETWORK-CONNECTED COMPUTERS USING A NETWORK-ATTACHED MEMORY

• US 20080104107A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbonite LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rebit, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Probst, Nathan, Batchelor, Dennis B., SCHWAAB, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1756 based on delta files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The Networked Data Shadowing System comprises a memory module that is connected to a plurality of monitored computer systems via an existing communication medium to store the shadowed data. The memory module includes one or more memory devices for data storage as well as software, including a control software component that is automatically installed on the monitored computer systems when the monitored computer system is first connected to the memory module, as well as associated module software for maintaining a record of the data stored on the memory devices and controlling the operation of the memory devices. The Networked Data Shadowing System operates autonomously and achieves a significant amount of data storage efficiency by implementing a “data de-duplication” process to avoid storing multiple copies of the same files.

Claims

1. A data shadowing system for the automatic backup storage of data that is written in the memories of a plurality of monitored computer systems and the selective retrieval of this data for restoration to said memories, comprising:

memory module means, connected to a plurality of monitored computer systems via a communication medium, for storing a shadow copy of the data which is written in the memories of the plurality of monitored computer systems; and

customer data file management means, resident in each of said plurality of monitored computer systems, comprising;

customer data file mapping means for mapping file directory structures associated with the customer data written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of customer data files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module means which stores said customer data;

customer data file hash means for processing each of said customer data files to generate an associated hash value of each of said customer data files; and

wherein said memory module means comprises;

customer data file storage means for storing each of said customer data files and said associated hash value, received from each of said plurality of monitored computer systems via said communication medium, in said memory module means.

2. The data shadowing system of claim 1 wherein said memory module means further comprises:

duplication means, responsive to a plurality of said customer data files received from said plurality of monitored computer systems, having the same hash value, for storing a single instance of said customer data file in said memory module means.

3. The data shadowing system of claim 2 wherein said customer data file storage means additionally stores said file tree information for each of said plurality of customer data files having the same hash value and said associated hash value with said single instance of said customer data file in said memory module means.

4. The data shadowing system of claim 2, further comprising:

system file management means for automatically mapping system files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into system file tree information which identifies original names of system files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module means which stores said system files.

5. The data shadowing system of claim 4 wherein said system files comprise:

computer files, exclusive of customer provided data, including at least one of;

master boot record, partition table, and programs.

6. The data shadowing system of claim 4, further comprising:

system file hash means for processing each of said system files to generate an associated hash value of each of said system files;

wherein said memory module means further comprises;

system file storage means for storing each of said system files and said associated hash value in said memory module means; and

wherein said mapping database means stores said hash value of each of said customer data files in said database.

7. The data shadowing system of claim 6 wherein said duplication means is responsive to a plurality of said system files, received from said plurality of monitored computer systems, having the same hash value, for storing a single instance of said system file in said memory module means.

8. The data shadowing system of claim 7 wherein said system file storage means additionally stores said system file tree information for each of said plurality of system files having the same hash value and said associated hash value with said single instance of said system file in said memory module means.

9. The data shadowing system of claim 1 wherein said customer data file management means further comprises:

change journal means for automatically tracking changes to said customer data files, including;

customer data file creation, customer data file movement, customer data file content changes, and customer data file renaming.

10. The data shadowing system of claim 9 wherein said customer data file management means further comprises:

file history means, responsive to a modification of a customer data file, for generating file change data indicative of a difference between said customer data file and said modified customer data file; and

wherein said customer data file management means stores said file change data in said memory module means and substitutes said modified customer data file for said customer data file in said memory module means.

11. A method for the automatic backup storage of network data that is written in the memories of a plurality of monitored computer systems and the selective retrieval of this data for restoration to said memories, comprising:

storing, in a memory module which is connected to a plurality of monitored computer systems via a communication medium, a shadow copy of the data which is written in the memories of the plurality of monitored computer systems; and

managing customer data files, resident in each of said plurality of monitored computer systems, comprising;

mapping file directory structures associated with the customer data written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of customer data files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module which stores said customer data;

processing each of said customer data files to generate an associated hash value of each of said customer data files; and

wherein said step of storing a shadow copy of data comprises;

storing each of said customer data files and said associated hash value, received from each of said plurality of monitored computer systems via said communication medium, in said memory module.

12. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 11, further comprising:

storing, in response to a plurality of said customer data files received from said plurality of monitored computer systems, having the same hash value, a single instance of said customer data file in said memory module.

13. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 12 wherein said step of storing customer data files additionally stores said file tree information for each of said plurality of customer data files having the same hash value and said associated hash value with said single instance of said customer data file in said memory module.

14. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 12, further comprising:

automatically mapping system files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of system files as stored on said monitored computer system and a location in said memory module which stores said system files.

15. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 14 wherein said system files comprise:

computer files, exclusive of customer provided data, including at least one of;

master boot record, partition table, and programs.

16. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 14, further comprising:

processing each of said system files to generate an associated hash value of each of said system files;

wherein said step of storing a shadow copy of data further comprises;

storing each of said system files and said associated hash value in said memory module; and

wherein said step of storing a shadow copy of data stores said hash value of each of said customer data files in said database.

17. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 16, further comprising:

storing, in response to a plurality of said system files having the same hash value, a single instance of said system file in said memory module.

18. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 17 wherein said step of storing system files additionally stores said file tree information for each of said plurality of system files having the same hash value and said associated hash value with said single instance of said system file in said memory module.

19. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 11 wherein said step of managing customer data files comprises:

automatically tracking changes to said customer data files, including;

customer data file creation, customer data file movement, customer data file content changes, and customer data file renaming.

20. The method for the automatic backup storage of network data of claim 19 wherein said step of managing customer data files further comprises:

generating, in response to a modification of a customer data file, file change data indicative of a difference between said customer data file and said modified customer data file; and

wherein said step of storing a shadow copy of data stores said file change data in said memory module and substitutes said modified customer data file for said customer data file in said memory module.