Architecture for back up and/or recovery of electronic data

• US 20080126442A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Ko, Steve, Cisler, Pavel, McInerney, Peter, Ulrich, Robert, Weiss, Eric
• Application Number:
  US11/499,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• 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 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided including a backup system architecture for performing backup operations. In one implementation, a method is provided. A backup process is initialized on a device. An initial backup is performed for the device including storing data from the device on a first storage device. The stored data has a format corresponding to a file system structure of the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initializing a backup process on a device;

performing an initial backup for the device including storing data from the device on a first storage device, where the stored data has a format corresponding to a file system structure of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an incremental backup including;

identifying changed data on the device from the initial backup; and

storing the changed data and data representing a current file system hierarchy of the backup data, where the data representing the current file system hierarchy includes links to data of the initial backup.

3. The method of claim 1, where initializing a backup process further comprises:

loading the backup process at system startup; and

running the backup process continuously as a background process.

4. The method of claim 1, where performing an initial backup includes identifying one or more storage devices for storing the initial backup.

5. The method of claim 2, where identifying changed data further comprises:

monitoring for events indicating a change to data on the device.

6. The method of claim 2, where identifying changed data further comprises:

comparing data on the device with the data of the initial backup.

7. The method of claim 2, where identifying changed data further comprises:

identifying a change according to one or more rules defining change events.

8. The method of claim 2, where performing the incremental backup further comprises:

monitoring system resources identifying system inactivity; and

initiating the incremental backup when system inactivity is identified.

9. The method of claim 2, where the incremental backup is performed according to a schedule.

10. The method of claim 2, where the incremental backup is performed in response to a change in data on the device.

11. A system comprising:

means for initializing a backup process on a device; and

means for performing an initial backup for the device including storing data from the device on a first storage device, where the stored data has a format corresponding to a file system structure of the device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for performing an incremental backup including;

identifying changed data on the device from the initial backup; and

storing the changed data and data representing a current file system hierarchy of the backup data, where the data representing the current file system hierarchy includes links to data of the initial backup.

13. A system comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to present;

a preferences menu including general preferences and backup device preferences;

the backup device preferences including a destination location for a backup; and

the general preferences including information associated with backup scheduling.

14. The system of claim 13, where the preferences menu includes scheduling preferences for scheduling a backup operation.

15. The system of claim 13, where the general preferences includes a plurality of applications for selection as included in a backup operation.

16. A method comprising:

initiating a backup system;

selecting one or more preferences for backup operations;

performing one or more backup operations according to the identified preferences, the backup operations generating a backup having stored data corresponding to a file system structure.

17. The method of claim 16, where selecting one or more preferences includes selecting one or more applications to be included in the generated backup.

18. The method of claim 16, where selecting one or more preferences includes selecting a schedule for performing the backup operations.

19. The method of claim 16, where selecting one or more preferences includes selecting a particular storage device of one or more storage devices to store the generated backup.

20. The method of claim 19, where the one or more storage devices are external storage devices.

21. The method of claim 19, where a storage device of the one or more storage devices is a remote storage device.

22. The method of claim 16, where the file system structure of the stored backup is a hierarchical file system.

23. A method comprising:

defining one or more criteria for capturing a state of a view of a user interface;

using a backup daemon to capture the state of the view in accordance with the criteria;

storing a captured view on an external storage device;

receiving a prompt to suspend presentation of a current view and present the captured view; and

reinstating the captured view into the current view of the user interface.