Password protection for file backups

• US 20080244732A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Data Speed Technology LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Inventors: Pype, Hans, Coninck, Tom De
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself

Abstract

Various embodiments of a system and method for performing file backup operations are described. The method may operate to enable a user of a computer system to provide a password or other authentication information to associate with files on the computer system, e.g., in order to protect files that are backed up. For example, when the user (or another person or software agent) attempts to restore or otherwise access a backup copy of a password-protected file, the user may be prompted to enter the password. The method may operate to verify that the entered password matches the password associated with the file before granting permission to restore the file.

Claims

1. A computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive a file to be backed up;

backup the file;

receive first authentication information; and

store information indicating that the first authentication information is required to restore the backed-up file.

2. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive a request to restore the backed-up file;

receive second authentication information;

determine whether the second authentication information matches the first authentication information; and

grant permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information matches the first authentication information or deny permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information does not match the first authentication information.

3. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 2, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

prompt for the second authentication information in response to the request to restore the backed-up file;

wherein receiving the second authentication information comprises receiving user input in response to said prompting for the second authentication information.

4. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform one or more of:

storing the first authentication information; and

/or

storing information derived from the first authentication information.

5. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 1,

wherein said receiving the file comprises receiving the file from a first computer system;

wherein said receiving the first authentication information comprises receiving the first authentication information from the first computer system;

wherein said backing up the file comprises storing the file on one or more computer systems other than the first computer system.

6. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 5, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive a request to restore the backed-up file from a second computer system;

prompt for second authentication information in response to the request;

receive the second authentication information from the second computer system;

determine whether the second authentication information matches the first authentication information; and

grant permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information matches the first authentication information or deny permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information does not match the first authentication information.

7. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 1,

wherein said receiving the file comprises receiving the file from a first computer system;

wherein said backing up the file comprises;

splitting the file into a plurality of segments; and

distributing the plurality of segments across a plurality of computer systems other than the first computer system.

8. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first authentication information comprises a password.

9. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first authentication information comprises biometric information.

10. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 9,

wherein the biometric information comprises one or more of:

fingerprint information;

voice information; and

/or

retinal scan information.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the program instructions to perform one or more of:

store the first authentication information; and

/or

store information derived from the first authentication information.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the computer system is a first computer system,

wherein said receiving the file comprises receiving the file from a second computer system;

wherein said receiving the first authentication information comprises receiving the first authentication information from the second computer system.

11. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing program instructions;

wherein the one or more processors are operable to execute the program instructions to;

receive a file to be backed up;

backup the file;

receive first authentication information; and

store information indicating that the first authentication information is required to restore the backed-up file.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the program instructions to:

receive a request to restore the backed-up file;

receive second authentication information;

determine whether the second authentication information matches the first authentication information; and

grant permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information matches the first authentication information or deny permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information does not match the first authentication information.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the program instructions to:

prompt for the second authentication information in response to the request to restore the backed-up file;

wherein receiving the second authentication information comprises receiving user input in response to said prompting for the second authentication information.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a file to be backed up;

backing up the file;

receiving first authentication information; and

storing information indicating that the first authentication information is required to restore the backed-up file.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request to restore the backed-up file;

receiving second authentication information;

determining whether the second authentication information matches the first authentication information; and

granting permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information matches the first authentication information or denying permission to restore the backed-up file if the second authentication information does not match the first authentication information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

prompting for the second authentication information in response to the request to restore the backed-up file;

wherein receiving the second authentication information comprises receiving user input in response to said prompting for the second authentication information.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising one or more of:

storing the first authentication information; and

/or

storing information derived from the first authentication information.

20. The method of claim 16,

wherein said receiving the file comprises receiving the file from a first computer system;

wherein said receiving the first authentication information comprises receiving the first authentication information from the first computer system;

wherein said backing up the file comprises storing the file on one or more computer systems other than the first computer system.