Searching and Restoring of Backups

• US 20080307017A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cisler, Pavel, McInerney, Peter, Weiss, Eric, Lyons, David, Hornkvist, John
• Application Number:
  US11/760,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307017A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for searching for and presenting backups. A first search result including a first version of an item is presented. The first version is associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date. User input requesting that an archive including one or more versions of the item be searched is received. A second search result including a second version of the item is presented. The second version is different from the first version. The second version is associated with a second date range having a second start date and a second end date. The second date range does not overlap with the first date range.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a first search result including a first version of an item, the first version associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date;

receiving user input requesting that an archive including one or more versions of the item be searched; and

presenting a second search result including a second version of the item, the second version different from the first version, the second version associated with a second date range having a second start date and a second end date, and where the second date range does not overlap with the first date range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second date range predates the first date range.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second date range postdates the first date range.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting a second search result comprises:

in response to the user input, searching the archive for one or more versions of the item that are associated with respective date ranges that do not overlap with the first date range.

5. A method comprising:

associating a first archival copy of an item with a first date range, the first date range having a first starting date and a first ending date;

detecting that the item is unchanged with respect to the first archival copy;

in response to detecting that the item has not changed, extending the first date range;

detecting a modification of the item; and

associating a second archival copy of the item with a second date range, the second archival copy including the modification to the item, the second date range having a second starting date and a second ending date.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein extending the first date range comprises updating the first ending date.

7. The method of claim 5, where extending the first date range includes modifying metadata associated with the first archival copy.

8. The method of claim 5, where associating the first archival copy of the item with a first data range includes determining a first starting point of the first archival copy.

9. The method of claim 5, where detecting a modification of the item includes comparing the first archival copy of the item to a current version of the item.

10. A method comprising:

presenting a history view including a first search result including a first version of an item, the first version associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date;

receiving an input in the history view to identify a second version of the item; and

presenting a history view including the first search result including the identified second version of the item.

11. The method of claim 10, where receiving the input in the history view includes an input to a navigation arrow.

12. The method of claim 10, where identifying the second version of the item includes searching for versions of the item associated with a data range outside of the first date range.

13. The method of claim 10, where presenting the history view includes:

presenting a plurality of visual representations of the first search result, each visual representation representing a particular snapshot in time and where presenting the first search result including the identified second version of the item includes automatically traversing one or more of the plurality of visual representations including the first version of the item.

14. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

presenting a first search result including a first version of an item, the first version associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date;

receiving user input requesting that an archive including one or more versions of the item be searched; and

presenting a second search result including a second version of the item, the second version different from the first version, the second version associated with a second date range having a second start date and a second end date, and where the second date range does not overlap with the first date range.

15. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

associating a first archival copy of an item with a first date range, the first date range having a first starting date and a first ending date;

detecting that the item is unchanged with respect to the first archival copy;

in response to detecting that the item has not changed, extending the first date range;

detecting a modification of the item; and

associating a second archival copy of the item with a second date range, the second archival copy including the modification to the item, the second date range having a second starting date and a second ending date.

16. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

presenting a history view including a first search result including a first version of an item, the first version associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date;

receiving an input in the history view to identify a second version of the item; and

presenting a history view including the first search result including the identified second version of the item.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions comprising instructions to;

present a first search result including a first version of an item, the first version associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date;

receive user input requesting that an archive including one or more versions of the item be searched; and

present a second search result including a second version of the item, the second version different from the first version, the second version associated with a second date range having a second start date and a second end date, and where the second date range does not overlap with the first date range.

18. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions comprising instructions to;

associate a first archival copy of an item with a first date range, the first date range having a first starting date and a first ending date;

detect that the item is unchanged with respect to the first archival copy;

in response to detecting that the item has not changed, extend the first date range;

detect a modification of the item; and

associate a second archival copy of the item with a second date range, the second archival copy including the modification to the item, the second date range having a second starting date and a second ending date.

19. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions comprising instructions to;

present a history view including a first search result including a first version of an item, the first version associated with a first date range having a first start date and a first end date;

receive an input in the history view to identify a second version of the item; and

present a history view including the first search result including the identified second version of the item.