SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SHADOWING ENCRYPTED DATA AND FILE DIRECTORY STRUCTURES FOR A PLURALITY OF NETWORK-CONNECTED COMPUTERS USING A NETWORK-ATTACHED MEMORY WITH SINGLE INSTANCE STORAGE

• US 20100174684A1
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbonite LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rebit, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwaab, David, Probst, Nathan, Batchelor, Dennis B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,356,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/655
• 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 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• 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 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

The Secure Networked Data Shadowing System is connected to a plurality of monitored computer systems via an existing communication medium to store the shadowed data. The data is encrypted by the monitored computer system using a cryptokey, and the data file is processed using a hash function prior to encryption, so the contents of this file are uniquely identified. Thus, the encrypted file is stored in its encrypted form and the hash index is used to identify the encrypted file. A “data de-duplication” process avoids storing multiple copies of the same files by identifying instances of duplication via the hash index. Files that have the same hash index can be reduced to a single copy without any loss of data as long as the file structure information for each instance of the file is maintained.

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, 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;

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

customer data file map generator 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 which stores said customer data to enable both memory-level and file-level restoration of data;

customer data file hash generator for processing each of said customer data files to generate an associated hash value of each said customer data file to uniquely identify said customer data file;

customer data file transmitter for transmitting said customer file and said hash value to said memory module; and

wherein said memory module comprises;

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

duplication eliminator, responsive to a plurality of said customer data files having the same hash value, for storing a single instance of said customer data file in said memory module.

2. The data shadowing system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein said customer data file manager further comprises;

customer data encryption processor for encrypting each of said customer data files using a cryptokey having public and private components; and

wherein said customer data file storage stores said encrypted customer data files, said associated hash value, and said public encryption key received from each of said monitored computer systems via said communication medium, in said memory module.

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

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

system file manager for 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.

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

wherein said memory module further comprises;

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

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

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

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

8. The data shadowing system of claim 7 wherein said system file storage 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.

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

change journal 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, further comprising:

file history, 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;

file tracking for storing said file change data in said memory module; and

wherein said customer data file manager 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.

11. A method for the autonomous encrypted backup storage of data that is written in the memories of a plurality of monitored computer systems and the selective retrieval of this encrypted 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;

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 of the monitored computer system which stores said customer data to enable both memory-level and file-level restoration of data;

processing each of said customer data files to generate an associated hash value of each said customer data file to uniquely identify said customer data file;

transmitting said customer file and said hash value to said memory module; and

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

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

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

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

encrypting each of said customer data files using a cryptokey having public and private components; and

wherein said step of storing each of said customer data files stores said encrypted customer data files, said associated hash value, and said public encryption key received from each of said monitored computer systems via said communication medium, in said memory module.

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

14. The method for the autonomous encrypted backup storage of 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 autonomous encrypted backup storage of 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 autonomous encrypted backup storage of 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 files further comprises;

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

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

17. The method for the autonomous encrypted backup storage of 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 autonomous encrypted backup storage of data of claim 17 wherein said system file storage 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 autonomous encrypted backup storage of data of claim 11 wherein said customer data file management comprises:

change journal 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.

20. The method for the autonomous encrypted backup storage of data of claim 19, further comprising:

file history, 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;

file tracking for storing said file change data in said memory module; and

wherein said customer data file manager 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.