TECHNIQUES FOR ACCESSING A BACKUP SYSTEM

• US 20120297468A1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iron Mountain Information Management Incorporated (Iron Mountain Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bharadwaj Subramanya, Manjunath
• Granted Patent: US 8,590,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A technique accesses a backup system. The technique involves receiving a logon command to logon a user to a website of the backup system. The backup system includes (i) a backup server and (ii) a web server which hosts the website to enable the user to control settings of the backup server. The technique further involves, sending, in response to receiving the logon command, a token request to the backup server through a pre-established secure data pathway to the backup server. Data is periodically backed up to the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway. The technique further involves acquiring, in response to sending the token request, a logon token from the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway. When the website receives the logon token during a logon operation, the website communicates with the backup server to determine whether the logon token is authentic.

Claims

1. In a computerized client device, a method of accessing a backup system, the method comprising:

receiving a logon command to logon a user to a website of the backup system, the backup system including (i) a backup server and (ii) a web server which hosts the website to enable the user to control settings of the backup server;

in response to receiving the logon command, sending a token request to the backup server through a pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server, data being periodically backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway in a secure manner; and

in response to sending the token request, acquiring a logon token from the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server, the website hosted by the web server being constructed and arranged to communicate with the backup server to determine whether the logon token is authentic when the website receives the logon token during a logon operation.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

after the computerized client device acquires the logon token, providing the logon token to the website during the logon operation to logon the user to the website of the backup system.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein providing the logon token to the website during the logon operation includes:

transmitting the logon token from the computerized client device to the web server through a second pathway which is different than the pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein transmitting the logon token from the computerized client device to the web server through the second pathway includes:

after particular data has been backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway, sending the logon token to the web server through the second pathway as part of a website logon session.

5. A method as in claim 2, further comprising:

automatically launching a web browser on the computer client device in response to the logon command, the logon token being provided to the website via the automatically launched web browser.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein acquiring the logon token from the backup server includes obtaining, as the logon token, a onetime use token from the backup server;

and

wherein providing the logon token to the website during the logon operation includes sending the onetime use token from the web browser to the website to logon the user to the website.

7. A method as in claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the user successfully logging on to the website, receiving a logon cookie from the website through the web browser and storing the logon cookie in the computerized client device for use in a subsequent website logon session, and

after the logon cookie is stored in the computerized client device, sending contents of the logon cookie from the computerized client device to the website as part of the subsequent website logon session.

8. A method as in claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the user successfully logging on to the website, prompting the user to create a unique username and password for use in a subsequent website logon session, and

after the user has created the unique username and password, conveying the unique username and password from the computerized client device to the website as part of the subsequent website logon session.

9. A method as in claim 2 wherein the backup server is constructed and arranged to backup data from multiple client devices;

wherein the data which is periodically backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server includes a particular file; and

wherein the method further comprises;

after the logon token is provided to the website during the logon operation to logon the user to the website, restoring the particular file from the backup server to the computerized client device.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the web server communicates with the backup server through a computer network;

and wherein restoring the particular file from the backup server to the computerized client device includes;

providing a restore command to the website hosted by the web server, the restore command being constructed and arranged to direct the website to carry out a restore operation on the backup server through the computer network to restore the particular file from the backup server to the computerized client device.

11. A computerized client device, comprising:

a user interface;

a network interface; and

a controller coupled to the user interface and the network interface, the controller being constructed and arranged to;

receive, through the user interface, a logon command to logon a user to a website of a backup system, the backup system including (i) a backup server and (ii) a web server which hosts the website to enable the user to control settings of the backup server,

in response to receiving the logon command, send a token request to the backup server through the network interface and a pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server, data being periodically backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server through the network interface and the pre-established secure data pathway in a secure manner, and

in response to sending the token request, acquire a logon token from the backup server through the network interface and the pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server, the website hosted by the web server being constructed and arranged to communicate with the backup server to determine whether the logon token is authentic when the website receives the logon token during a logon operation.

12. A computerized client device as in claim 11 wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to:

provide the logon token to the website during the logon operation to logon the user to the website of the backup system.

13. A computerized client device as in claim 12 wherein the controller, when providing the logon token to the website during the logon operation, is constructed and arranged to:

transmit the logon token from the computerized client device to the web server through a second pathway which is different than the pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server.

14. A computerized client device as in claim 12 wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to:

automatically launch a web browser on the computer client device in response to the logon command, the logon token being provided to the website via the automatically launched web browser.

15. A computerized client device as in claim 12, further comprising:

non-volatile storage coupled to the controller;

wherein the backup server is constructed and arranged to backup data from multiple client devices;

wherein the data which is periodically backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server includes a particular file; and

wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to, after the logon token is provided to the website during the logon operation to logon the user to the website, restore the particular file from the backup server to the non-volatile storage.

16. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a set of instructions which, when carried out by a computerized client device, cause the computerized client device to:

receive a logon command to logon a user to a website of the backup system, the backup system including (i) a backup server and (ii) a web server which hosts the website to enable the user to control settings of the backup server;

in response to receiving the logon command, send a token request to the backup server through a pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server, data being periodically backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway in a secure manner; and

in response to sending the token request, acquire a logon token from the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server, the website hosted by the web server being constructed and arranged to communicate with the backup server to determine whether the logon token is authentic when the website receives the logon token during a logon operation.

17. A computer program product as in claim 16 wherein the set of instructions further cause the computerized client device to:

provide the logon token to the website during the logon operation to logon the user to the website of the backup system.

18. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein the computerized client device, when providing the logon token to the website during the logon operation, is constructed and arranged to:

transmit the logon token from the computerized client device to the web server through a second pathway which is different than the pre-established secure data pathway between the computerized client device and the backup server.

19. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein the set of instructions further cause the computerized client device to:

automatically launch a web browser on the computer client device in response to the logon command, the logon token being provided to the website via the automatically launched web browser.

20. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein the backup server is constructed and arranged to backup data from multiple client devices;

wherein the data which is periodically backed up from the computerized client device to the backup server includes a particular file; and

wherein the set of instructions further cause the computerized client device to, after the logon token is provided to the website during the logon operation to logon the user to the website, restore the particular file from the backup server to the computerized client device.