SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TIME-BASED FOLDER RESTORE

• US 20150331755A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbonite LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carbonite Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Morgan, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2255 Hash tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/83 the solution involving signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for hierarchical, iterative backup and restoration of files in a hierarchy. Upon backup of a new or modified file, an identification file is created with entries identifying the new or modified file and current versions of all other files in the same directory. The identification file may be stored on the local system and marked for backup. This triggers standard backup routines, such that the identification file is then backed up as if it were a new file in the parent directory. Accordingly, a second identification file is created with entries identifying the first identification file (and thus the child directory) as well as any other current versions of files in the parent directory and identification files for other child directories. This process is iteratively repeated, climbing through the directory structure, until reaching a top-most or root folder.

Claims

1. A method for tree-based remote incremental backup tracking, comprising:

(a) detecting, by a backup manager executed by a local device, a new or modified file in a first folder of the local device;

(b) transmitting, to a remote device by the backup manager, the detected file for backup by the remote device, responsive to the detection;

(c) generating, by the backup manager, an identification file identifying the detected file, the identification file associated with a parent folder of the first folder;

(d) transmitting, to the remote device by the backup manager, the generated identification file for backup by the remote device; and

(e) iteratively repeating steps (a)-(d) for each successive parent folder up to a designated folder of the local device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated folder of the local computing device is a root folder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises calculating a hash value of the detected file, and storing the hash value in the identification file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the modified file comprises an identification of a current version of the modified file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification file is associated with the parent folder of the first folder as external metadata of the folder.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification file is stored in the parent folder of the first folder.

7. A method for restoring from a tree-based remote incremental backup comprising:

retrieving, by a backup manager executed by a local device, responsive to a selection of a first folder for restoration to an indicated time, a first identification file associated with the first folder, the first identification file identifying a version of a first file stored in the first folder at the indicated time;

reading, by the backup manager from the first identification file, the identification of the version of the first file; and

retrieving, by the backup manager based on the identification, the version of the first file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first file comprises a user data file.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first file comprises a second identification file associated with a child folder of the first folder, the second identification file identifying a version of a second file stored in the child folder at the indicated time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

reading, by the backup manager from the second identification file, the identification of the version of the second file; and

retrieving, by the backup manager based on the identification of the version of the second file, the version of the second file for storage in the child folder of the first folder.

11. A method for maintaining a tree-based remote incremental backup tracking system, comprising:

(a) receiving, by a backup manager executed by a local device, an identification of deletion of a version of a backed up file having a first modification time from a first folder;

(b) retrieving, by the backup manager, at least one identification file associated with a corresponding at least one version of the first folder, each of the at least one identification files identifying contents of the corresponding version of the first folder at a time in a range from the first modification time to a current time;

(c) identifying, by the backup manager, a subset of the at least one identification files including an identification of the version of the backed up file having the first modification time; and

(d) deleting, by the backup manager, the identified subset of the at least one identification files.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(e) iterating steps (a)-(d) for each deleted identification file of the identified subset of the at least one identification files as the version of a backed up file.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each at least one identification file is stored in a folder corresponding to a version of a parent folder of the first folder.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying a subset of the at least one identification files including an identification of the version of the backed up file having the first modification time further comprises:

calculating a hash of contents of the version of the backed up file having the first modification time; and

identifying at least one of the identification files including the hash result.

15. A system for tree-based remote incremental backup tracking, comprising:

a local device comprising a processor and a memory storing a file system, the processor executing a backup manager configured to;

(a) detect a new or modified file in a first folder of the file system of the local device;

(b) transmit, to a remote device, the detected file for backup by the remote device, responsive to the detection;

(c) generate an identification file identifying the detected file, the identification file associated with a parent folder of the first folder in the file system of the local device;

(d) transmit, to the remote device, the generated identification file for backup by the remote device; and

(e) iteratively repeat steps (a)-(d) for each successive parent folder up to a designated folder of the local device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the designated folder of the local computing device is a root folder.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the backup manager is configured to calculate a hash value of the detected file, and store the hash value in the identification file.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the identification of the modified file comprises an identification of a current version of the modified file.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the identification file is associated with the parent folder of the first folder as external metadata of the folder.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the identification file is stored in the parent folder of the first folder.