System and method for reducing storage requirement in backup subsystems utilizing segmented compression and differencing
First Claim
1. A method for storing information in a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server, a server backup program, a storage medium, and a copy of a versioned sequence of a file stored in the storage medium, said versioned sequence comprising a base version of a file in multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files, the client having a client backup program and a storage medium, the client and the backup server are connected to each other by a communication link, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a backup session between the client and the backup server;
detecting, using the client backup program, a changed version of said file at the client;
transmitting said changed version of said file, using the communication link, from the client to the backup subsystem; and
differencing, using the backup subsystem, the changed version of said file and the base version of said file to create a delta file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a client/server environment, a method and means for reducing the storage requirement in the backup subsystem and further reducing the load on the transmission bandwidth where base files are maintained on the server in a segmented compressed format. When a file is modified on the client, the file is transmitted to the server and compared with the segmented compressed base version of the file utilizing a differencing function but without decompressing the entire base file. A delta file which is the difference between the compressed base file and the modified version of the file is created and stored on a storage medium which is part of the backup subsystem. Alternatively, a copy of frequently accessed base files are maintained on the client in a compressed format. Whenever the client detects that a frequently accessed file has been modified, the modified version of the file is differenced against the base version of that file without decompressing the entire base file and a delta file is generated. The delta file is then transmitted to the server to be stored at the server for storage medium to be utilized either immediately or at a later time to update the base version of the modified file on the server.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for storing information in a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server, a server backup program, a storage medium, and a copy of a versioned sequence of a file stored in the storage medium, said versioned sequence comprising a base version of a file in multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files, the client having a client backup program and a storage medium, the client and the backup server are connected to each other by a communication link, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a backup session between the client and the backup server; detecting, using the client backup program, a changed version of said file at the client; transmitting said changed version of said file, using the communication link, from the client to the backup subsystem; and differencing, using the backup subsystem, the changed version of said file and the base version of said file to create a delta file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for storing and transmitting information in a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server, a server backup program, a storage medium, and a copy of a versioned sequence of a file stored in the storage medium, said versioned sequence comprising a base version of a file in multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files, the client and the server are in communication with each other by a communication link, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a backup session between the client and the backup subsystem; detecting a changed version of said file at the client; differencing, using the client, the changed version of said file and the base version of said file at the client to create a delta file; transmitting said delta file, using the communication link, to the backup subsystem; and storing said delta file in the backup subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server and a backup storage medium, and where the client comprises a client storage medium, the client and the backup server connected to each other by a communication link, a method for storing and transmitting information in said client-server environment, comprising the steps of:
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storing a versioned sequence of a file, using the backup storage medium, in the backup subsystem, said versioned sequence comprising a base version of a file in multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files; detecting a changed version of said file at the client; differencing, using the client, the changed version of the said file and the base version of said file to create a delta file at the client; transmitting, using the communication link, said delta file to the server; and storing said delta file in the backup subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. In a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server and a storage medium, the client is connected to the backup server by a communication link, the backup subsystem including a copy of a versioned sequence of a file, said versioned sequence comprising a base file in a multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files, said client-server environment comprising:
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means for establishing a backup session between the client and the backup server; means for transmitting a changed version of said file, from the client to the backup subsystem; means for differencing, the changed version of said file and the base version of said file to create a delta file; and means for storing said delta file in the backup subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. In a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server and a storage medium, and where the client comprises a client storage medium, the client and the server connected to each other by a communication link, said client-server environment comprising:
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means for storing a versioned sequence of a file in the backup subsystem, said versioned sequence comprising a base version of a file in a multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files; means for storing a copy of the base version of said file in the client; means for detecting a changed version of said file at the client; means for differencing the changed version of said file and the base version of said file to create a delta file at the client; means for transmitting the delta file to the backup subsystem; and means for storing said delta file in the backup subsystem so the base version of said file can be updated at a predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A method for storing information in a client-server environment having a client and a backup subsystem, the backup subsystem comprising a backup server and a copy of a versioned sequence of a file, said versioned sequence comprising a base version of said file in multiple compressed segments and a predetermined number of delta files, the client and the backup server are in communication with each other, comprising the steps of:
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detecting, using the client, a changed version of said file at the client; transmitting said changed version of said file from the client to the backup subsystem; and differencing, using the backup subsystem, the changed version of said file and the base version of said file to create a delta file.
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Specification