Backup method and apparatus allowing only replaced data to be transferred

• US 5,987,575 A
• Filed: 08/29/1995
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Eddie P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, HONG CHONG
• Application Number:
  US08/521,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 395/489, 395/181, 395/182.02, 395/182.04, 395/182.05, 395/182.08, 395/182.11, 395/600, 395/182.13, 395/182.14, 395/712, 395/619, 395/620, 711/162, 714/6, 707/204, 707/203
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A data backup apparatus determines whether a version serial number of data backed up in a network management system matches a version serial number of data stored in a data version serial number management field of an update history management area, upon having the network management system back up update data generated in a data processing apparatus. Upon a match of the version serial numbers of respective data, the data processing apparatus transfers only update data stored in the data update history management area via a communications link to the network management system. Upon a mismatch of the version serial numbers of respective data, the data processing apparatus transfers all data, including data other than update data, stored in an EEPROM of the data processing apparatus, to the network management system.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a storage means for storing data;

a data update storage means for storing replacement data and update history data; and

a data transfer means for transferring via a communication link to a data storage apparatus said replacement data and said update history data stored in said data storage means, upon a next data backup;

said data update storage means stores a version serial number as update history data; and

said data transfer means determines whether or not stores a version serial number of data backed up in said data storage apparatus matches the version serial number of data stored in said data update storage means, and transfers only replacement data of the same version serial number stored in said data update storage means to said data storage apparatus, upon a positive determination, and

transfers for a data backup all update data stored in said data update storage means to said data storage apparatus, upon a negative determination.

2. A data backup-method for having a data storage apparatus backup data stored in a data processing apparatus via a communication link, comprising the steps of:

a step of storing update history data indicating an update history of the data;

a step of having said data storage apparatus store backup data and first update history data;

a step of having said data processing apparatus store replacement data and second update history data of a next data backup;

a step of having said data processing apparatus determine whether or not its update history data matches the first update history data of said data storage apparatus, upon the next data backup; and

a step of having said data processing apparatus transfer to said data storage apparatus only replacement data since the last backup based on the second update history data upon the next data backup;

wherein invoked upon a positive determination in said determining step, of having said data processing apparatus transfer only said replacement data of the next data backup to said data storage apparatus; and

wherein invoked upon a negative determination in said determining step, of having said data processing apparatus transfer all update data of the next data backup to said data storage apparatus.