Method and apparatus for efficiently backing up files using multiple computer systems
First Claim
1. An apparatus for backing up a plurality of files, comprising:
- a controller machine having an input operatively coupled to receive at least one backup set comprising at least one identifier of the files and to receive at least one set of information corresponding to a backup drive, the controller machine for allocating the at least one identifier in the at least one backup set into a plurality of drive backup sets, and for transmitting the drive backup sets to an output; and
at least one backup machine having an input coupled to the controller machine output, for receiving at least one drive backup set and for retrieving files corresponding to the identifiers in the drive backup set and transmitting said files to a backup drive for storage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method backs up computer files to backup drives connected to multiple computer systems. Each file in a backup set is allocated to one or more backup subsets for each of the multiple computer systems. The files can be allocated in an even number across each subset, allocated to evenly spread the number of bytes to each subset, or, using the capacity of each of the multiple computer systems, allocated so that each computer system can complete backing up the files allocated to it in approximately the same amount of time. The system can restrict the number of bytes continuously required from a single disk by one of the backup machines from exceeding a threshold limit. Each of the multiple computer systems is then directed to, and the computer systems do, back up files in one or more subsets, which may be allocated to that computer system.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for backing up a plurality of files, comprising:
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a controller machine having an input operatively coupled to receive at least one backup set comprising at least one identifier of the files and to receive at least one set of information corresponding to a backup drive, the controller machine for allocating the at least one identifier in the at least one backup set into a plurality of drive backup sets, and for transmitting the drive backup sets to an output; and at least one backup machine having an input coupled to the controller machine output, for receiving at least one drive backup set and for retrieving files corresponding to the identifiers in the drive backup set and transmitting said files to a backup drive for storage.
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2. A method of backing up files, comprising:
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receiving a backup set comprising a description of a plurality of files to be backed up; allocating file identifiers of the plurality of files to a plurality of backup subsets; providing the file identifiers in at least a first one of said plurality of backup subsets so as to cause the files corresponding to the file identifiers in the at least first one of said plurality of backup subsets to be copied onto a first backup media; and providing the file identifiers in at least a second, different from the first, one of said plurality of backup subsets so as to cause the files corresponding to the file identifiers in the at least second one of said plurality of backup subsets to be copied onto a second backup media different from the first backup media. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for backing up files, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a backup set comprising a description of a plurality of files to be backed up; computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to allocate file identifiers of the plurality of files to a plurality of backup subsets; computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to provide the file identifiers in at least a first one of said plurality of backup subsets so as to cause the files corresponding to the file identifiers in the at least first one of said plurality of backup subsets to be copied onto a first backup media; and computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to provide the file identifiers in at least a second, different from the first, one of said plurality of backup subsets so as to cause the files corresponding to the file identifiers in the at least second one of said plurality of backup subsets to be copied onto a second backup media different from the first backup media. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification