Data backup system

• US 6,330,570 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Crighton, Ian Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAYYAN, SUSAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/259,129
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 714/100, 711/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A backup system includes backup application software operating on a host computer, which is configurable to store data to be backed up to a backup apparatus. The system is configurable to schedule and enact a pre-backup check, prior to running the actual scheduled backup job so that any faults which have developed since the initial configuration can be remedied. The pre-backup check preferably occurs on a daily basis prior to every scheduled backup job.

Claims

1. A backup system configurable to enact a pre-backup check, to verify that a proposed backup job can be completed, in advance of enacting the proposed backup job, the system comprising:

means to produce a warning message in the event of a determination that there is a likelihood that the proposed backup job will not complete successfully.

2. A back up system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-backup check verifies that data can be written to a specified backup apparatus.

3. A backup system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-backup check verifies that data forming at least part of a defined data set can be accessed by the system.

4. A backup system according to claim 1, wherein, for the pre-backup check, the system enacts a relatively small portion of the proposed backup job in order to verify that the proposed backup job may be completed successfully.

5. A backup system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-backup check and the proposed backup job can both be scheduled.

6. A backup system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-backup check can be scheduled to occur in advance of at least one scheduled instance of the proposed backup job.

7. A backup system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-backup check can be scheduled to occur in advance of every scheduled instance of the proposed backup job.

8. A backup system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-backup check includes estimating the capacity of backup media required for the proposed backup job.

9. A backup system according to claim 8, wherein the pre-backup check estimates the capacity on the basis of one or more previously successfully completed backup jobs.

10. A backup system according to claim 1, comprising application software operative to run on a host computer to provide a graphical user interface having user configurable input options to allow a user to configure independent operation of both a pre-backup check and a proposed backup job.

11. A backup system according to claim 1, comprising application software operative to run on a host computer to provide a graphical warning message in the event a pre-backup check determines that a backup job may not complete successfully.

12. A backup system according to claim 1, comprising application software operative to run on a host computer to provide a graphical warning message on a remote computer terminal in the event a pre-backup check determines that a backup job may not complete successfully.

13. A method of backing up data, comprising the steps of:

scheduling a backup system to enact a pre-backup check to verify that a proposed backup job can be completed;

scheduling a backup system to enact a backup job to occur at a time after the pre-backup check;

generating a warning message in the event the pre-backup check determines that there is likelihood that the backup job will not be successful.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the pre-backup check is scheduled to take place near the end of the working day, while an operator is likely to still be present.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the pre-backup check is scheduled to occur at least one hour before the backup job.