System and method for backing up data from a plurality of client computer systems using a server computer including a plurality of processes

• US 6,742,092 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Prieve, Robert J., Huebsch, Richard J., Kampa, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gossage, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US10/263,442
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 711/161, 711/162, 711/4
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A system and method for backing up data from a plurality of client computer systems. A server computer executes a plurality of processes each configured to receives back-up data from a respective one of the client computers. Each of the processes stores the back-up data into a buffer within a shared memory area. The server computer associates an identification tag with each set of back-up data which identifies from which particular client computer the data was received. The server computer then stores the back-up data and the identification tags within a storage unit. Data from a particular client is de-multiplexed from the storage unit by scanning all of the identification tags in the storage unit and sending any data which is associated with a received identification tag to the particular client.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of client computer systems;

a server computer coupled to said plurality of client computer systems; and

a storage unit including one or more storage devices coupled to said server computer;

wherein said server computer includes a plurality of processes each configured to receive back-up data from a respective one of said plurality of client computer systems, wherein said server computer is further configured to store said back-up data to said storage unit;

wherein said server computer includes a memory, wherein said server computer is configured to allocate a respective portion of said memory to each of said plurality of client computer systems and wherein each of said respective portions of said memory includes a plurality of buffer locations for storing said back-up data received from said respective one of said plurality of client computer systems; and

wherein said server computer is further configured to allocate another portion of said memory as a plurality of availability flags, wherein each of said plurality of availability flags is indicative of whether a corresponding buffer location has new back-up data and is full.

2. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of client computer systems is configured to execute a back-up process in response to being initialized by said server computer, wherein said back-up process includes reading back-up data from a local storage and sending that back-up data to said server computer in response to that back-up data being read from said local storage.

3. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of processes are reading processes, wherein each reading process is configured to concurrently monitor a network for back-up data packets including said back-up data with which each reading process is associated, wherein said network is coupled between said plurality of client computer systems and said server computer.

4. The computer system as recited in claim 3, wherein in response to receiving said back-up data packets, each reading process is further configured to create a client identification tag that identifies to which of said plurality of client computer systems each of said back-up data packets belongs.

5. The computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein in response to receiving said back-up data packets, each reading process is further configured to find an empty buffer location within a corresponding one of said plurality of buffer locations using said availability flags and to store a given one of said back-up data packets and a corresponding client identification tag within said empty buffer location and to cause a corresponding availability flag to indicate that said empty buffer location has been filled.

6. The computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein said server computer is further configured to execute a writing process configured to copy back-up data from ones of said plurality of buffer locations having availability flags that are indicative that said ones of said plurality of buffer locations are full to a given storage device within said storage unit.

7. The computer system as recited in claim 6, wherein said writing process is further configured to stream said back-up data from ones of said plurality of buffer locations to said given storage device within said storage unit while said availability flags indicate that any of said plurality of buffer locations have new back-up data.

8. The computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein said server computer is further configured to execute a de-multiplexing process configured to, in response to receiving a particular client identification tag, restore said back-up data by retrieving back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag from said storage unit and to cause said back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag to be written to one of said plurality of client computer systems matching said particular client identification tag.

9. The computer system as recited in claim 8, wherein said de-multiplexing process is further configured to write back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag retrieved from said storage unit to a different storage device of said storage unit.

10. A method comprising:

a server computer executing a plurality of processes each configured to receive back-up data from a respective one of a plurality of client computer systems; and

storing said back-up data to one or more storage devices within a storage unit;

allocating a respective portion a a memory to each of said plurality of client computer systems and wherein each of said respective portions of said memory includes a plurality of buffer locations for storing said back-up data received from said respective one of said plurality of client computer systems; and

allocating another portion of said memory as a plurality of availability flags, wherein each of said plurality of availability flags is indicative of whether a corresponding buffer location has new back-up data and is full.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising each of said plurality of client computer systems executing a back-up process in response to being initialized by said server computer, wherein said back-up process includes reading back-up data from a local storage and sending that back-up data to said server computer in response to that back-up data being read from said local storage.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said plurality of processes are reading processes, each concurrently monitoring a network for back-up data packets including said back-up data with which each reading process is associated wherein said network is coupled between said plurality of client computer systems and said server computer.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising, in response to receiving said back-up data packets, each reading process creating a client identification tag that identifies to which of said plurality of client computer systems each of said back-up data packets belongs.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising, in response to receiving said back-up data packets, finding an empty buffer location within a corresponding one of said plurality of buffer locations using said availability flags and storing said back-up data and a corresponding client identification tag within said empty buffer location and causing said availability flag to indicate that said buffer location is full.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising said server computer executing a writing process for copying back-up data from ones of said plurality of buffer locations having availability flags that are indicative that said ones of said plurality of buffer locations are full to a given storage device within said storage unit.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising said server computer streaming said back-up data from ones of said plurality of buffer locations to said given storage device within said storage unit while said availability flags indicate that any of said plurality of buffer locations have new back-up data.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising said server computer executing a de-multiplexing process for, in response to receiving a particular client identification tag, restoring said back-up data by retrieving back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag from said storage unit and causing said back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag to be written to one of said plurality of client computer systems matching said particular client identification tag.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising writing back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag retrieved from said storage unit to a different storage device of said storage unit.

19. A computer readable medium including program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

execute a plurality of processes each configured to receive back-up data from a respective one of a plurality of client computer systems; and

store said back-up data to one or more storage devices within a storage unit;

allocate a respective portion of a memory to each of said plurality of client computer systems; and

allocate another portion of said memory as a plurality of availability flags, wherein each of said plurality of availability flags is indicative of whether a corresponding buffer location has new back-up data and is full.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said plurality of processes are reading processes, each concurrently monitoring a network for back-up data packets including said back-up data with which each reading process is associated, wherein said network is coupled between said plurality of client computer systems and a server computer.

21. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein in response to receiving said back-up data packets, each reading process is configured to create a client identification tag that identifies to which of said plurality of client computer systems each of said back-up data packets belongs.

22. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 21, wherein in response to receiving said back-up data packets, each reading process is configured to find an empty buffer location within a corresponding one of said plurality of buffer locations using said availability flags, to store a given one of said back-up data packets and a corresponding client identification tag within said empty buffer location and to cause a corresponding availability flag to indicate that said empty buffer location has been filled.

23. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable by said processor to execute a writing process configured to copy back-up data from ones of said plurality of buffer locations having availability flags that are indicative that said ones of said plurality of buffer locations are full to a given storage device within said storage unit.

24. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein said writing process is further configured to stream said back-up data from ones of said plurality of buffer locations to said given storage device within said storage unit while said availability flags indicate that any of said plurality of buffer locations have new back-up data.

25. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable by said processor to execute a de-multiplexing process configured to, in response to receiving a particular client identification tag, restore said back-up data by retrieving back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag from said storage unit and to cause said back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag to be written to one of said plurality of client computer systems matching said particular client identification tag.

26. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein said de-multiplexing process is further configured to write back-up data associated with said particular client identification tag retrieved from said storage unit to a different storage device of said storage unit.