Method and apparatus for automatically synchronizing data from a host computer to two or more backup data storage locations

• US 6,757,698 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iomega Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Davidson, Troy, Polson, Russell Glen, McBride, Stephen Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/748,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 709/248
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A data file mirroring application that monitors data files stored in a source directory for archiving to at least two other backup data storage locations. Preferably, one of these backup data storage locations is on the Internet. The other may be a local data storage location, meaning a location that the host computer can access without using the Internet, e.g., a floppy drive, hard drive, high-density storage medium drive, etc. The user interface of the mirroring application flexibly allows the user to specify the source data to be backed up and the two or more backup data storage locations.

Claims

1. A system for backing up electronic data files, the system comprising:

a host computer running a mirroring application;

a connection between the host computer and the Internet; and

a user interface of said mirroring application, wherein said user interface includes controls for specifying source data;

wherein said mirroring application monitors said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, automatically copies said source data to a backup data storage location accessed by said host computer via the Internet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said mirroring application, upon detecting changes to said source data, also copies said source data to a local backup data storage location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said local backup data storage location is a removable storage media in a removable storage media drive.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said local backup data storage location is a hard drive in said host computer or in a computer networked to said host computer.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said user interface includes controls for specifying said local backup data storage location.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said user interface specifies an available storage capacity of said local backup data storage location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface includes schedule controls for specifying how often said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage location accessed via the Internet.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying a time interval at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage location accessed via the Internet.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying at least one day of the week and time of day at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to a backup data storage location accessed via the Internet.

10. A system for backing up electronic data files, the system comprising:

a host computer running a mirroring application; and

a user interface of said mirroring application, wherein said user interface includes controls for specifying source data;

wherein said mirroring application monitors said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, automatically copies said source data to two or more backup data storage locations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said user interface of said mirroring application includes controls for specifying said two or more backup data storage locations.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said host computer includes a connection to the Internet;

and at least one of said backup data storage locations is accessed via the Internet.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein one of said backup data storage locations is a removable storage media in a removable storage media drive.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein one of said backup data storage locations is a hard drive in said host computer or in a computer networked to said host computer.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said user interface specifies an available storage capacity of available backup data storage locations.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said user interface includes schedule controls for specifying how often said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage locations.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying a time interval at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage locations.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying at least one day of the week and time of day at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage locations.

19. A mirroring application for backing up electronic data files, the application being written to run on a host computer with a connection between the host computer and the Internet, said application comprising:

a mirroring function for mirroring specified source data to a backup data storage location; and

a user interface, wherein said user interface includes controls for specifying said source data by file or folder;

wherein said mirroring application monitors said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, automatically copies said source data to said backup data storage location; and

wherein said backup data storage location is accessed via the Internet.

20. The application of claim 19, wherein said mirroring application, upon detecting changes to said source data, also copies said source data to a local backup data storage location.

21. The application of claim 20, wherein said user interface includes controls for specifying said local backup data storage location.

22. The application of claim 20, wherein said user interface specifies an available storage capacity of said local backup data storage location.

23. The application of claim 19, wherein said user interface includes schedule controls for specifying how often said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage location accessed via the Internet.

24. The application of claim 23, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying a time interval at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage location accessed via the Internet.

25. The application of claim 23, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying at least one day of the week and time of day at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to a backup data storage location accessed via the Internet.

26. A mirroring application for backing up electronic data files, the application being written to run on a host computer, said application comprising:

a mirroring function for mirroring specified source data to a backup data storage location; and

a user interface, wherein said user interface includes controls for specifying said source data by file or folder;

wherein said mirroring application monitors said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, automatically copies said source data to two or mare backup data storage locations.

27. The application of claim 26, wherein said user interface of said mirroring application includes controls for specifying said two or more backup data storage locations.

28. The application of claim 26, wherein said host computer includes a connection to the Internet and at least one of said backup data storage locations is accessed via the Internet.

29. The application of claim 26, wherein one of said backup data storage locations is a removable storage media in a removable storage media drive.

30. The application of claim 26, wherein one of said backup data storage locations is a hard drive in said host computer or in a computer networked to said host computer.

31. The application of claim 26, wherein said user interface specifies an available storage capacity of available backup data storage locations.

32. The application of claim 26, wherein said user interface includes schedule controls for specifying how often said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage locations.

33. The application of claim 32, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying a time interval at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage locations.

34. The application of claim 32, wherein said schedule controls include controls for specifying at least one day of the week and time of day at which said mirroring application checks said source data for change and, upon detecting changes to said source data, copies said source data to said backup data storage locations.

35. A method for backing up electronic data files with a mirroring application running on a host computer connected to the Internet said method comprising:

specifying source data by tile or folder with a user interface;

monitoring said source data for change; and

,

upon detecting changes to said source data, automatically copying said source data to a backup data storage location accessed by said host computer via the Internet.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising, upon detecting changes to said source data, also copying said source data to a local backup data storage location.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising specifying said local backup data storage location.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising specifying how often said monitoring step is performed.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising specifying at least one day of the week and time of day at which said monitoring step is performed.

40. A method for backing up electronic data files with a mirroring application running on a host computer, said method comprising:

specifying source data by file or folder with a user interface;

monitoring said source data for change; and

,

upon detecting changes to said source data, automatically copying said source data to two or more backup data storage locations.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising specifying said two or more backup data storage locations.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising specifying how often said monitoring step is performed.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising specifying at least one day of the week and time of day at which said monitoring is performed.