Method and apparatus for automatically synchronizing data to destination media

• US 6,804,689 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iomega Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Tacker, Bryan P., Shaw, Neil R., Berry, Todd A., Havrda, Robert D., McBride, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/533,456
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 709/248
• US Class Current: 707/661
• 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 on high capacity media. The mirroring application archives the data files to the high capacity removable media in accordance with user configured settings, and without user intervention. The data files may be archived based on a time period elapsing or a data file being revised and saved. The application may identify the high capacity media in accordance with a unique identifier of the high capacity media.

Claims

1. An archiving system for archiving data files to storage media producing readily readable and removable archives, the system comprising:

a processor system including a processor;

at least one source storage device accessible by said processor system to read data files from source media;

at least one destination device accessible by said processor system to write data files to attached high capacity removable media having a file system on the high capacity removable archive media;

at least one program storage device accessible by said processor system, said program storage devices not necessarily being distinct from said source storage devices or said destination devices, said program storage devices further containing configuration, said configuration specifying a set of files to be archived and a synchronization period, said program storage devices further containing computer instructions executable by said processor system to achieve the functions of;

(i) reading said configuration stored on said program storage devices,

(ii) periodically initiating a synchronization operation, utilizing the synchronization period specified in said configuration,

(iii) testing for the presence of a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device;

(iv) during the synchronization operation, monitoring for modification the set of files specified by said configuration, the monitoring producing a set of modified file references,

and (v) following performing the monitoring function and during the synchronization operation, writing a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on the high capacity removable media, the writing occurring only if the testing indicates the presence of a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device.

2. The archiving system of claim 1, wherein:

said configuration further specifies the locations of one or more directories containing files to be archived;

and the monitoring function provided by said computer instructions executable by said processor system monitors for modification of files contained in the directories specified by said configuration, the monitoring producing a set of modified file references.

3. The archiving system of claim 1, wherein:

said configuration further specifies a destination device;

said testing tests for the presence of a high capacity removable media in the configuration specified destination device;

and the writing function provided by said computer instructions executable by said processor system writes a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on the high capacity removable media attached to the destination device specified by said configuration.

4. The archiving system of claim 1, wherein:

said configuration further contains at least one location to store a media identifier;

said computer instructions are further executable by said processor system to achieve the functions of;

(vi) identifying a high capacity removable media by reading a unique identifier previously written to the media attached to a storage device accessible by said processor system,

(vii) storing the unique identifier read following the performance of the identifying function to the media identifier location contained in said configuration,

(viii) during the synchronization operation and following a positive indication in performing the testing function, reading a unique identifier on the high capacity removable media attached to a destination device;

and (ix) during the synchronization operation and following the performing of reading a unique identifier function, comparing the unique identifier read from the attached high capacity removable media against the media identifiers stored in said configuration;

and the writing function provided by said computer instructions executable by said processor system writes a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on the high capacity removable media attached to a destination device only on a positive match in performing the comparing function.

5. The archiving system of claim 4, wherein the archiving system further comprises (1) a display controllable by said processor system and (2) at least one input device whereby a user may provide input to said processor system;

and wherein;

said computer instructions are further executable by said processor system to achieve the functions of;

(x) after determining a negative indication of a match in performance of the comparing function, displaying a query asking a user if it is desired to use the high capacity removable media attached to a destination device for archival,

(xi) receiving a response from a user through said input devices;

and the functions of identifying a high capacity removable media and writing a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references may be performed following receipt of a positive response from a user through performing the function of receiving a response.

6. The archiving system of claim 1, wherein the writing function provided by said computer instructions executable by said processor system writes a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device, each copy having a filename containing a revision identifier appended to the filename of the corresponding modified file.

7. The archiving system of claim 1, wherein the archiving system further comprises a display controllable by said processor system;

and wherein the computer instructions are further executable by said processor system to achieve the functions of;

(vi) identifying the amount of free data space and the amount of total usable data space on a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device,

(vii) comparing the amount of free space identified through the identifying the amount of free data space and total usable data space function against a percentage threshold;

(viii) displaying a message to a user through said display indicating that new high capacity removable media will be needed in the future, the displaying function performing only if the result of the comparing the amount of free space function indicates the amount of free space available on the high capacity removable media compared to the total usable data space on the media is less than the percentage threshold.

8. The archiving system of claim 7, wherein the computer instructions are further executable by said processor system to achieve the function of displaying on said display a message that additional high capacity removable media may be purchased from at least one particular source.

9. The archiving system of claim 1, wherein the archiving system further comprises (1) a display controllable by said processor system and (2) at least one input device whereby a user may provide input to said processor system;

and wherein;

said computer instructions are further executable by said processor system to achieve the functions of;

(vi) providing a selectable feature on said display,

(vii) accepting an action to the feature from a user through said input devices,

(viii) upon accepting an action from a user, initiating a synchronization operation.

10. A set of computer readable media containing computer executable instructions for archiving data files to a storage medium producing a readily readable and removable archive, the set of computer readable media comprising at least one medium upon which is stored computer instructions executable by a computing system to achieve the functions of:

(i) reading configuration stored on at least one program storage device media accessible by the computing system,

(ii) periodically initiating a synchronization operation using a synchronization period specified in the configuration,

(iii) testing for the presence of a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device accessible by the computing system;

(iv) determining a set of files to be monitored by interpreting the configuration, the configuration containing information specifying a set of files to be monitored, said determining producing a set of file references to files on source storage devices accessible to the computing system;

(v) during the synchronization operation, monitoring for modification the set of files determined through the function of determining a set of files, the monitoring producing a set of modified file references,

and (vi) following the monitoring and during the synchronization operation, writing a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to a file system on the high capacity removable media attached to the destination device accessible by the computing system, the writing occurring only if the testing indicates the presence of a high capacity removable media attached to the destination device.

11. The computer readable media set of claim 10, wherein:

the determining function provided by said computer instructions executable by the computing system interprets configuration containing a set of references to directory to be monitored;

the monitoring function provided by said computer instructions executable by the computing system monitors for modification of files contained in the directories determined by said determining.

12. The computer readable media set of claim 10, wherein the writing function provided by said computer instructions executable by the computing system writes a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on the high capacity removable media attached to a particular destination device specified by the configuration.

13. The computer readable media set of claim 10, wherein said computer instructions are further executable by the computing system to achieve the functions of:

(vii) identifying a high capacity removable media attached to a storage device accessible by the computing system by reading a unique identifier previously written to the media,

(viii) storing the unique identifier read during the performance of the identifying function to a media identifier location in the configuration,

(ix) during the synchronization operation and following a positive indication in performing the testing function, reading a unique identifier on the high capacity removable media attached to the destination device;

and (x) during the synchronization operation and following the performing of reading a unique identifier function, comparing the unique identifier read from the attached high capacity removable media against the media identifiers stored in the configuration;

and the writing function provided by said computer instructions executable by said processor system writes a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on the high capacity removable media attached to a destination device if a positive match results in performing the comparing function.

14. The computer readable media set of claim 13, wherein said computer instructions are further executable by the computing system to achieve the functions of:

(xi) after determining a negative indication of a match in performance of the comparing function, displaying a query asking a user if it is desired to use a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device for archival,

(xii) receiving a response from a user through an input device;

and the functions of identifying a high capacity removable media and writing a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references may be performed following receipt of a positive response from a user through performing the function of receiving a response.

15. The computer readable media set of claim 10, wherein the writing function provided by said computer instructions executable by the computing system writes a copy of each corresponding file in the set of modified file references to the file system on a high capacity removable media attached to a destination device, each copy having a filename containing a revision identifier appended to the filename of the corresponding modified file.

16. The computer readable media set of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are further executable by the computing system to achieve the functions of:

(vii) identifying the amount of free data space and the amount of total data space on a high capacity removable media attached to a destination storage device,

(viii) comparing the amount of free space identified through the identifying the amount of free data space and total data space function against a percentage threshold;

(ix) displaying a message to a user indicating that new high capacity removable media will be needed in the future, the displaying function performing only if the result of the comparing the amount of free space function indicates the amount of free space available on the high capacity removable media as compared to the total usable space on the media is less than the percentage threshold.

17. The computer readable media set of claim 16, wherein the computer instruction are further executable by the computing system to achieve the function of displaying a message that additional high capacity removable media may be purchased from at least one particular source.

18. The computer readable media set of claim 10, wherein said computer instructions are further executable by the computing system to achieve the functions of:

(vii) providing a selectable feature on a display connected to and controllable by the executing computing system,

(viii) accepting an action from a user through input devices connected to the executing computing system,

(ix) upon accepting an action from a user, initiating a synchronization operation.