Systems and methods for backing up data files

• US 6,847,984 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Keepitsafe
• Original Assignee: LiveVault Corp. (Iron Mountain Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hansen, Tom, Chartier, Dan, Gonsalves, Manual, Webb, John, Midgley, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/465,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/8, 707/205, 713/176, 714/5, 703/2, 709/213, 709/228, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for continuous back up of data stored on a computer network. To this end the systems of the invention include a synchronization process that replicates selected source data files data stored on the network and to create a corresponding set of replicated data files, called the target data files, that are stored on a back up server. This synchronization process builds a baseline data structure of target data files. In parallel to this synchronization process, the system includes a dynamic replication process that includes a plurality of agents, each of which monitors a portion of the source data files to detect and capture, at the byte-level, changes to the source data files. Each agent may record the changes to a respective journal file, and as the dynamic replication process detects that the journal files contain data, the journal files are transferred or copied to the back up server so that the captured changes can be written to the appropriate ones of the target data files.

Claims

1. A process for storing data, comprising

providing a back up server having storage for a plurality of data files,

providing a long term memory device having a plurality of data storage elements and a processor for coordinating the operation of the plurality of data storage elements,

directing the processor to store data on the data storage elements and record a time signal representative of the time of storing data,

detecting a condition representative of each data storage element having reached a data storage capacity,

based on the condition, directing the processor to compare the time signals for each data storage element, and

based on the time signal comparison, directing the processor to store data on the data storage element having the earliest recorded data.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the long term memory device includes a tape library system having a plurality of drive elements.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein the tape library includes a robotic controller for moving tapes in and out of a tape drive system.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the long term memory device includes a RAID storage system.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein directing the processor to store data on the data storage elements includes directing the processor to store data on each data storage element until each data storage element reaches data storage capacity.

6. A method of storing data comprising:

detecting a condition representing a data storage capacity of at least one of at least two data storage elements;

based on the detected condition, determining whether at least one of the at least two data storage elements includes available data storage capacity; and

,

based on whether at least one of the at least two data storage elements includes available data storage capacity, storing the data on the data storage element associated with an earliest time of storage, where storing the data on the data storage element associated with an earliest time of storage comprising;

comparing at least one time of storage associated with the at least two data storage elements; and

identifying the data storage element associated with the earliest time of storage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein storing the data on the data storage element associated with an earliest time of storage comprises:

associating at least one time of storage with the at least two data storage elements.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

based on whether at least one of the at least two data storage elements includes available data storage capacity, storing the data on the at least one data storage element including available data storage capacity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the data on the at least one data storage element including available data storage capacity comprises:

storing the data on the at least one data storage element including available data storage capacity until the at least one data storage element reaches data storage capacity.

10. A processor program for storing data, the processor program being tangibly stored on a processor-readable medium and comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to:

detect a condition representing a data storage capacity of at least one of at least two data storage elements;

based on the detected condition, determine whether at least one of the at least two data storage elements includes available data storage capacity; and

based on whether at least one of the at least two data storage elements includes available data storage capacity, store the data on the data storage element associated with an earliest time of storage, where the instructions to store the data on the data storage element associated with an earliest time of storage comprise instructions to;

compare at least one time of storage associated with the at least two data storage elements; and

,

identify the data storage element associated with the earliest time of storage.

11. The processor program of claim 10, wherein the instructions to store the data on the data storage element associated with an earliest time of storage comprise instructions to:

associate at least one time of storage with the at least two data storage elements.

12. The processor program of claim 10, further comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to:

based on whether at least one of the at least two data storage elements includes available data storage capacity, storing the data on the at least one data storage element including available data storage capacity.

13. The processor program of claim 12, wherein the instructions to store the data on the at least one data storage element including available data storage capacity comprise instructions to:

store the data on the at least one data storage element including available data storage capacity until the at least one data storage element reaches data storage capacity.