System and method for backing up and restoring data

• US 6,948,038 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Berkowitz, Brian, Johnson, Michael Christopher, Golds, David, Olsson, Steven E., Ingen, Catharine Van
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Jasmine
• Application Number:
  US09/912,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 711/161, 711/162, 707/204, 707/201, 707/205, 714/6
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Described is a system and method for allowing applications to interact with a common backup program in a uniform way. The system and method provides a communication mechanism for one or more applications to exchange information with the backup program regarding components of the applications. The information exchanged may include an identification of the components of each application. A component may be considered a group of files or resources that should be backed up or restored together. In this way, when a backup operation is initiated, each application may provide to the common backup program instructions describing the specific components to be backed up. In addition, each application may add other application-specific information useful during a restore of the backed up data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

initiating a backup operation;

causing a writer associated with an application, the application being associated with a plurality of components, each component describing one or more files, to create and make available a metadata file identifying which of the plurality of components are selected for inclusion in the backup operation;

reading the metadata file to identify the selected components;

performing the backup operation on the identified components;

prior to performing the backup operation, creating a backup components file describing a set of components that are intended to be backed up during the backup operation;

making the backup components file available to the writer for modification to include instructions related to the backup of the selected components; and

wherein performing the backup operation further comprises performing the backup operation on the identified components in accordance with any instructions provided by the writer in the modifications to the backup components file.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the metadata file further comprises an identification of a file associated with the application and selected for exclusion from the backup operation.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein performing the backup operation includes excluding from the backup operation the file selected for exclusion.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the metadata file further comprises instructions related to a restore technique to be applied to one or more of the identified components during a restore operation.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, further comprising performing a restore operation of the identified components in accordance with the restore technique identified in the metadata file.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein performing the backup operation comprises causing an image of the selected components to be taken, the image reflected a quiescent state of the selected components at an instant in time.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the image comprises a snapshot of a volume on which is stored the selected components.

8. A computer-implemented method for backing up data stored on a computer-readable medium, the method comprising:

initiating a backup operation;

causing a writer associated with an application, the application being associated with a plurality of components, each component describing one or more files, to create and make available a metadata file identifying which of the plurality of components are selected for inclusion in the backup operation;

reading the metadata file to identify the selected components;

performing the backup operation on the identified components;

prior to performing the backup operation, creating a backup components file describing a set of components that are intended to be backed up during the backup operation;

making the backup components file available to the writer for modification to include instructions related to the backup of the selected components; and

wherein performing the backup operation further comprises performing the backup operation on the identified components in accordance with any instructions provided by the writer in the modifications to the backup components file.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the metadata file further comprises an identification of a file associated with the application and selected for exclusion from the backup operation.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein performing the backup operation includes excluding from the backup operation the file selected for exclusion.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the metadata file further comprises instructions related to a restore technique to be applied to one or more of the identified components during a restore operation.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising performing a restore operation of the identified components in accordance with the restore technique identified in the metadata file.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein performing the backup operation comprises causing an image of the selected components to be taken, the image reflected a quiescent state of the selected components at an instant in time.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the image comprises a snapshot of a volume on which is stored the selected components.