Method and apparatus for duplicating computer backup data
First Claim
1. In a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, a method for duplicating at least some of the backup data stored on the backup storage medium, the method comprising a step of:
- (A) copying only a subset of the backup data from the at least one backup storage medium onto at least one computer-readable duplicate backup storage medium as duplicate backup data so that the duplicate backup storage medium is not an exact duplicate of the at least one backup storage medium;
wherein the at least one backup storage medium comprises a first backup storage medium including incremental backup data for at least one work item at a first point in time and a second backup storage medium including incremental backup data for the at least one work item at a second point in time, and wherein the step (A) comprises a step of copying the first incremental backup data and the second incremental backup data onto a single duplicate backup storage medium.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for performing logical duplication of backup data in a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method copies only a subset of the backup data onto at least one computer-readable duplicate backup storage medium as duplicate backup data so that the duplicate backup storage medium is not an exact duplicate of the at least one backup storage medium. For example, in one embodiment, in which the backup data includes a plurality of work items, a subset of the work items are copied onto the at least one duplicate backup storage medium. Method and apparatus for restoring backup data of interest from duplicate backup storage media are also disclosed.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. In a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, a method for duplicating at least some of the backup data stored on the backup storage medium, the method comprising a step of:
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(A) copying only a subset of the backup data from the at least one backup storage medium onto at least one computer-readable duplicate backup storage medium as duplicate backup data so that the duplicate backup storage medium is not an exact duplicate of the at least one backup storage medium; wherein the at least one backup storage medium comprises a first backup storage medium including incremental backup data for at least one work item at a first point in time and a second backup storage medium including incremental backup data for the at least one work item at a second point in time, and wherein the step (A) comprises a step of copying the first incremental backup data and the second incremental backup data onto a single duplicate backup storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, the program, when executed on the computer system, performs a method of duplicating at least some of the backup data stored on the backup storage medium, the method comprising a step of:
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(A) copying only a subset of the backup data from the at least one backup storage medium onto at least one computer-readable duplicate backup storage medium as duplicate backup data so that the duplicate backup storage medium is not an exact duplicate of the at least one backup storage medium; wherein the at least one backup storage medium comprises a first backup storage medium including incremental backup data for at least one work item at a first point in time and a second backup storage medium including incremental backup data for the at least one work item at a second point in time, and wherein the step (A) comprises a step of copying the first incremental backup data and the second incremental backup data onto a single duplicate backup storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A backup server for use in a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, the backup server comprising:
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a controller to control duplication of the backup data, the controller being adapted to copy only a subset of the backup data from the at least one backup storage medium onto at least one computer-readable duplicate backup storage medium as duplicate backup data, so that the duplicate backup storage medium is not an exact duplicate of the at least one backup storage medium; wherein the at least one backup storage medium comprises a first backup storage medium including incremental backup data for at least one work item at a first point in time and a second backup storage medium including incremental backup data for the at least one work item at a second point in time, and wherein the controller is adapted to copy the first incremental backup data and the second incremental backup data onto a single duplicate backup storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, the backup data including a first work item, a method for duplicating at least some of the backup data stored on the at least one backup storage medium, the method comprising steps of:
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(A) reading the backup data corresponding to the first work item from at least one backup storage medium as a logical data stream; and (B) writing the backup data read in the step (A) to at least one duplicate backup storage medium as a logical data stream; wherein the step (B) comprises steps of; (B)(1) writing the backup data read in the step (A) to at least one first backup storage medium as a first logical data stream; (B)(2) assigning a first expiration time to the at least one first backup storage medium; (B)(3) writing the backup data read in the step (A) to at least one second backup storage medium as a second logical data stream; and (B)(4) assigning a second expiration time that is different than the first expiration time to the at least one second backup storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, the backup data including a first work item, the program, when executed on the computer system, performs a method for duplicating at least some of the backup data stored on the backup storage medium, the method comprising steps of:
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(A) reading the backup data corresponding to the first work item from at least one backup storage medium as a logical data stream; and (B) writing the backup data read in the step (A) to at least one duplicate backup storage medium as a logical data stream; wherein the step (B) comprises steps of; (B)(1) writing the backup data read in the step (A) to at least one first backup storage medium as a first logical data stream; (B)(2) assigning a first expiration time to the at least one first backup storage medium; (B)(3) writing the backup data read in the step (A) to at least one second backup storage medium as a second logical data stream; and (B)(4) assigning a second expiration time that is different than the first expiration time to the at least one second backup storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A backup server for use in a computer system including a host computer, a storage device storing data for the host computer, and at least one computer-readable backup storage medium storing backup data copied from the storage device, the backup data including a first work item, the backup server comprising:
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a controller to control duplication of the backup data, the controller being adapted to read the backup data corresponding to the first work item from at least one backup storage medium as a logical data stream, and to write the backup data read by the controller to at least one duplicate backup storage medium as a logical data stream; wherein the controller is adapted to write the backup data read from the at least one backup storage medium to at least one first backup storage medium as a first logical data stream, assign a first expiration time to the at least one first backup storage medium, write the backup data read from the at least one backup storage medium to at least one second backup storage medium as a second logical data stream, and assign a second expiration time that is different than the first expiration time to the at least one second backup storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification