Data back up method and its programs

• US 7,024,529 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Motoaki, Yamada, Mitsugu, Yamada, Kyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THAN VINH
• Application Number:
  US10/367,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 711111-114, 711154-155, 711/161, 711/162, 711/159, 709212-216, 707/205
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

User data backup functions are realized through a computer, which is located on the management service provider corporation side and interfaces between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service. This computer selects storage devices which meet the user side conditions from a plurality of entirely or partially empty storage devices owned by the storage service side computer environment. The computer receives user data from the user side computer environment, divides the user data into records of a predetermined size and transmits the records to the storage service side computer environment so that the records are distributed and stored to the selected storage devices.

Claims

1. A user data backup method by a computer which resides between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, the data backup method comprising:

selecting plural storage devices, which satisfy conditions indicated by the user side computer environment, from a plurality of entirely or partially empty storage devices owned by the storage service side computer environment;

receiving user data from the user side computer environment;

dividing the user data into records of a predetermined size;

transmitting the records to the storage service side computer environment so that the records are to be distributed and stored to the selected plural storage devices; and

holding storage service side conditions for providing said storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment;

wherein;

said storage service side conditions include end data until which the respective storage devices are available, said end dates being registered to memory means,

said computer checks if said end dates have passed;

if any of said end dates is found to have passed, at least one storage device which satisfies the conditions indicated by the user side computer environment is selected as an alternative,

said computer receives at least part of said user data stored in the storage device whose end date has passed, and

said computer transmits the received user data to the selected at least one alternative storage device.

2. A data backup computer program, for a computer which resides between a user side computer environment and a storage service side computer environment to support storage service, the data backup computer program allowing the computer to implement functions comprising:

selecting plural storage devices which satisfy conditions indicated by the user side computer environment, from a plurality of entirely or partially empty storage devices owned by the storage service side computer environment;

receiving user data from the user side computer environment;

dividing the user data into records of a predetermined size; and

transmitting the records to the storage service side computer environment so that the records are to be distributed and stored to the selected plural storage devices, wherein;

said computer holds storage service side conditions for providing said storage devices owned by said storage service side computer environment, and

said storage service side conditions include end dates until which the respective storage devices are available, said end dates being registered to memory means; and

wherein the data backup computer program allows said computer to further implement functions comprising;

checking if the end dates have passed,

if any of said end dates is found to have passed, selecting at least one storage device which satisfies the conditions indicated by the user side computer environment as an alternative,

receiving at least part of said user data stored in the storage device whose end date has passed, and

transmitting the received user data to the selected at least one alternative storage device.

3. A user data backup system comprising a management service computer a user side computer and a storage service side computer for holding data management service computer comprising:

a matching unit for selecting plural storage devices which satisfy both conditions indicated by a user and storage side conditions for providing the storage devices owned by the storage service side computer, the storage side conditions including end dates until which the respective storage devices are available, the end dates being registered to a memory of the management service computer;

a data dividing unit for dividing user data received from the user side computer into records of a predetermined size; and

a data transfer unit for receiving user data from the user side computer and transmitting the records to the storage service side computer so that the records are to be distributed and stored to the selected plural storage devices, wherein;

the matching unit re-selects at least one storage device which satisfies the conditions indicated by the user, if any of the end dates is found to have passed,

the data transfer unit receives at least part of the user data stored in a storage device whose end date has passed, and

the data transfer unit transmits the user data received from the storage device whose end date has passed to the re-selected at least one storage device.

4. A method for storing data by a first computer to storage devices, the method comprising:

storing one or more first conditions of the storage devices, the first conditions including an end date until which the respective storage devices are available, the end date being stored into a memory of the first computer;

selecting one or more storage devices based on one or more second conditions sent from a second computer;

transmitting data received from the second computer to the selected one or more storage devices;

re-selecting one or more storage devices which satisfy the second conditions, if a current date exceeds the end date;

receiving at least part of data stored in a storage device whose end date has been exceeded; and

transmitting data received from the storage device whose date has been exceeded to the re-selected one or more storage devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

dividing the data received from the second computer in a predetermined size;

wherein the transmitting to selected storage devices comprises distributing the divided data to the selected storage devices.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

storing code information, which is used for restoring the divided data, in one of the selected storage devices.

7. A system comprising a first computer for receiving and storing data from a second computer and for transmitting the data received from the second computer to storage devices for holding the data received from the second computer, the first computer comprising:

a resource management unit for storing one or more first conditions of the storage devices in memory of the first computer, the first conditions including an end date until which the respective storage devices are available;

a matching unit for selecting one or more storage devices based on one or more second conditions sent from the second computer; and

a data transfer unit for transmitting data received from the second computer to the one or more selected storage devices, wherein;

the matching unit re-selects one or more storage devices which satisfy the second conditions, if a current date exceeds the end date,

the data transfer unit receives at least part of data stored in a storage device whose end date has been exceeded, and

the data transfer unit transmits data received from the storage device whose end date has been exceeded to the one or more re-selected storage devices.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein:

the first computer further comprises a data dividing unit for dividing the data received from the second computer in a predetermined size, and

the data transfer unit distributes the divided data to selected storage devices.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the first computer further stores code information, which is used for restoring the divided data, in one of the selected storage devices.