Method and system for sharing storage space on a computer

• US 7,310,736 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crashplan Group LLC
• Original Assignee: PB&J Software LLC
• Inventors: Rothbarth, James N., Becker, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ELLEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/682,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 726/15, 726/12, 709/212, 714/13, 707/202
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

An application and method for transmitting copies of data to a remote back-up site for storage, and for retrieving copies of the previously stored data from the remote back-up site. A user designates files from an originating computer for which to transfer copies to a destination computer. A uniquely assigned application ID is used to identify the location of the second computer. The originating computer submits a transfer request to the destination computer. The destination computer authenticates the transfer request. If the request is authenticated, the originating computer transfers copies of the designated files to the destination computer at the identified location via a communication network. Alternatively, a user designates previously stored files to retrieve from the destination computer. The originating computer submits a retrieval request to the destination computer for the designated back-up copy files. The destination computer authenticates the retrieval request. If the request is authenticated, the destination computer transfers the requested files to the originating computer.

Claims

1. A software application comprising computer executable instructions stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium to be executed by a first computer connected to the Internet for transferring back-up copies of files from the first computer to a second computer connected to the Internet, wherein said first and second computers are linked via the Internet, said software application comprising:

designating instructions executed by the first computer for designating files from the first computer for which back-up copies will be transferred to the second computer, said the first computer and said second computer being Internet-enabled;

identifying instructions executed by the first computer for identifying the the Internet address of the second computer; and

transferring instructions executed by the first computer for transferring back-up copies of the designated files from the first computer to the second computer at the identified location via the Internet wherein the designated files are directly transferred via the Internet;

wherein the designating instructions include

instructions for designating the one or more files to be transferred to the second computer;

instructions for designating a destination identifier associated with the second computer;

instructions for designating storage schedule data for back-up copies; and

instructions for storing back-up copies of the designated one or more files, the designated destination identifier, and/or the designated storage schedule data in an originating database;

wherein the transferring instructions include retrieving storage schedule data to identify one or more back-up times for transferring back-up copies of the designated files from the first computer to the second computer via the Internet,

wherein the identifying instructions include;

instructions for retrieving the destination identifier for querying a server database to identify an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second computer, said server database being located on a server linked to the first and second computer via the Internet, and

wherein the transferring instructions as executed by the first computer use the identified IP address to initiate a communication session with the second computer via the Internet and to transfer the designated files at the designated back-up times.

2. The software application of claim 1, wherein designating instructions include instructions for displaying a first input form on a display linked to the first computer, said first input form receiving input data from a user, and said input data designating the one or more files to be transferred to the second computer, the one or more back-up times, and/or designating the destination identifier.

3. The software application of claim 1 further comprising encrypting instructions executed by the first computer for encrypting the back-up copies of designated files, and wherein the transferring instructions transfer the encrypted files to the second computer for back-up storage.

4. The software application of claim 3 further comprising:

second designating instructions executed by the first computer for selecting particular designated files stored on the second computer to be retrieved from the second computer; and

retrieving instructions executed by the first computer for retrieving the selected designated files from the second computer directly via the communications network and via the Internet.

5. The software application of claim 4 further comprising decrypting instructions executed by the first computer for decrypting the retrieved files.

6. The software application of claim 1 further comprising receiving instructions executed by the first computer for receiving back-up copies of designated files from the second computer at the identified location via the Internet.

7. The software application of claim 1 wherein the first computer and the second computer are connected via the Internet and not connected by another network.

8. A software application comprising computer executable instructions stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium to be executed by a first computer connected to the Internet for storing copies of designated files from the first computer to a second computer connected to the Internet, wherein said first and second computers are linked via the Internet, said software application comprising:

authentication instructions executed by the second computer for authenticating a transfer request received by the second computer from the first computer,

file storage instructions executed by the second computer for storing the designated files on the second computer received in connection with an authenticated transfer request from the first computer,

retrieval instructions executed by the first computer providing a retrieval request to the second computer for transferring one or more stored files from the second computer back to the first computer via the Internet wherein the retrieval instructions include identifying instructions executed by the first computer identifying the Internet address of the second computer; and

second transferring instructions executed by the second computer for transferring one or more stored files from the second computer back to the first computer via the Internet in response to the retrieval request received from the first computer via the Internet.

9. The software application of claim 8, wherein storage instructions include instructions for retrieving storage amount data and file storage data from the destination database, said storage amount data defining a maximum amount of storage space available on the second computer for storing files transferred from the first computer, and said file storage data specifying a current amount of storage space on the second computer being used for storing files from the first computer, and wherein storage instruction further include instructions for comparing the storage amount data to file storage data to determine if storage space is available, and wherein the one or more files are stored on the second computer if storage space is determined to be available.

10. The software application of claim 9, wherein said authentication instructions include instructions for retrieving first authentication data from the first computer and retrieving second authentication data from the second computer, wherein said first authentication data defines a first password and said second authentication data defines a second password, and wherein authentication instructions further include instructions for comparing the first password to the second password to determine if the passwords match, and wherein the one or more files are stored on the second computer if the first and second passwords are determined to match.

11. The software application of claim 10, wherein validating instructions further include instructions for comparing the user defined password to the password data to determine if the defined password is valid, and wherein transferring instructions transfer the one or more requested files to the first computer if user defined password is determined to be valid.

12. A system comprising:

A first computer transferring backup copies of its files via the Internet;

A second computer receiving the transferred backup copies of its files via the Internet;

a server for facilitating the connection between the first computer and the second computer, wherein the server, the first computer, and the second computer are linked via the Internet, and wherein the first computer transfers back-up copies of files from the first computer to the second computer directly via the Internet and not via the server and wherein back-up copies of files on the second computer are restored by transferring back-up copies from the second computer to the first computer directly and not via the server, said server, comprising;

an assigning routine for assigning a unique identification code to each of the first and second computers;

a database for storing the unique identification codes assigned to each of the first and second computers, and for storing a corresponding an Internet Protocol (IP) address of each of the first and second computers, wherein said IP addresses are identified at the time the unique identification codes are assigned and during subsequent connections with the server; and

an identification routine responsive to input data received from the first computer for identifying the IP address of each of the first and second computers as a function of the input data, wherein said input data is the unique identification code of the second computer and wherein said identification routine queries the database to identify the IP address of the second computer, and wherein the first and second computers use the identified IP addresses for initiating a communication session and for transferring back-up copies of files therebetween.