Methods and apparatus for archiving digital data

• US 7,861,049 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Otani, Toshio, Murase, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hiep T
• Application Number:
  US11/942,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/137 Hash-based content-based indexing of textual data G06F16/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed to enable secure archiving and backup of data with reduced risk of data lost. Additionally, embodiments are provided which enable reduction of costs for CAS backup of archived files by use of low-cost tape storage devices rather than expensive hard drive devices.

Claims

1. A method of managing file storage in first and second sites, each site having a storage system and content addressable storage (CAS) system, comprising:

synchronizing files in the storage system of the first site with storage system of the second site;

when an archiving operation begins in the first site, performing the steps;

enabling write protect on files on storage system in the first site;

copying the files from the storage system in the first site onto the CAS system in the first site;

monitoring archiving operation in the second site and, upon completion of archiving operation in the second site deleting the files from the storage system in the first site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein archiving operation in the second site comprises copying files from the storage system of the second site to the CAS system of the second site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage system comprises a network attached storage (NAS) and further comprising storing a stub in the NAS system of the first site, indicating the storage location of the archived files in the CAS system of the first site.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving a read request from the storage system of the first site for one of the files, determining whether a corresponding archived file exists in the CAS storage of the first site and, if so, fetching the corresponding archived file from the CAS system of the first site;

otherwise, fetching a corresponding backup file from the CAS system of the second site and storing a copy in the CAS system of the first site to thereby generate a restored archived file, and thereafter providing the restored archived file to the storage system of the first site.