Group based complete and incremental computer file backup system, process and apparatus
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method for managing an electronic data backup system, comprising:
- receiving, at a backup server, a first inventory of electronic data stored on a first remote storage medium, wherein the electronic data comprises actual file data to be backed-up from the first remote storage medium, wherein the first inventory comprises at least one descriptor and wherein the at least one descriptor comprises a cryptographic signature computed based on the actual file data, the cryptographic signature uniquely identifying the electronic data to be backed-up;
comparing, at the backup server, the at least one descriptor of the first inventory to a list of descriptors associated with a second inventory of electronic data stored on a backup data storage medium, wherein the second inventory of electronic data comprises shared electronic data from among a plurality of storage mediums including storage mediums different from the first remote storage medium and wherein the at least one descriptor of the first inventory is compared with descriptors in the second inventory that correspond, at least partially, to data stored on the backup data storage medium by storage mediums different from the first remote storage medium;
determining that a first descriptor from the at least one descriptor of the first inventory substantially matches a second descriptor from the list of descriptors associated with the second inventory; and
reporting, from the backup server, to the first remote storage medium that electronic data associated with the first descriptor is already stored in the backup data storage medium.
1 Assignment
Litigations
2 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is capable of determining the rights to a file based on providing a descriptor. The descriptor can be calculated using an algorithm, which may be cryptographic and/or non-cryptographic. The descriptor may further be based on the file contents, metadata of the file, other file data, or any combination thereof to uniquely identify the file in a shared file repository. Since the descriptor is generated based on file data it will be the same regardless of which user generates it. Accordingly, only one copy of the file needs to be maintained in the shared file repository, thereby reducing the amount of network bandwidth required to assure the file is backed up and further reducing the amount of storage required to backup the files. This results in a vastly more efficient method of backup in terms of processing time, network bandwidth, and storage requirements.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for managing an electronic data backup system, comprising:
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receiving, at a backup server, a first inventory of electronic data stored on a first remote storage medium, wherein the electronic data comprises actual file data to be backed-up from the first remote storage medium, wherein the first inventory comprises at least one descriptor and wherein the at least one descriptor comprises a cryptographic signature computed based on the actual file data, the cryptographic signature uniquely identifying the electronic data to be backed-up; comparing, at the backup server, the at least one descriptor of the first inventory to a list of descriptors associated with a second inventory of electronic data stored on a backup data storage medium, wherein the second inventory of electronic data comprises shared electronic data from among a plurality of storage mediums including storage mediums different from the first remote storage medium and wherein the at least one descriptor of the first inventory is compared with descriptors in the second inventory that correspond, at least partially, to data stored on the backup data storage medium by storage mediums different from the first remote storage medium; determining that a first descriptor from the at least one descriptor of the first inventory substantially matches a second descriptor from the list of descriptors associated with the second inventory; and reporting, from the backup server, to the first remote storage medium that electronic data associated with the first descriptor is already stored in the backup data storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A device for managing an electronic data backup system, comprising:
a backup server including a backup application adapted to receive a first inventory of electronic data stored on a first remote storage medium, wherein the first inventory comprises at least one descriptor generated based on computing a cryptographic signature using actual file data of the electronic data as an input to a cryptographic signature function, compare the at least one descriptor of the first inventory to a list of descriptors associated with a second inventory of electronic data stored on a backup data storage medium, wherein the second inventory of electronic data comprises descriptors identifying electronic data stored by the backup server from a plurality of storage mediums different from the first remote storage medium, determine that a first descriptor from the at least one descriptor of the first inventory substantially matches a second descriptor from the list of descriptors associated with the second inventory, and report to the first remote storage medium that electronic data associated with the first descriptor is already stored in the backup data storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34)
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25. An electronic data backup system, comprising:
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means for storing a first set of sharable electronic data for a plurality of remote storage mediums at least two of which are associated with different users; means for receiving a request to backup a second set of electronic data from a first remote storage medium; means for determining that at least a first electronic file having actual file data is in the first set of electronic data and the second set of electronic data by comparing descriptors of the at least a first electronic file in both the first set of electronic data and all descriptors in the second set of electronic data, wherein the descriptors comprise a cryptographic signature computed based on the actual file data of the at least first a electronic file and wherein the descriptors uniquely identify the actual file data; means for notifying the first remote storage medium that the at least first electronic file already resides in the first set of electronic data because it was backed up there by a second remote storage medium that is different from the first remote storage medium; means for transferring, from the first remote storage medium to the means for storing a first set of electronic data, electronic files associated with the second set of electronic data less the at least first electronic file; and means for adding the electronic files associated with the second set of electronic data less the at least first electronic file to the means for storing the first set of electronic data. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method, comprising:
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receiving a request from a remote storage medium to perform a restore operation; referencing a backup inventory for the remote storage medium, wherein the backup inventory for the remote storage medium comprises a list of descriptors associated with electronic data that was resident on the remote storage medium at a point in time prior to receiving the request to perform a restore operation, wherein the electronic data comprises actual file data, and wherein a descriptor in the list of descriptors comprises a cryptographic signature computed with the actual file data such that the actual file data is uniquely identified by the descriptor; retrieving selected electronic data from the backup data storage medium having a descriptor that matches descriptors in the list of descriptors associated with the remote storage medium; and providing the selected electronic data to the remote storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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35. A device for managing an electronic data backup system, comprising:
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a non-transitory data storage medium configured to store instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the data storage medium, the instructions stored in the data storage medium including; a restore application adapted to receive a request from a remote storage medium to perform a restore operation, reference a backup inventory for the remote storage medium, wherein the backup inventory for the remote storage medium comprises a list of descriptors associated with electronic data that was resident on the remote storage medium at a point in time prior to receiving the request to perform a restore operation, wherein the electronic data comprises actual file data, and wherein a descriptor in the list of descriptors comprises a cryptographic signature computed with the actual file data thereby uniquely identifying the actual file data, the restore application further adapted to retrieve selected electronic data from the backup data storage medium having a descriptor that matches descriptors in the list of descriptors associated with the remote storage medium and provide the selected electronic data to the remote storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method, comprising:
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scanning a list of files stored in memory of a client device; identifying a first set of files in the list of files as one or more of new and changed since a last backup operation was performed; for each file in the first set of files, generating, by the client device, a cryptographic signature for the file, wherein the cryptographic signature is computed by using actual data of the file as an input to a cryptographic signature generating algorithm which computes the cryptographic signature value; generating, at the client device, a first inventory including the cryptographic signatures calculated for the first set of files; transmitting the first inventory from the client device to a backup server; receiving, at the backup server, the first inventory including the cryptographic signatures calculated for the first set of files; extracting, by the backup server, the cryptographic signatures from the first inventory; comparing, by the backup server, the cryptographic signatures to a list containing all cryptographic signatures identifying raw data currently stored in a backup system managed by the backup server regardless of whether the raw data currently stored in the backup system was stored there by the client device or by a second client device other than the client device which generated the first inventory; based on the comparison step, generating a second inventory, the second inventory including the cryptographic signatures found in the first inventory and not found in the list containing all cryptographic signatures identifying actual data currently stored in the backup system; transmitting the second inventory from the backup server to the client device; receiving, at the client device, the second inventory; transmitting, from the client device to the backup server, every file in the list of files having a cryptographic signature corresponding to a cryptographic signature found in the second inventory; and causing the files transmitted from the client device to the backup server to be stored in the backup system.
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Specification