System and method for detecting incongruous or incorrect media in a data recovery process

• US 8,069,151 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kldiscovery Ontrack, LLC (KLDiscovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comerica Bank (Comerica Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crafford, Chris, Gardner, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, ANTENEH B
• Application Number:
  US11/294,950
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162
• US Class Current: 707/674
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/83 the solution involving signatures

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments of a system and method for detecting wrong storage media in data recovery processes. One embodiment can detect incorrect media via environmental factors such as source data type and format. One embodiment can detect incongruous media by pool membership. One embodiment can detect inappropriate media by comparing fingerprints. As each item is read, its fingerprint is calculated and compared to the overall fingerprint of a job. If the new fingerprint is different by some preset margin, a human inspector may be asked to validate the newly inserted storage medium. If valid, the overall signature for the job is revised to integrate the new signature. If not, the wrong medium is ejected and incorrectly loaded data is removed. Embodiments disclosed herein can detect the presence of a wrong medium quickly and early in a data recovery process, avoiding mistakes and saving time and costs.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting incorrect media in a data recovery operation, utilizing a data processing system, comprising a processor and a storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

compiling a master profile for identifying certain members of a set of media associated with the data recovery operation, wherein the step of compiling a master profile further comprises the steps of;

reading an item from a member of the set of media;

extracting one or more terms from a file path of the item;

determining whether the one or more terms are on a first list;

adding new terms that are not on the first list to the first list;

counting repeated terms that are on the first list;

determining whether corresponding counters of the repeated terms meet or exceed a threshold;

determining whether terms having corresponding counters that meet or exceed the threshold are on a second list; and

updating the second list accordingly;

generating individual profiles for certain potential members of the set of media;

updating a term total counter according to an amount of the one or more terms extracted from the file path;

determining whether the term total meets a predetermined goal; and

moving terms having corresponding counters that meet or exceed the threshold to a third list which defines the master profile;

comparing certain of said individual profiles with said master profile by utilizing said processor, to execute a) a first test for determining physical characteristics for said certain potential members of said set of media, b) a second test for a unique identifier accorded certain of said potential members of said set of media, and c) a third test for determining unique content indication associated with certain potential members of said set of media; and

based on said comparing step, validating or invalidating said certain potential members of said set of media.

2. The method for detecting incorrect media in a data recovery job utilizing a data processing system comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of compiling a master profile, further comprises dynamically adjusting said threshold.

3. The method for detecting incorrect media in a data recovery job utilizing a data processing system comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of compiling individual profiles comprises determining a percentage of a first set of terms matching a second set of terms on said third list, wherein said first set of terms are extracted from a file path of a second item representing an individual profile of a potential member of said set of media.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium with software instructions for executing operations via a processor associated with the non-transitory computer readable medium, the operations for detecting incorrect media in a data recovery process, the operations comprising:

determining whether a first media identification and a second media identification match, wherein said first media identification is electronically stored and associated with a physical label identifying a storage medium and wherein said second media identification is associated with an electronic header of said storage medium;

if said first media identification and said second media identification match, determining whether said storage medium is a member of a set of media associated with said data recovery operation;

reading an item from said storage medium and scanning a file path of said item and extracting one or more terms from said file path; and

compiling a master profile for identifying certain members of the set of media associated with the data recovery operation, wherein the step of compiling a master profile further comprises the steps of;

reading an item from a member of the set of media;

extracting one or more terms from a file path of the item;

determining whether the one or more terms are on a first list;

adding new terms that are not on the first list to the first list;

counting repeated terms that are on the first list;

determining whether corresponding counters of the repeated terms meet or exceed a threshold;

determining whether terms having corresponding counters that meet or exceed the threshold are on a second list; and

updating the second list accordingly;

generating individual profiles for certain potential members of the set of media;

updating a term total counter according to an amount of the one or more terms extracted from the file path;

determining whether the term total meets a predetermined goal; and

moving terms having corresponding counters that meet or exceed the threshold to a third list which defines the master profile.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises software instructions for performing the following the steps of:

if said first media identification and said second media identification do not match, requesting a human inspection;

if said storage medium is validated by said human inspection, updating said set of media to include said storage medium as a member; and

if said storage medium is invalidated by said human inspection, ejecting said storage medium.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises a software instruction for electronically scanning said physical label to obtain said first media identification.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises a software instruction for analyzing an electronic header of said storage medium to obtain said second media identification.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the terms comprise any one of file names, directories, servers, sources, resources, keywords.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises an instruction for dynamically adjusting said threshold.

10. A computer system configured to detect incorrect media in a data recovery operation in a native and non-native environment, comprising:

a) a plurality of storage media;

b) a processor comprising a means for performing a first validation process, whereby the processor determines a computing environment for processing the plurality of storage media and performing an environmental check on each of the plurality of storage media, the processor further for validating or invalidating each of the plurality of storage media based on a result of the environmental check;

c) the processor for each storage medium that passes the first validation process, comprising a means for performing a second validation process, whereby the means determines whether a first media identification and a second media identification match, wherein the first media identification is associated with a physical label identifying a storage medium and wherein the second media identification is associated with an electronic header of the storage medium and wherein, if the first media identification and the second media identification match, the processor determines whether the storage medium is a potential member of a set of media;

d) the processor for each potential member of the set of media that passes the second validation process, comprising instructions for performing the following steps;

compiling a master profile for identifying certain members of a set of media associated with the data operation, wherein the step of compiling a master profile further comprises the steps of;

reading an item from a member of the set of media;

extracting one or more terms from a file path of the item;

determining whether the one or more terms are on a first list;

adding new terms that are not on the first list to the first list;

counting repeated terms that are on the first list;

determining whether corresponding counters of the repeated terms meet or exceed a threshold;

determining whether terms having corresponding counters that meet or exceed the threshold are on a second list; and

updating the second list accordingly;

generating individual profiles for certain potential members of the set of media;

updating a term total counter according to an amount of the one or more terms extracted from the file path;

determining whether the term total meets a predetermined goal; and

moving terms having corresponding counters that meet or exceed the threshold to a third list, which defines the master profile;

comparing certain of the individual profiles with the master profile to execute a) a first test for determining physical characteristics for the certain potential members of the set of media, b) a second test for a unique identifier accorded certain of the potential members of the set of media, and c) a third test for determining unique content indication associated with certain potential members of the set of media; and

validating or invalidating the certain potential members of the set of media based on a comparison of the individual profiles with the master profile; and

e) the processor configured to eliminate the incorrect data, after the third validation process, in the event it is determined based on application of additional factors.

11. The computer system configured to detect incorrect media in a data recovery operation in a native and non-native environment, as defined in claim 10, wherein

if the first media identification and the second media identification do not match, the computer system is configured to request a human inspection and if either one or more of the storage media is validated by the human inspection, the computer system is configured to update the set of media to include the storage media as a member and if the storage media is invalidated by the human inspection, the computer system is configured to eject the storage medium.

12. The computer system configured to detect incorrect media in a data recovery operation in a native and non-native environment, as defined in claim 10, wherein the computer system is configured to electronically scan the physical label to obtain the first media identification.

13. The computer system configured to detect incorrect media in a data recovery operation in a native and non-native environment, as defined in claim 10, wherein the computer system is configured to analyze an electronic header of each of the storage media to obtain the second media identification.

14. The computer system configured to detect incorrect media in a data recovery operation in a native and non-native environment, as defined in claim 10, wherein the terms comprise any one of file names, directories, servers, sources, resources, keywords.

15. The computer system configured to detect incorrect media in a data recovery operation in a native and non-native environment, as defined in claim 10, wherein the computer system has a mechanism for dynamically adjusting the threshold.