Consistent back up of electronic information

• US 8,311,988 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cisler, Pavel, Weiss, Eric, McInerney, Peter, Giampaolo, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, James E
• Application Number:
  US11/499,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 707643-647, 707/615, 707/625, 707/690
• US Class Current: 707/647
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for performing backup operations while a user is using a device. In one implementation, a method is provided. A backup operation of data including a plurality of related items is initiated. Modifications to one or more items of the plurality of related items are monitored for during the backup operation. The backup operation is completed. If a modification occurred to one or more items, a second backup operation is performed for the modified items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a backup operation of data including determining that a plurality of items to be included in the backup operation are related items, using one or more processors, where related items are items that require a particular relationship between each other in order to execute a function;

monitoring the plurality of related items for modifications occurring to one or more items of the plurality of related items during the backup operation including receiving notification of file system changes and determining whether a file system change occurred to one or more items of the plurality of related items;

completing the backup operation including backing up the modified one or more related items; and

when a modification occurred to one or more related items, the completing the backup operation includes performing a second backup operation for the one or more modified items of the plurality of related items, wherein the second backup operation includes replacing the modified one or more related items backed up during the backup operation with versions of the modified one or more related items that existed when the backup operation was initiated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which items of data are related.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring for modifications to one or more items of the plurality of related items during the second backup operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a maximum number of second backup operations to perform for each of the modified items to complete a backup operation without additional modifications to the respective modified item occurring.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if the maximum number of second backup operations is reached, generating an alert.

6. The method of claim 5, where generating an alert includes notifying a user.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if the maximum number of second backup operations is reached, suspending the backup operation for a predefined period of time.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

initiating a backup operation of data including determining that a plurality of items to be included in the backup operation are related items, where related items are items that require a particular relationship between each other to function properly;

monitoring the plurality of related items for modifications occurring to one or more items of the plurality of related items during the backup operation including receiving notification of file system changes and determining whether a file system change occurred to one or more items of the plurality of related items;

completing the backup operation including backing up the modified one or more related items; and

when a modification occurred to one or more related items, the completing the backup operation includes performing a second backup operation for the one or more modified items of the plurality of related items, wherein the second backup operation includes replacing the modified one or more related items backed up during the backup operation with versions of the modified one or more related items that existed when the backup operation was initiated.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

determining which items of data are related.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring for modifications to one or more items of the plurality of related items during the second backup operation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a maximum number of second backup operations to perform for each of the modified items to complete a backup operation without additional modifications to the respective modified item occurring.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

if the maximum number of second backup operations is reached, generating an alert.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, where generating an alert includes notifying a user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

if the maximum number of second backup operations is reached, halting the backup operation for a predefined period of time.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

initiating a backup operation of data including determining that a plurality of items to be included in the backup operation are related items, using one or more processors, where related items are items that require a particular relationship between each other in order to execute a function;

monitoring the plurality of related items for modifications occurring to one or more items of the plurality of related items during the backup operation including receiving notification of file system changes and determining whether a file system change occurred to one or more items of the plurality of related items;

completing the backup operation including backing up the modified one or more related items; and

when a modification occurred to one or more related items, the completing the backup operation includes performing a second backup operation for the one or more modified items of the plurality of related items, wherein the second backup operation includes replacing the modified one or more related items backed up during the backup operation with versions of the modified one or more related items that existed when the backup operation was initiated.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause:

determining a maximum number of second backup operations to perform for each of the modified items to complete a backup operation without additional modifications to the respective modified item occurring.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause:

if the maximum number of second backup operations is reached, generating an alert.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause:

if the maximum number of second backup operations is reached, suspending the backup operation for a predefined period of time.