Client initiated restore

• US 8,341,127 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Heithcock, Jeffery Gordon, Barry, David William II, Jones, Dennis Bishop
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US11/345,816
• Time in Patent Office: 2,518 Days
• Field of Search: 707200-204, 707/679, 707/640, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/679
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor

Abstract

Client initiated restore is disclosed. An indication is received from a client computer that a restore operation is desired. Access to a backup data associated with the client computer is provided to the client computer. The backup data associated with the client computer comprises a subset of a backup data set that includes both backup data associated with the client computer and backup data not associated with the client computer.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a client to restore comprising:

receiving at a processor from a first client computer an indication that a first restore operation is desired and executing the first restore operation;

receiving at the processor a login information from a second client computer over at least a portion of a first communication path, wherein the login information was input by a user; and

confirming the login information by querying a trusted agent configured to run on the second client computer over at least a portion of a second communication path, wherein confirmation of the login information enables the user to initiate an operation that is appropriate based at least in part on access privileges associated with the user;

receiving at the processor from the second client computer, subsequent to starting the execution of the first restore operation, an indication that a second restore operation is desired to be executed during the current execution of the first restore operation;

controlling access by the processor for executing multiple at least partially contemporaneous restore operations from the first and the second client computers by checking whether the second restore operation requested by the second client computer is allowed to execute given the first restore operation requested by the first client computer is currently executing based at least in part on reading allowed predetermined combinations of requested operations and executing operations; and

in the event that the second restore restoration operation is allowed to execute, providing to the second client computer access to a backup data associated with the second client computer based at least in part on a selected restore point while the first restore operation is currently executing, wherein the backup data associated with the second client computer comprises a subset of a backup data set that includes both backup data associated with the second client computer and backup data not associated with the second client computer, wherein the selected restore point refers to data in one or more sets of backup session data that indicate for each element of the backup data associated with the second client computer the backup session during which that element, as it existed at a backup time associated with the selected restore point, was stored.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the indication includes restore point information.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising executing multiple restore operations from one or more client computers.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the subset of the backup data set; and

not providing access to portions of the backup data set not included in the subset of the backup data set.

5. A computer program product for enabling a client to restore, the computer program product being embodied in a computer non-transitory readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving at a processor from a first client computer an indication that a first restore operation is desired and executing the first restore operation;

receiving at the processor a login information from a second client computer over at least a portion of a first communication path, wherein the login information was input by a user; and

confirming the login information by Querying a trusted agent configured to run on the second client computer over at least a portion of a second communication path, wherein confirmation of the login information enables the user to initiate an operation that is appropriate based at least in part on access privileges associated with the user;

receiving at the processor from the second client computer, subsequent to starting the execution of the first restore operation, an indication that a second restore operation is desired to be executed during the current execution of the first restore operation;

controlling access by the processor for executing multiple at least partially contemporaneous restore operations from the first and the second client computers by checking whether the second restore operation requested by the second client computer is allowed to execute given the first restore operation requested by the first client computer is currently executing based at least in part on reading allowed predetermined combinations of requested operations and executing operations;

and

in the event that the second restore restoration operation is allowed to execute, providing to the second client computer access to a backup data associated with the second client computer based at least in part on a selected restore point while the first restore operation is currently executing, wherein the backup data associated with the second client computer comprises a subset of a backup data set that includes both backup data associated with the second client computer and backup data not associated with the second client computer, wherein the selected restore point refers to data in one or more sets of backup session data that indicate for each element of the backup data associated with the second client computer the backup session during which that element, as it existed at a backup time associated with the selected restore point, was stored.

6. A system for enabling a client to restore comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

receive from a first client computer an indication that a first restore operation is desired;

receive at the processor a login information from a second client computer over at least a portion of a first communication path, wherein the login information was input by a user; and

confirm the login information by querying a trusted agent configured to run on the second client computer over at least a portion of a second communication path, wherein confirmation of the login information enables the user to initiate an operation that is appropriate based at least in part on access privileges associated with the user;

receive from the second client computer, subsequent to starting the execution of the first restore operation, an indication that a second restore operation is desired to be executed during the current execution of the first restore operation;

control access for executing multiple at least partially contemporaneous restore operations from the first and the second client computers by checking whether the second restore operation requested by the second client computer is allowed to execute given the first restore operation requested by the first client computer is currently executing based at least in part on reading allowed predetermined combinations of requested operations and executing operations;

and

in the event that the second restore restoration operation is allowed to execute, provide to the second client computer access to a backup data associated with the second client computer based at least in part on a selected restore point while the first restore operation is currently executing, wherein the backup data associated with the second client computer comprises a subset of a backup data set that includes both backup data associated with the second client computer and backup data not associated with the second client computer, wherein the selected restore point refers to data in one or more sets of backup session data that indicate for each element of the backup data associated with the second client computer the backup session during which that element, as it existed at a backup time associated with the selected restore point, was stored.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein the indication includes restore point information.

8. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to execute the second restore operation.

9. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to execute multiple restore operations from one or more client computers.

10. The system as in claim 6, wherein the subset of the backup data set comprises data accessible to the user using the second client computer.

11. The system as in claim 6, wherein the subset of the backup data set comprises backup data corresponding to data stored on the second client computer.

12. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:

identify the subset of the backup data set; and

not provide access to portions of the backup data set not included in the subset of the backup data set.

13. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to receive a selection of the restore point.

14. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to receive a selection of a destination directory.

15. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to receive a selection of one or more files to restore.

16. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to receive a confirmation of one or more files to restore.

17. The system as in claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to cause a destination directory to be displayed.

18. The system as in claim 6, wherein providing to the second client computer access to a backup data associated with the second client computer includes displaying a list of restore points associated with the second client computer.

19. The system as in claim 6, wherein providing to the second client computer access to a backup data associated with the second client computer includes displaying a list of files associated with the second client computer.

20. The system as in claim 6, wherein providing to the second client computer access to a backup data associated with the at least one other client computer includes providing via the second client computer an interface usable to select and indicate a file to be restored to the second client computer using the backup data.