Transfer data management system for internet backup

• US 8,504,830 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Solutions Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Solutions Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yohsuke, Nakamura, Takaki, Kumagai, Atsuya, Toyama, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/545,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 707/664
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments

Abstract

Erroneous deletion of data due to a collision of digest information during data de-duplication using digest information is prevented. When backup data is stored on a backup server 1100, digest information of the backup data is generated and stored in a digest information management table 4200. In addition, when a backup data storage request is made to the backup server 1100, a digest information verification control sub-program 1127 generates digest information of data to be backed up, and performs verification against the digest information of the backed up data already stored on the backup server 1100. If, by this verification, it is found that backed up data having the same digest information is already stored, de-duplication is realized by reusing the existing backed up data without newly storing the data to be backed up.

Claims

1. A transfer data management system for internet backup in which a backup server and a plurality of backup clients are connected via a network, and the backup server provides to the backup clients a function of backing up on the backup server data stored on the backup clients, as well as a function of restoring backed up data on the backup clients,

wherein each of the backup clients comprises:

a processor, memory device and a network interface;

a digest information sending portion that sends to the backup server digest information of data to be backed up prior to a data backup request from the backup client to the backup server;

a verification data receiving portion that receives, as verification data, stored data corresponding to the data to be backed up, which is sent from the backup server on the condition that the backup server has performed verification on the data to be backed up based on the digest information and the stored data on the backup server,

an examining portion for examining whether or not the verification data and the data to be backed up match,

wherein the backup server comprises;

a processor, memory device and a network interface;

a first encrypting portion that encrypts the verification data, and the backup server sends, to the backup client that sent the backup server digest information, the verification data and information regarding an encryption scheme thereof,

wherein the backup client further comprises a second encrypting portion that encrypts the data to be backed up according to the received encryption scheme,

wherein the examining portion determines whether or not the received verification data and the data to be backed up match,

if the received verification data and the data to be backed up match, a backup request packet is transmitted to the backup server and the data to be backed up is temporarily stored on the backup client but not sent from the backup client,

if the received verification data and the data to be stored do not match, the encrypted data to be backed up and the backup request packet are transmitted to the backup server from the backup client, and

wherein, at the verification portion of the backup server, verification is performed independent of the backup clients and with respect to, as a whole, data of the plurality of the backup clients as the stored data.

2. The transfer data management system according to claim 1, wherein digest information, which summarizes the stored data, is used as the verification data instead of the stored data in full.

3. The transfer data management system according claim 1, wherein, at the examining portion of the backup client making the request, it is examined whether or not digest information for verification and digest information, which is generated from the data to be backed up, match using a plurality of digest information generated by different schemes.

4. The transfer data management system according to claim 1, wherein the digest information sending portion transmits in units of data fragments for verification into which the verification data is divided.

5. The transfer data management system according to claim 1, wherein the backup client making the request comprises a selecting portion for selecting whether to perform verification using the stored data in full or to perform verification using digest information.

6. The transfer data management system according to claim 1, wherein the backup client making the request comprises a de-duplication applicability selecting portion for selecting whether or not to allow use of the stored data on the backup server as a duplication detection candidate in a data de-duplication function.

7. The transfer data management system according to claim 1, wherein the backup server comprises a verification data transmission scheme selecting portion for monitoring a use status of a communication channel between the backup server and the backup client making the request, and, based on monitoring information thereof, for selecting, as a transmission method used for the verification data for the backup client making the request, a scheme that is suited to the use status of the communication channel to be used.

8. The transfer data management system according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of the backup servers, wherein in a data backup request to a first backup server, information regarding a second backup server from which the data to be backed up was acquired as well as information that is required in order to acquire the data to be backed up are sent to the first backup server, and the first backup server acquires stored data from the second backup server based on such information.

9. A backup client in a transfer data management system for internet backup in which a backup server having a processor, memory device and a network interface, and a plurality of backup clients, each having a processor, memory device and a network interface, are connected via a network, and the backup server provides to the backup clients a function of backing up on the backup server data stored on the backup clients, as well as a function of restoring backed up data on the backup clients, where the backup server has a first encrypting portion that encrypts verification data, and the backup server sends to the backup client that made a request the encrypted verification data and information regarding an encryption scheme thereof, the backup client comprising:

a digest information sending portion that sends to the backup server digest information of data to be backed up prior to a data backup request from the backup client to the backup server;

a verification data receiving portion that receives, as verification data, stored data corresponding to the data to be backed up, which is sent from the backup server on the condition that the backup server has performed verification on the data to be backed up based on the digest information and the stored data on the backup server;

an examining portion for examining whether or not the verification data and the data to be from the backup server match, and

a second encrypting portion that encrypts the data to be backed up according to the received encryption scheme,

wherein the examining portion determines whether or not the received verification data and the data to be backed up match,

if the received verification data and the data to be backed up match, a backup request packet is transmitted to the backup server and the data to be backed up is temporarily stored on the backup client but not sent from the backup client, and

if the received data verification data and the data to be stored do not match, the encrypted data to be backed up and the backup request packet are transmitted to the backup server from the backup client, and

wherein, at the verification portion of the backup server, verification is performed independent of the backup clients and with respect to, as a whole, data of the plurality of the backup clients as the stored data.

10. A backup server in a transfer data management system for internet backup in which the backup server, having a processor, memory device and a network interface, and a plurality of backup clients, each having a processor, memory device and a network interface, are connected via a network, and the backup server provides to the backup clients a function of backing up on the backup server data stored on the backup clients, as well as a function of restoring backed up data on the backup clients, the backup server comprising,

a verification portion that, prior to a data backup request from the backup client, receives digest information of data to be backed up, and performs verification of the data to be backed up against stored data, on the backup server, corresponding to the data to be backed up based on the digest information, where

the backup server sends, as verification data to the backup client, the stored data corresponding to the data to be backed up, and prompts the backup client for examination as to whether or not the verification data and the data to be backed up match;

wherein a first encrypting portion encrypts the verification data which is sent to the backup client, such that the backup server sends to the backup client the encrypted verification data and information regarding an encryption scheme thereof,

wherein if the sent verification data and the data to be backed up match as determined by the backup client, a backup request packet is received from the backup client and the data to be backed up is temporarily stored by the backup client but not received from the backup client, and

if the sent verification data and the data to be stored do not match as determined by the backup client, the encrypted data to be backed up and the backup request packet are received from the backup client, and

wherein, at the verification portion of the backup server, verification is performed independent of the backup clients and with respect to, as a whole, data of the plurality of the backup clients as the stored data.

11. A transfer data management method using a transfer data management system for internet backup in which a backup server having a processor, memory device and a network interface, and a plurality of backup clients, each having a processor, memory device and a network interface, are connected via a network, and the backup server provides to the backup clients a function of backing up on the backup server data stored on the backup clients, as well as a function of restoring backed up data on the backup clients, the transfer data management method comprising:

sending digest information from the backup client to the backup server of data to be backed up prior to a data backup request from the backup client to the backup server;

receiving by the backup client, as verification data, stored data corresponding to the data to be backed up, which is sent from the backup server on the condition that the backup server has performed verification on the data to be backed up based on the digest information and the stored data on the backup server, where the verification data is encrypted and the backup client is informed of the encryption scheme thereof;

examining by the backup server whether or not the verification data and the data to be backed up match,

if the received verification data and the data to be backed up match, a backup request packet is transmitted to the backup server and the backup client temporarily stores the data to be backed up but omits sending the data to be backed up, and

if the received verification data and the data to be stored do not match, the backup client encrypts the data to be backed up according to the encryption scheme and sends the encrypted data to be backed up and the backup request packet to the backup server, and

wherein the verification is performed independent of the backup clients and with respect to, as a whole, data of the plurality of the backup clients as the stored data.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute a transfer data management method using a transfer data management system for internet backup in which a backup server having a processor, memory device and a network interface, and a plurality of backup clients, each having a processor, memory device and a network interface, are connected via a network, and the backup server provides to the backup clients a function of backing up on the backup server data stored on the backup clients, as well as a function of restoring backed up data on the backup clients, the transfer data management method comprising:

sending digest information from the backup client to the backup server of data to be backed up prior to a data backup request from the backup client to the backup server;

receiving by the backup client, as verification data, stored data corresponding to the data to be backed up, which is sent from the backup server on the condition that the backup server has performed verification on the data to be backed up based on the digest information and the stored data on the backup server, where the verification data is encrypted and the backup client is informed of the encryption scheme thereof;

examining by the backup server whether or not the verification data and the data to be backed up match,

if the received verification data and the data to be backed up match, a backup request packet is transmitted to the backup server and the backup client temporarily stores the data to be backed up but omits sending the data to be backed up, and

if the received verification data and the data to be stored do not match, the backup client encrypts the data to be backed up according to the encryption scheme and sends the data to be backed up and the backup request packet, which are encrypted according to the encryption scheme, to the backup server, and

wherein the verification is performed independent of the backup clients and with respect to, as a whole, data of the plurality of the backup clients as the stored data.