Methods, apparatus and systems for remote file storage using local client status files

• US 8,732,479 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbonite LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carbonite Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Flowers, Jeffry C., Henriksen, Gordon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zecher, Cordelia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almamun, Abdullah
• Application Number:
  US13/046,589
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/674, 707/999.001, 707/999.2, 713/189, 726/27, 709/201, 709/217
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption

Abstract

The remote access to backed-up user data techniques include a method, a system, and/or an apparatus. In some embodiments of these techniques, the method includes generating one or more backed-up first file segments corresponding to the user file, encrypting each of the one or more backed-up first file segments, determining mapping information and storage identifying information for each of the one or more backed-up first file segments, updating a backup status file associated with the user file with the mapping information and the storage identifying information, and transmitting the one or more backed-up first file segments to a second system for backup. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. In a client system comprising at least one processor, at least one memory, and at least one communication interface, a computer-implemented method for backing up a user file stored in the at least one memory, the method comprising:

A) generating, via the at least one processor of the client system, a plurality of file segments each corresponding to a portion of the user file;

B) encrypting, via the at least one processor, each of the plurality of file segments;

C) determining, via the at least one processor, mapping information and storage identifying information for each of the plurality of encrypted file segments, the mapping information comprising a location address in storage of a second system, different from the client system, where the corresponding encrypted file segment will be stored;

D) updating, via the at least one processor, a backup status file associated with the user file with the plurality of mapping information and storage identifying information for each of the corresponding plurality of encrypted file segments;

E) transmitting the plurality of encrypted file segments to the second system for backup, while keeping metadata of the user file at the client device in the backup status file; and

F) subsequently retrieving the plurality of encrypted file segments from the second system for restoration, the encrypted file segments requested via the mapping information and storage identifying information in the backup status file, the metadata used to structurally reconstruct the client file system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping information includes byte ranges for each of the plurality of file segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage identifying information includes computer information, session information, file information, and file version information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the backup status file with size information of each of the plurality of file segments.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the backup status file with format information of each of the plurality of file segments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second system stores the plurality of file segments using the mapping information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the backup status file with last backup date of the user file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein plurality of file segments are individually encrypted using an encryption key provided by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first set of the plurality of file segments are stored on a first storage volume, and a second set of the plurality of file segments are stored on a second storage volume, and wherein the mapping information for each file segment identifies the storage volume for each file segment.

10. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a client system, perform a method for backing up a user file, the instructions comprising instructions for:

A) generating, via the at least one processor of the client system, a plurality of file segments each corresponding to a portion of the user file;

B) encrypting, via the at least one processor, each of the plurality of file segments;

C) determining, via the at least one processor, destination mapping information for each of the plurality of encrypted file segments, the destination mapping information comprising a location address in storage of a second system, different from the client system, where the corresponding encrypted file segment will be stored;

D) updating, via the at least one processor, a backup status file associated with the user file with the plurality of destination mapping information for each of the corresponding plurality of encrypted file segments;

E) transmitting the plurality of encrypted file segments to the second system for backup, while keeping metadata of the user file at the client device in the backup status file; and

F) subsequently retrieving the plurality of encrypted file segments from the second system for restoration, the encrypted file segments requested via the mapping information and storage identifying information in the backup status file, the metadata used to structurally reconstruct the client file system.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the mapping information includes byte ranges for each of plurality of file segments.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for determining storage identifying information for each file segment, the storage identifying information including computer information, session information, file information, and file version information.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for updating the backup status file with size information of each of the plurality of file segments.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for updating the backup status file with format information of each of the plurality of file segments.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for transmitting the plurality of file segments to the second system cause the second system to store the plurality of file segments using the mapping information.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for updating the backup status file with last backup date of the user file.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of file segments are individually encrypted using an encryption key provided by the user.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for transmitting the plurality of file segments to the second system further comprise instructions for transmitting a first set of the plurality of file segments for storage on a first storage volume, and for transmitting a second set of the plurality of file segments for storage on a second storage volume, and wherein the mapping information for each file segment identifies the storage volume for each file.

19. An apparatus for performing a method for backing up a user file, the apparatus comprising a client system comprising:

at least one communications interface;

at least one memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one communications interface and the at least one memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processor;

A) generates a plurality of file segments each corresponding to a portion of the user file;

B) encrypts each of the plurality of file segments;

C) determines destination mapping information for each of the plurality of encrypted file segments, the destination mapping information comprising a location address in storage of a second system, different from the client system, where the corresponding encrypted file segment will be stored;

D) updates a backup status file associated with the user file with the plurality of destination mapping information for each of the corresponding plurality of encrypted file segments;

E) transmits the plurality of encrypted file segments to the second system for backup, while keeping metadata of the user file at the client device in the backup status file; and

F) subsequently retrieving the plurality of encrypted file segments from the second system for restoration, the encrypted file segments requested via the mapping information and storage identifying information in the backup status file, the metadata used to structurally reconstruct the client file system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mapping information includes byte ranges for each of plurality of file segments.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor determines storage identifying information for each file segment, the storage identifying information including computer information, session information, file information, and file version information.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor updates the backup status file with size information of each of the plurality of file segments.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor updates the backup status file with format information of each of the plurality of file segments.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second system stores the plurality of file segments using the mapping information.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor updates the backup status file with last backup date of the user file.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of file segments are individually encrypted using an encryption key provided by the user.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor transmits a first set of the plurality of file segments for storage on a first storage volume, and transmits a second set of the plurality of file segments for storage on a second storage volume, and wherein the mapping information for each file segment identifies the storage volume for each file.