System and method for backing up data

• US 9,690,794 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FalconStor, Inc (Hale Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: FalconStor, Inc (Hale Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Niles, Ronald S., Lam, Wai T.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HUA JASMINE
• Application Number:
  US14/709,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 711161, 711162, 707640
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/04 by changing a part
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/102 controlled by a microcomputer cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0046 Movement of one or more optical elements for zooming for optical zoom lenses in general G02B7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0069 using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/137 Hash-based content-based indexing of textual data G06F16/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 : the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 : Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 : Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 : Archiving or backup

Abstract

A hash-optimized backup system and method takes data blocks and generates a probabilistically unique digital fingerprint of the content of each data block using a substantially collision-free algorithm. The process compares the generated fingerprint to a database of stored fingerprints and, if the generated fingerprint matches a stored fingerprint, the data block is determined to already have been backed up, and therefore does not need to be backed up again. Only if the generated fingerprint does not match a stored fingerprint is the data block backed up, at which point the generated fingerprint is added to the database of stored fingerprints. Because the algorithm is substantially collision-free, there is no need to compare actual data content if there is a hash-value match. The process can also be used to audit software license compliance, inventory software, and detect computer-file tampering such as viruses and malware.

Claims

1. A system for backing up a data block comprising:

a backup server having access to a digital fingerprint database; and

a source computer connected to the backup server via a communication path, the source computer being configured to generate a digital fingerprint of a data block in a data block location in storage associated with the computer, using a substantially collision-free algorithm;

wherein the backup server is configured to;

compare the digital fingerprint to digital fingerprints stored in the database; and

;

if the digital fingerprint does not match one of the stored digital fingerprints, back up the data block and add to the database the digital fingerprint and the data block location in association with the added digital fingerprint; and

if the digital fingerprint matches one of the stored digital fingerprint, add to the database the data block location in association with the stored digital fingerprint.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage device connected to the backup server for storing the database.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage device connected to the backup server for storing the backed-up data blocks.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the network comprises comprises a local area network, a wide area network, and/or the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication path comprises a network.

6. A method for detecting file tampering on a computer, comprising:

generating, by a processing device, first digital fingerprints for each of a plurality of files on the computer using a substantially collision-free algorithm at a first time;

generating, by the processing device, a second digital fingerprint for one of the plurality of files on the computer using the substantially collision-free algorithm at a second time after the first time;

comparing, by the processing device, the second digital fingerprint with the first digital fingerprint of the one of the plurality of files generated at the first time; and

determining, by the processing device, whether tampering exists on the one file based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising dividing each file into data blocks and generating the first and second digital fingerprints of at least one data block.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the file tampering comprises a computer virus.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the algorithm comprises a hash function.

10. A method for detecting a computer virus on a computer, comprising:

generating, by a first processing device, a first digital fingerprint of a computer virus using a substantially collision-free algorithm;

generating, by a second processing device, second digital fingerprints for each of a plurality of files on the computer using the substantially collision-free algorithm;

comparing, by the second processing device, the second digital fingerprints of the computer files with the first digital fingerprint of the computer virus; and

determining, by the second processing device, whether the computer virus exists on the computer based on the comparison.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the second digital fingerprints by dividing each of the plurality of files into respective data blocks and generating a second digital fingerprint of each respective data block.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the algorithm comprises a hash function.

13. A method for backing up data, comprising:

generating, by a computer using a substantially collision free algorithm, a digital fingerprint of a data block stored in a data block location in a storage associated with the computer;

sending, by the computer across a communication path, the digital fingerprint to a backup server;

comparing, by the backup server, the digital fingerprint to digital fingerprints stored in a database;

backing up the data block and adding to the database the digital fingerprint and the data block location in association with the added digital fingerprint, if the digital fingerprint does not match one of the stored digital fingerprints; and

adding to the database the data block location in association with the stored digital fingerprint, if the digital fingerprint matches one of the stored digital fingerprints.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the algorithm comprises a hash function.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the hash function is MD5 or SHA-1.