Real time optimized backup of computer data

• US 20040064488A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tacit Networks, Inc. (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Sinha, Dinesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,051,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method of performing a real time optimized backup from a first computer storage device to a second or backup computer storage device, is disclosed. The method comprises two different approaches of backing up a first computer file stored on the first computer storage device to be backed up to a second computer file stored on the second computer storage device. The two approaches are instant replication and lazy replication. The method may include analyzing one or more first computer file activities and determining a set of end results achieved by the one or more first computer file activities; and executing a second computer file backup process that achieves substantially the same set of end results as the first computer file backup process, but with fewer steps.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of

instantly replicating a first computer file if it is determined that the first computer file is to be instantly replicated;

and lazily replicating the first computer file if it is determined that the first computer file is to be lazily replicated;

wherein the first computer file is instantly replicated by writing changes made to the first computer file to a second computer file as changes are written to the first computer file; and

wherein the first computer file is lazily replicated by writing changes made to the first computer file to the second computer file when a user closes the first computer file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein

a user of a computer on which the first computer file is located, determines if the first computer file is to be instantly replicated and if the first computer file is to be lazily replicated.

3. A method comprising the steps of

analyzing a first computer file backup process and determining a set of end results achieved by the first computer file backup process;

and

executing a second computer file backup process that achieves substantially the same set of end results as the first computer file backup process;

wherein the second computer file backup process has fewer steps then the first computer file backup process.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein

the step of analyzing the first computer file backup process includes recording changes made to a first computer file in a file system monitor log;

and

wherein the file system monitor log resides in a computer memory of a first computer.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising

triggering a synchronization process when a change is recorded to the file system monitor log.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

the step of analyzing the first computer file backup process includes creating a file system monitor log and recording changes made to a first computer file in the file system monitor log;

and

wherein the file system monitor log resides in a computer memory of a first computer.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising

triggering a synchronization process when the file system monitor log is created.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein

the set of end results achieved by the first computer file backup process includes a first computer file on a first computer being updated;

and substantially the same set of end results achieved by the second computer file backup process includes a second computer file being updated, wherein the first computer file is substantially the same as the second computer file.

9. A method comprising the steps of

doing a file level differencing from a first computer file to a second computer file;

and synchronizing the first computer file and the second computer file so that the first computer file and the second computer file contain the same data when the first computer file is closed.

10. A method comprising the steps of

doing a file level differencing from a first computer file to a second computer file;

and synchronizing the first computer file and the second computer file so that the first computer file and the second computer file contain the same data when the first computer file is closed even if the whole file is rewritten as opposed to only the changed portions from the previous version of the first computer file being rewritten.

11. A method comprising the steps of

having a first computer server at a first site function as both a first computer server and a replica of a second computer server, said second computer server located at a second site;

wherein users at the first site access the replica of the second computer server for performing functions associated with the second computer server;

and wherein the replica of the second computer server is backed up to the second computer server at the second site to cause data on the replica of the second computer server to be the same as data on the second computer server.

12. A method comprising the steps of

doing a client side acceleration when accessing a file over a slow network from a computer by accessing the file from a replica of the network location residing in this computer;

and

doing a file level differencing when updating a file from this replica of the network location to the actual network location.

13. A method comprising the steps of

having a first computer server at a first site function as both a first computer server and a replica of a second computer server, said second computer server located at a second site;

wherein users at the first site access the replica of the second computer server for performing functions associated with the second computer server;

and wherein the replica of the second computer server backed up to the second computer server at the second site to cause data on the replica of the second computer server to be the same as data on the second computer server.