Data backup system and method

• US 20050131990A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Data Deposit Box, Inc. (HostPapa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Acpana Business Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Jewell, Timothy R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A data backup system for backing up a data file from a source device having a source processor and an input device to a target device having a target processor and a database over a communication network. The source processor determines whether the data file has been modified, and if so, to determines the modified data block(s). The modified data block(s) are transmitted from the source processor to the target processor over the communication network. The target processor receives the modified data block(s) from the source device over the communications network, and uses the modified data blocks to construct the data file, and to store the data file on the database. Concurrently, it is determined if the input device is active at any time during the backup process, and if so, the backup processing is interrupted until the input device has been inactive for a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. A data backup system for backing up a data file from a source device having a source processor and an input device to a target device having a target processor over a communication network, said data backup system comprising:

(a) a backup source module for execution by the source processor of said source device, which when executed causes the source processor to;

(i) determine whether the data file has been modified at the source device;

(ii) if (i) is true then determine at least one modified data block associated with the modification to the data file;

(iii) transmit the at least one modified data block from the source processor to the target processor over the communication network;

(b) a backup target module for execution by said target processor, which when executed causes the target processor to;

(iv) receive said at least one modified data block from said backup source module over the communications network;

(c) said backup source module and said backup target module also for determining if the input device is active simultaneously with at least one of (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), and if so, interrupt at least one of (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), until the input device has been inactive for a predetermined period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said target device is associated with a database, said backup target module when executed also causes the target processor to:

(v) use the modified data blocks to construct the data file; and

(vi) store the data file on the database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said backup source module causes said source processor to transmit data blocks less a predetermined size to the target device prior to transmitting data blocks greater than said predetermined size to the target device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the backup source module causes said source processor to delay transmission of data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the backup target module causes said target processor to construct the data file from a previous version of the data file and said modified data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission in (iii) and the reception in (iv) of data blocks is controlled such that only a set amount of bandwidth is utilized for the transmission in (iii) and the reception in (iv).

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the set amount of bandwidth is determined on the basis of the historical characteristics of transmission in (iii) and the historical characteristics of reception in (iv).

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said backup target module causes said target device to construct a plurality of versions of the data file.

9. A method for backing up a data file from a source device having a source processor and an input device to a target device having a target processor over a communication network, said method comprising:

(a) determining whether the data file has been modified at the source device;

(b) if (a) is true then determining at least one modified data block associated with the modification to the data file;

(c) transmitting the at least one modified data block from the source processor to the target processor over the communication network;

(d) receiving said at least one modified data block from said backup source module over the communications network;

(e) determining if the input device is active simultaneously with at least one of (a), (b), (c), and (d), and if so, interrupting at least one of (a), (b), (c), and (d), until the input device has been inactive for a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said target device is associated with a database and wherein the method further comprises:

(f) using the modified data blocks to construct the data file; and

(g) storing the data file on the database.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting data blocks less a predetermined size to the target device prior to transmitting data blocks greater than said predetermined size to the target device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising delaying transmission of data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising constructing the data file from a previous version of the data file and said modified data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmission in (c) and the reception in (d) of data blocks is controlled such that only a set amount of bandwidth associated with communications network is utilized for the transmission in (c) and the reception in (d).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set amount of bandwidth is determined based on the historical characteristics of transmission in (c) and the historical characteristics of reception in (d).

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising constructing a plurality of versions of the data file and storing on the database.

17. A data backup system for backing up a data file from a source device having a source processor and an input device to a target device having a target processor over a communication network, said data backup system comprising:

(a) a backup source module for execution by the source processor of said source device, which when executed causes the source processor to;

(i) determine whether the data file has been modified at the source device;

(ii) if (i) is true then determine at least one modified data block associated with the modification to the data file;

(iii) transmit the at least one modified data block from the source processor to the target processor over the communication network;

(b) a backup target module for execution by said target processor, which when executed causes the target processor to;

(iv) receive said at least one modified data block from said backup source module over the communications network;

(c) a throttling module for execution by said source and target processors, which when executed causes the source and target processors to;

(v) control the transmission in (iii) and the reception in (iv) of data blocks such that only a set amount of bandwidth of communications network is utilized for the transmission in (iii) and the reception in (iv).

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set amount of bandwidth is determined based on the basis of historical transmission and reception information.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said backup source module and said backup target module also determine if the input device is active simultaneously with at least one of (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), and if so, interrupt at least one of (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), until the input device has been inactive for a predetermined period of time.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said target device is associated with a database, said backup target module when executed also causes the target processor to:

(v) use the modified data blocks to construct the data file; and

(vi) store the data file on the database.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said backup source module causes said source processor to transmit data blocks less a predetermined size to the target device prior to transmitting data blocks greater than said predetermined size to the target device.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the backup source module causes said source processor to delay transmission of data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the backup target module causes said target processor to construct the data file from a previous version of the data file and said modified data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the backup target module causes said target device to construct a plurality of versions of the data file.

25. A method for backing up a data file from a source device having a source processor and an input device to a target device having a target processor over a communication network, said method comprising:

(a) determining whether the data file has been modified at the source device;

(b) if (i) is true then determine at least one modified data block associated with the modification to the data file;

(c) transmitting the at least one modified data block from the source processor to the target processor over the communication network;

(d) receiving said at least one modified data block from said backup source module over the communications network;

(e) controlling the transmission in (c) and the reception in (d) of data blocks such that only a set amount of bandwidth of communications network is utilized for the transmission in (c) and the reception in (d).

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the set amount of bandwidth is determined based on the basis of historical transmission and reception information.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said backup source module and said backup target module also determine if the input device is active simultaneously with at least one of (a), (b), (c), and (d), and if so, interrupt at least one of (a), (b), (c), and (d), until the input device has been inactive for a predetermined period of time.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein said target device is associated with a database, said backup target module when executed also causes the target processor to:

(f) use the modified data blocks to construct the data file; and

(g) store the data file on the database.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein said backup source module causes said source processor to transmit data blocks less a predetermined size to the target device prior to transmitting data blocks greater than said predetermined size to the target device.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the backup source module causes said source processor to delay transmission of data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the backup target module causes said target processor to construct the data file from a previous version of the data file and said modified data blocks after a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the last transmission of data blocks.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the backup target module causes said target device to construct a plurality of versions of the data file.