REAL TIME BACKUP SYSTEM FOR COMPUTER USERS

• US 20080228678A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kanevsky, Dimitri, Zlatsin, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

This invention involves tracking and backing all the information that a user generates on its computer devices (including embedded devices) in real time. The local user server records all user actions and gestures (via various means that include TV cameras). All of this information (user actions and saved files in a computer) is then sent to a remote server via the Internet. This remote server has a virtual map of all the embedded devices on a computer that the person uses. The remote server immediately starts to interpret the user'"'"'s actions (including user gestures). In one implementation, the invention stores user actions that are related to data generation (e.g. actions that called some links where data is stored, or executed some programs that generated data). In another variant the remote server generates and downloads the same files that are downloaded on the local user computer devices. For example, if a person begins to download a program, the server may also download the same program on a remote backup server. This way, if the user loses this program, it can be retrieved automatically through a provided server on the Internet. If user'"'"'s files are backed up by regular backup periodically, relevant data that were stored by real time backup servers can be eliminated.

Claims

1. A media identifier comprising:

a first, media identifier module interprets what form of media a person used to perform a function;

a second module to tell the difference between a command or a data generation identification, wherein after the data is sent through the first module, the data are sent to the second module where the commands are interpreted, and wherein if the data are identified as data that generates new data, the data are labeled in a third, data labeler module;

wherein the data labeler labels data according to whether they have a link or not;

if the data has a link, the data are processed as a link data;

a fourth, link module for connecting commands with data. For example, if certain data was found using a link; and

a fifth module for listing the addresses of the links that need to be used to get data.

2. A procedure for command vs. data generation identification, comprising:

receiving input labels;

interpreting media used by a user;

representing the form of media that the data are in when the data are received into a backup server;

if data are gesture generated, then determining if the data are related or unrelated to data generation;

verifying text to be a command or not including the steps of

i) sending the text through a command verifier, and

ii) determining if the text is a command or not;

separating data that is a command from data that is not a command;

if the data is a command, interpreting the data; and

if the data is not a command, storing the data.

3. A method for handling data in a real-time back up system, comprising:

performing a regular back up; and

determining whether data should be removed or not by the following circumstances;

how old the data are, if there are newer versions of this data, and how often the data are being used;

wherein the only condition where a file cannot be removed is where another database has a link to a file that another database needs.

4. A method of establishing a database of programs, comprising the steps:

listing in a first column the programs used;

listing in a second column the names of the users for each program;

using a third column for keeping track of the time for generation of data and changes;

also using the third column for keeping track of data history;

listing in a fourth column commands used to control programs;

listing in a fifth column the operating system used to hold data;

listing in a sixth column the devices that were used by programs;

listing in a seventh column the sources that were used to obtain data; and

using an eighth column as an index showing where data is to be stored.

5. A method of using a database to explain the history of user'"'"'s actions, comprising the steps:

using a first column to records the actions that are inputted to control a program, wherein each action fits under a designated class;

showing in a second column the class in which each action is placed;

using a third column to keep a count of how often a class is formed by similar actions;

if the actions fall into a class, automatically withdrawing the actions from the input column;

using a fourth column to create a tree of the order of actions that took place when a program was being used; and

using a fifth column for placing an index to a file from the tree index.

6. A method of operating a real-time data backup system, comprising the steps:

recording a user'"'"'s actions;

identifying the actions;

interpreting the user actions are interpreted in a user media recognizor;

labeling actions as commands or data generators;

labeling commands that are related to data generation;

storing data;

storing links to data programs and commands that generate data; and

removing data and links if predefined conditions are satisfied.

7. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for operating a real-time data backup system, the method steps comprising:

recording a user'"'"'s actions;

identifying the actions;

interpreting the user actions are interpreted in a user media recognizer;

labeling actions as commands or data generators;

labeling commands that are related to data generation;

storing data;

storing links to data programs and commands that generate data; and

removing data and links if predefined conditions are satisfied.

8. A program storage device according to claim 7, wherein the removing step includes the step of

determining whether data should be removed or not by the following circumstances:

how old the data are, if there are newer versions of this data, and how often the data are being used;

wherein the only condition where a file cannot be removed is where another database has a link to a file that another database needs.