Computer backup using a file system, network, disk, tape and remote archiving repository media system

• US 5,875,478 A
• Filed: 12/03/1996
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Blumenau, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Langjahr, David
• Application Number:
  US08/757,125
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.13, 395/200.33, 707/10, 711/162
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process

Abstract

A computer having backup capabilities for backing up data on a host storage disk of the computer to a remote archive repository, the computer including a backup application that determines when data to be backed up should be copied to the remote archive repository and makes read requests to make a copy of data on the host storage disk and makes write requests to store the copy at the remote archive repository, the computer also including a backup system that receives the write requests and the copy of data and has a remote procedure call interface for transmitting the data to the remote archive repository.

Claims

1. A computer having backup capabilities for backing up a copy of data from a host storage disk of said computer to a remote archive repository, said computer comprising

a backup application which determines when data on said host storage disk to be backed up should be copied to said remote archive repository and makes read requests to make a copy of data on said host storage disk and makes write requests to store said copy at said remote archive repository, and

a backup system which receives said write requests and said copy of data and having a remote procedure call interface for transmitting said data to said remote archive repository, said data remaining on said host storage disk.

2. The computer of claim 1 wherein said read and write requests are block level read and write requests and wherein said backup system has a tape driver interface to said backup application for receiving said block level write requests from said backup application.

3. The computer of claim 1 wherein said read and write requests are logical read and write requests, and further comprising a file system that maps logical read and write requests to physical block level read and write requests, and wherein said backup system has a disk driver interface to said file system for receiving said block level write requests from said file system.

4. The computer of claim 1 wherein said read and write requests are logical read and write requests, and further comprising a database server application that receives said logical write requests from said backup application and maps said logical write requests to physical block level write requests prior to receipt at said backup system.

5. The computer of claim 1 wherein said backup system includes a backup driver and an archive media system, said backup driver receiving said write requests and also having an operating system device driver application programming interface to said archive media system, said archive media system being implemented in the user space of said computer and communicating with said remote archive repository.

6. A computer system comprising

a network,

a remote archive repository connected to said network, and

a plurality of desk top computers that are connected to said network and have backup capabilities for backing up data on respective host storage disks of said computers to said remote archive repository, each said computer comprising

a backup application which determines when data on said host storage disk of said computer to be backed up should be copied to said remote archive repository and makes read requests to make a copy of data on said host storage disk and makes write requests to store said copy at said remote archive repository, and

a backup system which receives said write requests and said copy of data and has a remote procedure call interface for transmitting said data to said remote archive repository said data remaining on said host storage disk.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein said read and write requests are block level read and write requests and wherein said backup system has a tape driver interface to said backup application for receiving said block level write requests from said backup application.

8. The computer system of claim 6 wherein said read and write requests are logical read and write requests, and wherein said computers each further comprise a file system that maps logical read and write requests to physical block level read and write requests, and wherein said backup system in at least some of said computers has a disk driver interface to said file system for receiving said block level write requests from said file system.

9. The computer system of claim 6 wherein at least one of said computers further comprises a database server application that receives said read and write requests from said backup application as logical read and write requests and maps said logical write requests to physical block level write requests prior to receipt at said backup system.

10. The computer system of claim 6 wherein said backup system includes a backup driver and an archive media system, said backup driver receiving said write requests and also having an operating system device driver application programming interface to said archive media system, said archive media system being implemented in the user space of said computer and communicating with said remote archive repository.

11. The computer system of claim 6 wherein said remote archive repository includes a control program and a tape library.

12. A computer implemented method of backing up a copy of data from a host storage disk of said computer to a remote archive repository, said method comprising

determining at a backup application when data on said host storage disk to be backed up should be copied to said remote archive repository,

making at said backup application read requests to make a copy of data on said host storage disk,

making write requests to store said copy at said remote archive repository,

receiving said write requests and said copy of data at a backup system having a remote procedure call interface, and

transmitting said data from said backup system via said remote procedure call interface to said remote archive repository, said data remaining on said host storage disk.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said read and write requests are block level read and write requests and wherein said backup system has a tape driver interface to said backup application for receiving said block level write requests from said backup application.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said read and write requests are logical read and write requests, and further comprising mapping logical read and write requests to physical block level read and write requests at a file system, and wherein said backup system has a disk driver interface to said file system for receiving said block level write requests from said file system.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said computer further comprises a database server application that receives said read and write requests from said backup application as logical read and write requests and maps said logical write requests to physical block level write requests prior to receipt at said backup system.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said backup system includes a backup driver and an archive media system, said backup driver receiving said write requests and also having an operating system device driver application programming interface to said archive media system, said archive media system being implemented in the user space of said computer and communicating with said remote archive repository.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said remote archive repository includes a control program and a tape library.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein there are a plurality of said computers.

19. A computer program for implementation on a computer to back up data on a host storage disk of said computer to a remote archive repository, said computer program residing on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions causing said computer to create

a backup application which determines when data on said host storage disk to be backed up should be copied to said remote archive repository and makes read requests to make a copy of data on said host storage disk and makes write requests to store said copy at said remote archive repository, and

a backup system that receives said write requests and said copy of data and has a remote procedure call interface for transmitting said data to said remote archive repository said data remaining on said host storage disk.

20. The computer program of claim 19 wherein said read and write requests are block level read and write requests, and wherein said backup system has a tape driver interface to said backup application for receiving said block level write requests from said backup application.

21. The computer program of claim 19 wherein said read and write requests are logical read and write requests, and wherein said computer has a file system that maps logical read and write requests to physical block level read and write requests, and wherein said backup system has a disk driver interface to said file system for receiving said block level write requests from said file system.

22. The computer program of claim 19 wherein said computer has a database server application that receives said read and write requests from said backup application as logical read and write requests and maps said logical write requests to physical block level write requests prior to receipt at said backup system.

23. A computer having backup capabilities for backing up a copy of data from a host storage disk of said computer to a remote archive repository, said computer comprising

a backup application which determines when data on said host storage disk to be backed up should be copied to said remote archive repository and makes read requests to make a copy of data on said host storage disk and makes write requests to store said copy at said remote archive repository, said read and write requests being block level read and write requests, and

a backup system which receives said write requests and said copy of data and has a remote procedure call interface for transmitting said data to said remote archive repository, said backup system having a tape driver interface to said backup application for receiving said block level write requests from said backup application, said backup system including a backup driver and an archive media system, said backup driver receiving said write requests and also having an operating system device driver application programming interface to said archive media system, said archive media system being implemented in the user space of said computer and communicating with said remote archive repository, said data remaining on said host storage disk.