Method for visualizing data backup activity from a plurality of backup devices

• US 6,745,210 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bocada LLC
• Original Assignee: Bocada Incorporated
• Inventors: Bear, Cory, Scanlan, Liam
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/3, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104, 709/217, 709/222, 709/228, 705/20, 705/34, 705/40, 705/44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method and system for examining historical records of backup activity consolidated from a plurality of backup engines, utilizing a data processing system, is disclosed. In the first aspect, a method comprises the steps of reorganizing historical records of backup activity originating from a plurality of backup engines into unique visual representations to facilitate the speedy and reliable identification of backup activity failures. The method also includes sending prepared requests from BRG to RDB, and then receiving data from RDB. In another aspect, it is disclosed a method of representing a uniquely high number of levels of data extraction relating to backup successes and failures. In another aspect, it is disclosed a method of representing variations other than simply Failure or Success of backup activities, namely Partial failures. In another aspect, it is disclosed a method of combining summary level data (summarized by backup server) with subsequently lower levels of detail (summarized by backup client, and summarized by backup target) in a single report that provides the ability to expand and contract at will, by one or more clicks of the computer screen pointing engine(mouse pointer), which levels the are to be left visible. In another aspect, the system is disclosed for associating owners of computers being backed up, respective backup charges, and then rearranging data extracted from the RDB consisting of historical records of backup activity originating from the activity of a plurality of different backup engines, and constructing Billing Reports to reflect backup charges relating to said backup activities.

Claims

1. A method of graphically representing backup activity, originating from a plurality of backup engines, across one or more dimensions of time comprising:

obtaining a record of data backup activity and converting at least a part of the record into canonical format,

extracting and storing records of data backup activity from a plurality of backup devices,

providing a 3-dimensioned chart container to represent day of week on one dimension,

providing said 3-dimensional chart container to represent hour of day on another dimension,

extracting data from a source of data originating from a plurality of backup engines,

inserting said data into a database, and

displaying said data as charts,

whereby trend analysis of network data backup activity in a graphical display is made available to a user.

2. A method for visually representing backup activity successes and failures for a plurality of data backup products, the method comprising:

obtaining records from one or more data backup products, the records containing data backup activity information;

inserting the information in the records into a canonical database; and

generating a visual display that illustrates the backup failures and successes for one or more servers and clients and targets associated with the one or more data backup products, the visual display further comprising a first object indicating a backup failure for a backup product, a second object indicating a backup success for a backup product, and a third object indicating a backup partial failure for a backup product wherein the visual display displays the backup status of the clients and servers and targets of the data backup products;

wherein the visual display further comprises a first color-coded object indicating a backup failure for a client or server of a backup product, a second color-coded object indicating a backup success for a client or a server of a backup product, and a third color-coded object indicating a backup partial failure for a client or a server of a backup product wherein the visual display displays the backup status of the clients and servers of the data backup products are indicated by the color-coded objects;

wherein generating the visual display further comprises generating a table having one or more columns and one or more rows including an element at the intersection of each column with each row, wherein each row represents one of a server and a client of a server, wherein each column represents a day of backup activity for all of the servers and clients and wherein each element represents the backup status for a particular client or server on a particular day;

wherein the table further comprises a server row and one or more client rows underneath the server row wherein the one or more clients are associated with the server and one or more target rows associated with a client or server corresponding to pieces of data that have been backed up;

wherein generating the visual display further comprises determining the color of the object being placed into an element of the table corresponding to the status of a target on a particular day, wherein the color determining further comprises changing the indicator for one of the client and server based on the indicator for a particular target associated with the element of the table;

wherein generating the visual display further comprises adding a new target into the table wherein a new server row and a new client row are added to the table and the indicator objects are set to failure and wherein the color determining further comprises comparing the date of the new target with the existing indicators in the table in order to change the indicators for the new target.

3. A method for visually representing backup activity successes and failures for a plurality of data backup products, the method comprising:

obtaining records from one or more data backup products, the records containing data backup activity information;

inserting the information in the records into a canonical database; and

generating a visual display that illustrates the backup failures and successes for one or more servers and clients and targets associated with the one or more data backup products, the visual display further comprising a first object indicating a backup failure for a backup product, a second object indicating a backup success for a backup product, and a third object indicating a backup partial failure for a backup product wherein the visual display displays the backup status of the clients and servers and targets of the data backup products;

wherein the visual display further comprises a first color-coded object indicating a backup failure for a client or server of a backup product, a second color-coded object indicating a backup success for a client or a server of a backup product, and a third color-coded object indicating a backup partial failure for a client or a server of a backup product wherein the visual display displays the backup status of the clients and servers of the data backup products are indicated by the color-coded objects;

wherein generating the visual display further comprises generating a table having one or more columns and one or more rows including an element at the intersection of each column with each row, wherein each row represents one of a server and a client of a server, wherein each column represents a day of backup activity for all of the servers and clients and wherein each element represents the backup status for a particular client or server on a particular day;

wherein the visual display generating further comprises adding a hidden row element, the hidden row element having a backup product name portion containing the backup product name associated with the row, a server name portion containing the server name associated with the row and a backup client name portion containing the backup client name associated with the row.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the table further comprises a first element corresponding to each row containing the name of the target and further comprising generating additional backup related information about a particular target based on the hidden row element and the target name.

5. A method of graphically representing backup activity, originating from a plurality of backup engines, across one or more dimensions of time, the method comprising:

obtaining records from one or more data backup products, the records containing data backup activity information; and

generating a three dimensional report based on the records from the one or more backup products wherein the three dimensional report comprises a first axis with data corresponding to each day of a week, a second axis with data corresponding to each hour of a day and a third axis with data corresponding to an amount of data being backed up at a particular time and particular day wherein the report indicates the trends in the amount of data being backed up at particular times and particular days.