Data backup, storage, transfer and retrieval system, method and computer program product

• US 9,348,838 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vdata, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JustService.net LLC
• Inventors: Fiducci, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US13/782,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/184 implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A data storage system including a virtual server on a network managing a plurality of user accounts, each user account including one or more files; the virtual server adapted to verify user access information for a particular user account; the virtual server transferring over the network information relating to files stored on the virtual server in the particular user account to a verified user on a user computer; the virtual server further adapted to transfer files associated with the particular user account to and from the user computer.

Claims

1. A data storage system comprising:

a system computer having a processor coupled to a memory;

a virtual server on a network adapted to manage a plurality of user accounts, each user account including one or more user files;

a user computer operatively connected to the network and including a display and a storage device;

the virtual server adapted to verify user access information received from the user computer for a particular user account;

the virtual server transferring over the network information relating to the user files stored on the virtual server in the particular user account to the user computer wherein the information is transferred directly to and displayed in a web browser;

the virtual server being further adapted to transfer files associated with the particular user account to and from the storage device of the user computer;

the virtual server allowing a plurality of sub-accounts to be associated with one or more of the user accounts; and

the virtual server maintaining file rights permissions with a level of access for user accounts of the sub-accounts.

2. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein each user account has a primary account user and a plurality of subaccounts, each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to subaccount files stored on the system storage device and each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to shared account files stored on the system storage device.

3. The data storage system of claim 2 wherein the primary account user determines the file rights controlled access level for each subaccount.

4. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the virtual server can transfer contents of user accounts to at least one auxiliary storage location.

5. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the virtual server transfers contents of user accounts to the auxiliary storage location periodically.

6. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the user computer can display the information and the information is a list of files stored on the virtual server in the particular user account.

7. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the virtual server further comprises a web server and the network is the Internet.

8. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the virtual server is further adapted to cause an icon view of system functions of the virtual server to be displayed in a browser window on the user computer.

9. The data storage system of claim 8, wherein the icon view of system functions of the virtual server to be displayed on the user computer includes at least one of a scheduler link, a contact storage link, a document transfer link and an account manager link.

10. The data storage system of claim 8, wherein the icon view of system functions of the virtual server to be displayed on the user computer includes a scheduler link, a contact storage link, a document transfer link and an account manager link.

11. A data storage system for storing data files for a plurality of accounts, comprising:

an account user computer operatively connected to a network and including a display and a storage device; and

a virtual server with a system storage device operatively connected to the network, the virtual server being adapted to verify account user information for each account user computer seeking to access associated account files stored on the virtual server and to display in a web browser of the account user computer a list of associated account files stored on the virtual server;

wherein the associated personal account files stored on the virtual server system storage device can be opened and modified solely using the web browser of the account user computer;

the virtual server allowing a plurality of sub-accounts to be associated with one or more of the accounts; and

the virtual server maintaining file rights permissions with a level of access for accounts of the sub-accounts.

12. The data storage system of claim 11 wherein the modified file is saved to the virtual server system storage device.

13. The data storage system of claim 11 wherein the account user computer is a mobile device.

14. The data storage system of claim 11 wherein each user account has a primary account and a plurality of subaccounts, each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to subaccount files stored on the system storage device and each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to shared account files stored on the system storage device.

15. The data storage system of claim 14 wherein the file rights controlled access includes limiting subaccount access to only certain file types.

16. The data storage system of claim 14 wherein the file rights controlled access includes prohibiting the subaccount user'"'"'s ability to delete files.

17. The data storage system of claim 14 wherein the subaccount is only accessible from a computer with a specified IP address.

18. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored exclusively on a non-transitory computer readable medium on a virtual server comprising:

checking for an operative connection between the virtual server and the Internet, and if the virtual server is operatively connected;

linking the virtual server with an account user computer having a storage device after verification of an account user identification;

identifying the contents of data files and directories of a storage device on the virtual server associated with the account user identification;

displaying data files and directories stored on the virtual server associated with the account user identification solely using a web browser on the linked account user computer display;

opening selected data files stored on the virtual server storage device for the verified account;

modifying the selected data files stored on the virtual server storage device for the verified account; and

saving the virtual server files stored on the system computer storage device for the verified account;

the virtual server allowing a plurality of sub-accounts to be associated with one or more of the verified accounts; and

the virtual server maintaining file rights permissions with a level of access for verified accounts of the sub-accounts.