Patent ID: 9575848
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A computer implemented method for remote protection of data in a networked storage computing environment, the method comprising the steps of: determining whether to perform a remote data protection process based at least on whether a maximum number of snapshots has been exceeded and whether a previously created snapshot exists; recording, by a processor, data and associated metadata at specific points-in-time based on policies that enforce both a recovery point objective (RPO) that defines a maximum time period in which loss of the data is allowed and a recovery time objective (RTO) that defines a duration of time in which the data must be restored after a disruption to a network attached storage appliance, wherein the network attached storage appliance is part of a storage cluster that provides computing storage services and offers a computing device access to a common set of data consolidated from a plurality of user systems; copying the data and the associated metadata into backup files; generating a data structure with pointers to the backup files, based on a schedule configured to achieve the RPO and the RTO, wherein the data structure with pointers to the backup files comprises a file path associated with a status and at least one of the pointers to the backup files, wherein the status indicates whether data at a location specified by the file path is newly created, has been modified since a previous backup copy was performed, or is unchanged since the previous backup copy was performed; and transferring the backup files and the data structure to one or more backup locations for storage on an electronic storage device.