Patent ID: 9558197
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A cooperative data file coloring backup method comprising: maintaining, with a file color storage cloud controller (FCSCC) within a storage management server communicatively connected to a host computing device, a list of file types and associated data reduction factors that are achieved during a backup of each file type to each storage device having data reduction capabilities comprised within a data backup storage area network, assigning, by the FCSCC within the list of file types and associated data reduction factors, storage device colors to each storage device, wherein each storage device color is assigned to a storage device and is associated with a file type and data reduction factor achieved during the backup of the file type to the storage device; assigning, with a file color agent (FCA) within the host computing device, a file color from a plurality of file colors to a data file stored within the host computing device, the assigned file color matching the storage device color that is associated with a highest data reduction factor achieved during the backup of the file type of the data file, and; subsequent to the host computing device receiving a backup request to backup the data file to the data backup storage area network, implementing, with the FCA, a path from the data file to a particular storage device within the data backup storage area network that has assigned the same storage device color as the assigned file color of the data file.