Patent ID: 7934064
Filing Date: 2011-04-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for consolidation of incremental backups, wherein each incremental backup includes data and a backup map with links that point to data chunks of current and/or previous backups, the method comprising: selecting a plurality of incremental backups to be consolidated into a consolidated backup; combining the links in the backup maps of the selected backups into a single set of links that point directly to the data chunks in the consolidated backup and to data chunks in previously created backups; consolidating the selected backups to a new backup that contains the latest content of data chunks from the selected backups, the latest data chunks determined based on the direct links in the single set; updating the links in the single set to point to the data chunks in the new backup, and deleting links to unused data chunks from the selected backups; storing the updated links in the new backup as part of a backup map of the new backup; and deleting the selected incremental backups.