Patent ID: 7797279
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of generating new full backups from an incremental backup and a previous full backup, the method comprising: receiving an incremental backup in a sequential access format stream from a file server; parsing the sequential access format stream into one or more directories and files that are modified or new as of a dump date of a previous full backup of the file server, wherein the incremental backup is stored in randomly accessible storage; generating incremental backup metadata describing the organization of the one or more directories and files of the incremental backup; receiving metadata for the previous full backup from a backup server, the previous full backup metadata describing the organization of one or more directories and files on the file server as of the dump date; and merging the incremental backup metadata into the previous full backup metadata to generate metadata for a new full backup, the new full backup metadata describing the organization of all directories and files on the file server, including the one or more directories and files that are modified or new as of the dump date of the previous full backup, as of a dump date of the incremental backup.