Patent ID: 6675177
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for providing a full backup of a client computer system, the client computer system having at least one storage disk, said method comprising:providing a backup server; determining whether said backup server includes a meta file for said at least one disk on the backup client, and if said backup server does not include a meta file for said at least one disk on the backup client, then requesting a full backup from the client system, receiving substantially all files from the client system, storing a substantially complete copy of the files on said backup server; sending a time stamp from said backup server to the client system; sending all files created or modified since a previous backup from the client system to said backup server; requesting any additional files from the client system that have not already been stored on the backup server; storing a substantially complete copy of the created or modified files on the backup server; providing all files from a most recent backup in a cache within said backup server, said most recent backup having a first backup level; locating a next most recent backup volume, said next most recent backup volume having a second backup level, said second backup level being lower than said first backup level; if the next most recent backup volume is located, then comparing each file within said next most recent backup volume to said files within said cache, copying to said cache all files for which a later version of said file does not exist within said cache, but is referenced in said meta data for said most recent backup; copying said cache onto a resulting backup volume, whereby said resulting backup volume having a backup level substantially equal to the second backup level is produced; and repeating said steps of locating a next most recent backup volume, comparing each file of said backup volume to said files within said cache, and copying said cache onto a resulting backup volume, until a desired backup level is reached.