Patent ID: 8769223
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions executable to: store backup operation information specifying a backup operation to be performed in a backup system, wherein the backup operation is configured to use a first target backup device for storing data backed up from client computers; subsequent to storing the backup operation information, receive user input scheduling a future time for the first target backup device to become ineligible for use in backup operations; at the scheduled time and in response to the user input, set state information for the first target backup device to indicate that the first target backup device is ineligible for use in backup operations; at a first time after the scheduled time and before performing the backup operation, access the state information for the first target backup device to determine whether the first target backup device is eligible for use in backup operations; in response to determining that the state information for the first target backup device indicates that the first target backup device is ineligible for use in backup operations, perform the backup operation by backing up one or more client computers to another target backup device instead of the first target backup device without logging an error reporting that the first target backup device was ineligible for use in the backup operation; and at a second time after the scheduled time and after performing the backup operation, automatically change the state information for the first target backup device to indicate that the first target backup device is eligible for use in backup operations in response to detecting that the first target backup device has connected to a network.