Patent ID: 6640217
Filing Date: 2003-10-28
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for backing up data, the method comprising:providing a computer network with data backup activity performed by a plurality of data backup products each with its own clients and servers, providing a host computer interfaced to said network, providing said host computer is running a software device or program that includes said method as one of its software components, providing for each data backup product a backup engine plug-in that will obtain records of data backup activity from that data backup product, providing records of data backup activity expressed as a canonical backup log containing backup job records including: i. a date and time that a data backup attempt or operation took place, ii. a proprietary name of the data backup client, iii. a fully qualified host name of the data backup client, iv. a number of bytes that were backed up or default value, v. a number of files or objects that were backed up or a default value, vi. a proprietary data backup level name or a default value, vii. a canonical data backup level name or a default value, viii. a description of where the information in the data backup job record was obtained, ix. a number of seconds that elapsed during the data backup operation or a default value, X. a number of errors or a default value, xi. a data and time the data backup will expire or default value, xii. a logical target name, and xiii. a media label of a storage media the data backup was written to, and providing a request for the said canonical backup activity log from a software device or program, whereby said canonical backup activity log becomes a part of said software device or program in response to the asynchronous requests made by said software device or program, providing a database, construction of a uniformly formatted record for insertion into one or more data tables containing records of data backup activity, execution of a process to add said record to one or more data tables containing records of data backup activity, construction of a uniformly formatted record for insertion into one or more data tables containing backup client records, execution of a process to add said record to one or more data tables containing backup client records, construction of a uniformly formatted record for insertion into one or more data tables containing backup target records, execution of a process to add said record to one or more data tables containing backup target records, construction of a uniformly formatted record for insertion into one or more data tables containing data backup device name records, execution of a process to add said record to one or more data tables containing data backup device name records, construction of a uniformly formatted record for insertion into one or more data tables containing backup level records, executing a process to said record to one or more data tables containing backup level records, executing scheduled requests for new records of data backup activity, and executing operator initiated requests for new records of data backup activity, whereby a general purpose database is made available for cross referencing and analysis of backup activity using third party tools.