Patent ID: 6785786
Filing Date: 2004-08-31
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
Apparatus for backing up a network of client computers to a disaster recovery memory and for recovering backed up signals from the disaster recovery memory to the client computers, the apparatus comprising a random access nonvolatile backup memory, the nonvolatile memory being arranged to store signals in a format different from the recovery memory signal storage format; an interface adapted to be coupled to the network for coupling signals to be backed up from the client computers to the nonvolatile memory and for coupling backed up signals from the nonvolatile memory to the client computers via the network; a converter arrangement adapted to be coupled to the recovery memory and coupled with the nonvolatile memory for converting signals in the format of the nonvolatile memory to the format of the recovery memory and for converting signals in the format of the recovery memory to the format of the nonvolatile memory; and a controller arrangement for supplying control signals to (a) the interface, (b) the nonvolatile memory, (c) the recovery memory and (d) the converter arrangement for causing (a) backup of the client computers to the nonvolatile memory from the network via the interface, (b) backup of the client computers to the recovery memory by, from time to time, supplying an image of the backup in the nonvolatile memory from the nonvolatile memory to the recovery memory via the converter, (c) backup recovery from the recovery memory to one of the client computers by supplying an image of the backup for said one client computer in the recovery memory to said one client computer via the converter, nonvolatile memory, interface and network, and (d) backup recovery from the nonvolatile memory to a selected client computer by supplying an image of the backup for said selected client computer to the selected client computer from the nonvolatile memory to the selected client computer via the interface and network.