Patent EA-005000-B1 (EA)
Title: Virtual tape storage system and method
Inventor: DAVIS RAY CHARLES
IPC: G06F17/30
Filed: 2001-12-20
Abstract: 1. A virtual tape storage system, comprising: at least one user terminal located at a first location for generating a list of computer files, said computer files being within a first computer memory; a remote computer having a second writable stable computer memory, said second computer memory being located at a second location that is remote from said first location; and a long distance telecommunications line connectable to said user terminal and said remote computer; said list of files being transmitted in an extensible mark-up language from said user terminal via said long distance telecommunications line to said remote computer; and at least one file listed in said list being transmitted from said first computer memory to said second computer memory for stable archiving of said at least one file for subsequent access of said at least one file by a user. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said list of files is part of a backup set specification; said backup set specification further comprising at least one scheduled time interval corresponding to a time when source computer files listed in said list are to be stably archived. 3. The system of claim 2 further comprising: a user application operable to run on said user terminal; and a server application operable to run on said remote computer; said user application and said server application being operable to communicate over said telecommunications line; said user application being configured to transmit said list; and said server application being configured to receive said list. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein said server application is configured to prevent alteration of stably archived files. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said telecommunications line comprises an Internet connection. 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said user application includes an interface for displaying files and directories using a tree view structure; and said list is generated using said interface. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein said user application allows specifying a size of a backup space for storing files within said second memory; and wherein a user fee is charged according to said size specified. 8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an archival memory for off-line storage of at least one file stored in said second memory. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein said interface is further configured to allow a user to select files to be restored from said second memory; and said server application being configured to restore the selected files to the first memory from said second memory. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein said server application is further configured to allow a group user in a predefined group of users to restore files associated with any user in said predefined group of users. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said server application is further configured to transmit to said user application an index file listing files stored in said second memory; and said index file is transmitted in an extensible mark-up language. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein: said user application is configured to transmit said list; and said server application is configured to receive said list. 13. The system of claim 1 wherein said telecommunications line comprises an Internet connection. 14. The system of claim 1 further including a user application operative to run on said user terminal; said application including an interface for displaying files and directories using a tree view structure; and wherein said list is generated using said interface. 15. The system of claim 1 wherein said user terminal is configured to allow a user to specify a size of a backup space within said second memory for stable archiving of files; and wherein a user fee is charged according to said size. 16. A method for stable archiving of computer files, comprising: defining a backup set comprising: a backup list comprising at least one source computer file name corresponding to a source computer file located in a first computer memory; and at least one scheduled time interval corresponding to a time when source computer files listed in said backup list are to be stably archived; determining when said at least one scheduled time interval has occurred; transmitting said backup list across a long distance telecommunications connection to a remote computer; reading said at least one source computer file name from said backup list; locating said source computer file corresponding to said source computer file name; after said determining, reading data from said source computer file; and writing said data into a destination computer file in a second writable stable computer memory connected to said remote computer. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said telecommunications line comprises an Internet connection. 18. The method of claim 16 wherein said defining of said backup set is done using a user application including an interface for displaying files and directories using a tree view structure. 19. The method of claim 16 further comprising specifying a size of backup space within said second memory for writing said data; and charging a user a fee according to said size specified. 20. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting in an extensible mark-up language to a user application an index file listing files stored in said second memory for selecting files to be restored. 21. A system for stable archiving of computer files comprising: a user terminal having a first memory; a user application operable to run on said user terminal; a remote computer having a second memory; a server application operable to run on said remote computer; a third writable stable computer memory operable to communicate with said server application, said third memory being separate from said first memory and said second memory; and a long distance telecommunication connection operable to communicate with said client application and with said server application via a telecommunications line; said client application being furthered configured to transmit to said server application a predefined list of source computer files, the source computer files being located in said first memory; said server application being operable to receive said list; said server application being further configured to read data corresponding to the contents of at least one source computer file listed in said list; said server application being further configured to write said data into said third memory. 22. The system of claim 21 wherein said telecommunications connection comprises an Internet connection. 23. The system of claim 21 wherein said user application includes an interface for displaying files and directories using a tree view structure. 24. The system of claim 21 wherein said user application is further configured to allow a user to specify a size of backup space within said second memory for writing said data. 25. The system of claim 21 wherein said server application is further configured to transmit in an extensible mark-up language to said user application an index file listing files stored in said second memory that are available to be restored. 26. A method for stable archiving of computer files, the method comprising: defining at least one user space within a first writable stable computer memory connected to a remote computer; defining at least one backup space within said user space; defining at least one backup set definition comprising a list corresponding to at least one computer file located in a second computer memory accessible by a user terminal; copying said at least one computer file listed in said backup set definition to said at least one backup space; and preventing alteration of said computer files in said at least one backup space; wherein said user terminal is remote from said first writable stable computer memory. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein said defining of said backup set definition is done using a user application including an interface for displaying files and directories using a tree view structure. 28. The method of claim 26 further comprising: specifying a size of said backup space within said second memory for writing said data; and charging a user a fee according to said size specified. 29. The method of claim 26 further comprising transmitting in an extensible mark-up language to said user terminal an index file listing files stored in said second memory for selecting files to be restored.