Patent ID: 8381024

Claim:
A method comprising: connecting a first user computer to a second user computer via a data link; and the first user computer establishing a recovered data storage system with the second user computer based on a determined unavailability of a distributed storage system having multiple storage locations, the establishing including: identifying a first group of stored data elements to the second user computer, the first group of stored data elements having been stored in the first user computer based on replication thereof throughout the distributed storage system to a first group of the multiple storage locations including the first user computer, and receiving from the second user computer an identification of a second group of stored data elements having been stored in the second user computer based on the replication thereof throughout the distributed storage system to a second group of the multiple storage locations including the second user computer, the recovered data storage system based on the first and second groups of stored data elements, wherein at least one of the first user computer or the second user computer is a portable computer.