Patent ID: 7698428

Claim:
A sequence management apparatus for backing up data across a plurality of clients, the apparatus comprising: a storage device storing executable code; a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising a client request module receiving data to be backed up from a source client, the data comprising a plurality of backup data packets; a sequence module generating a non-transparent sequence comprising packet identifiers for each of the plurality of backup data packets arranged in an order that the plurality of backup data packets are stored from the source client to a plurality of target clients, wherein the non-transparent sequence is unique and exclusively accessible to the sequence management apparatus; a packet storage module storing the data on the plurality of target clients according to the non-transparent sequence, wherein the source client and the plurality of target clients are organized in a grid computing system, wherein each physical distance between each target client storing backup data packets is not less than a specified client packet proximity minimum distance parameter and not more than a specified client packet proximity maximum distance parameter and each physical distance between the source client and each target client storing backup data packets is not less than a specified client backup proximity minimum distance parameter and not more than a specified client backup proximity maximum distance parameter, the specified client packet proximity minimum distance parameter, the specified client packet proximity maximum distance parameter, the specified client backup proximity minimum distance parameter, and the specified client backup proximity maximum distance parameter each specifying a distance value measured in a unit selected from miles and kilometers; a packet retrieval module retrieving the plurality of backup data packets backed up on the plurality of target clients; and a data assembly module assembling the retrieved plurality of backup data packets in the non-transparent sequence of the packet identifiers.