Patent ID: 8041680

Claim:
A method of backing up a database, the database comprising a table, the table comprising at least two records, the at least two records each comprising at least one field, the database operated by a database management system (DBMS), the DBMS comprising a backup module, the method comprising: providing, in the database by the DBMS, the at least two records, each of the at least two records comprising at least one backup field, the at least one backup field of a corresponding record comprising a data element that controls backing up of the corresponding record, the data element indicating whether to backup the corresponding record, wherein the at least one backup field indicates a frequency that specifies a rate of occurrence for backing up the corresponding record; tracking whether the at least two records have been backed up at least once; scanning through the database record by record, by the backup module of the DBMS, to periodically scan the at least two records and identify the frequency specified by the at least one backup field of each of the at least two records; and backing up to a backup database, by the backup module, at least one record of the at least two records in dependence upon a value of the at least one backup field corresponding to the at least one record, including an automated backing up of the at least one record to the backup database at the frequency indicated by the at least one backup field corresponding to the at least one record, wherein the DBMS and the backup module comprise one or more of logic hardware and executable code, the executable code stored on a computer readable storage medium.