Patent ID: 7430647

Claim:
A back-up storage system comprising back-up storage media for storing first and second pluralities of data files; and a controller including at least one processor configured to execute a set of instructions that, when executed, implement a method comprising: creating a first full back-up data set comprising a first plurality of data files; creating a second full back-up data set comprising a second plurality of data files; determining a most recent copy of each data file of the first and second pluralities of data files; storing a set of indicators, each indicator in the set of indicators identifying a storage location in one of the first full back-up data set and the second full back-up data set of the most recent copy of each data file of the first and second pluralities of data files; and creating a synthetic full back-up data set that corresponds to the most recent copy of each data file of the first and second pluralities of data files based upon the set of indicators and without copying data from the most recent copy of each data file.