Patent ID: 8407688

Claim:
A method for storing and transmitting historical configuration data, the method comprising: reading a first configuration data set from a local machine at a first time; storing the first configuration data set locally, wherein a first timestamp is stored with the first configuration data set; reading a second configuration data set at a second time; replacing the first configuration data set with the second configuration data set, wherein a second timestamp is stored with the second configuration data set, the second timestamp being chronologically after the first timestamp; storing a first change between the first configuration data set and the second configuration data set on the local machine; reading a third configuration data set from a local machine at a third time; replacing the second configuration data set with the third configuration data set, wherein a third timestamp is stored with the third configuration data set, the third timestamp being chronologically after the second timestamp; storing a second change between the second configuration data set and the third configuration data set on the local machine; requesting the local machine to update a remote machine; updating the remote machine, wherein the local machine transmits the first change between the first configuration data set and the second configuration data set and the second change between the second configuration data set and the third configuration data set to the remote machine; the remote machine using the first change between the first configuration data set and the second configuration data set and the second change between the second configuration data set and the third configuration data set to determine the third configuration data set; and persistently storing the first change between the first configuration data set and the second configuration data set and the second change between the second configuration data set and the third configuration data set on the remote machine after the remote machine determines the third configuration data set to allow for a restore of any one of the first configuration data set, the second configuration data set, and the third configuration data set.