Patent ID: 7243198

Claim:
In a distributed computer network, a method of transporting data from a sending host computer system to a receiving host computer system, wherein the data is stored on a volume of information, the method comprising: creating a point-in-time copy of an entire volume; generating a backup components document, wherein the backup components document includes location information related to the point-in-time copy; importing the backup components document to the receiving host computer system; and accessing the point-in-time copy using the location information in the backup components document to transport the point-in-time copy to the receiving host computer system, wherein the act of creating the point-in-time copy of the volume comprises creating a point-in-time copy of one or more LUNs that have stored thereon a portion of the volume to be transported, and wherein the method of transporting data further comprises: identifying each of the point-in-time copies of the one or more LUNs; requesting information relating to each of the point-in-time copies of the one or more LUNs; and receiving identifying information related to each of the point-in-time copies of the one or more LUNs, wherein the identifying information is stored in the backup components document.