Patent ID: 7584230

Claim:
A method for monitoring files, the method comprising: creating a folder including a file path identifier identifying a file location to be monitored as part of a file backup process to determine if a file at the file location is to be backed up; specifying one or more trigger events for causing a file monitoring application to be executed for the file path in the folder to initiate comparing current directory data to a previous version of the directory data associated with a backup file; and specifying one or more electronic mail (e-mail) addresses to receive monitoring results output from the executed file monitoring application for the file path in the folder, the monitoring results including the name, created date, modified date and size data for a file identified by the file path identifier, the email including an alert message if a previous file size in the previous version of the directory data is larger than a corresponding file size in the current directory data indicating file backup is needed, and the folder, the one or more trigger events and the one or more e-mail addresses being accessible to the file monitoring application.