Patent ID: 7366742

Claim:
A system comprising: a server system comprising a processor and memory, wherein the server system is configured to receive a plurality of encodings from a plurality of different host computers, wherein each of said plurality of encodings was received from a corresponding host computer, and wherein each of said plurality of encodings describes: the structure of at least two storage hierarchies on said corresponding host computer, wherein each storage hierarchy comprises a file system and/or storage volume; and one or more relationships between said at least two storage hierarchies; wherein said server system is configured to store said received plurality of encodings in a storage hierarchy catalog, and wherein said storage hierarchy catalog includes a first encoding corresponding to a first plurality of storage hierarchies on a first host computer; and wherein said server system is configured to use said stored first encoding to respond to a first request to create and store a first frozen image of at least one of said first plurality of storage hierarchies, wherein said first frozen image is a logical copy of data within said at least one of said first plurality of storage hierarchies, and wherein said first frozen image includes information indicative of the one or more relationships described by said first encoding.