Patent ID: 8099572

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of operating at least one data processor in a data processing system, said method comprising: (a) said at least one data processor receiving a version set backup request for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a storage object, the multiple snapshot copies having been created at respective spaced points in time, and said at least one data processor responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from a storage array to backup storage media; and then (b) said at least one data processor receiving a version set restore request for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the storage object, and said at least one data processor responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from the backup storage media to the storage array; wherein the backup storage media is a data storage tape, and the method further includes backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from the storage array to the tape by sequentially writing variable-length extents of data of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object to the tape to create a backup image on the tape, wherein the variable-length extents of data for each of the snapshot copies of the storage object are grouped together and ordered sequentially in the backup image by increasing or decreasing logical block address.