Patent ID: 8799223

Claim:
A method for data backup management comprising: identifying a base image for a plurality of data backup clients; creating, using at least one computer processor, a backup of the base image; storing the backup of the base image as a stored common backup for the plurality of data backup clients; calculating, at a server, a fingerprint for one or more files of the base image; distributing the calculated fingerprint from the server to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients; tracking changes to the base image at one or more of the plurality of data backup clients; and backing up at least one of the plurality of data backup clients, wherein a resultant backup of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients comprises at least one tracked change of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients, and wherein the stored common backup of the base image allows backup processing to perform an incremental backup which skips backup of unchanged files on the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.