Patent ID: 8341122

Claim:
A computer system comprising a processor for executing program instructions and a memory coupled to the processor for executing the program instructions, wherein the program instructions include program instructions for restoring a file system to a target storage, wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions for: first reading a first backup stream containing a full backup of the file system from a first one of the multiple storage devices; while performing the first reading, second reading at least one second backup stream containing a corresponding at least one incremental backup of the file system from a corresponding at least one second one of the multiple storage devices; determining whether the at least one second backup stream contains a copy of a file read by the first reading; responsive to determining that the at least one second backup stream does not contain the copy of the file read by the first reading, first writing the file read by the first reading to the target storage; responsive to determining that the at least one second backup stream contains the copy of the file read by the first reading, second writing the file read by the second reading to the target storage third reading a first one of the at least one incremental backup; fourth reading a second one of the at least one incremental backup; determining whether the second one of the at least one incremental backup contains a copy of another file read by the third reading; responsive to determining that the second one of the at least one incremental backup stream does not contain the copy of the another file read by the third reading, third writing the another file read by the third reading to a temporary storage to generate a merged incremental backup; and responsive to determining that the second one of the at least one incremental backup does not contain the copy of the another file read by the third reading, fourth writing the file read by the fourth reading to the temporary storage to generate the merged incremental backup, and wherein the second reading reads the temporary storage to read the merged incremental backup subsequent to the writing of the another file to the temporary storage, and wherein the program instructions for third reading, fourth reading, third writing and fourth writing are executed prior to executing the program instructions for first reading, second reading, first writing and second writing.