Patent ID: 8103794

Claim:
A method for backing up user data comprising: receiving a request from a first hardcopy device for backup to a second hardcopy device selected by a user among other hardcopy devices and a request from the second hardcopy device for backup to the first hardcopy device selected by the user among other hardcopy devices, the first hardcopy device being coupled with the second hardcopy device via a network; identifying a first user data in the first hardcopy device and a second user data in the second hardcopy device via the network; identifying the first and second hardcopy device via the network; copying the first user data from the first hardcopy device into a second storage internal to the second hardcopy device via the network and copying the second user data from the second hardcopy device into a first storage of the first hardcopy device via the network, identifying the first user data is updated; identifying the second hardcopy device; and copying the updated first user data from the first hardcopy device into the second storage of the second hardcopy device via the network, the first user data including a first IP address for the first hardcopy device and the second user data including a second IP address for the second hardcopy device, in the event of a failure of the first hardcopy device, a job sent to the first hardcopy device is received by the second hardcopy device based on the first user data copied to the second hardcopy device and in the event of a failure of the second hardcopy device, a job sent to the second hardcopy device is received by the first hardcopy device based on the second user data copied to the first hardcopy device.