Patent ID: 7487383

Claim:
A method for data recovery, comprising: generating a block-level image based upon a primary server; sending the primary image to a network attached storage device; sending the primary image to a remote backup server; periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the primary server, sending the delta image to the network attached storage device; sending the delta image to the remote backup server; receiving a primary server failure notification; diagnosing the primary server failure; if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that can be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, then based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the block-level primary image on the network attached storage device based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero; and based upon the results of the diagnosis, at least partially restoring the updated block-level primary image on the network attached storage device to the primary server; if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that cannot be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, then based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the block-level primary image on the network attached storage device based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero; performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated block-level primary image on the network attached storage device; activating the network attached storage device as a virtual server; redirecting end users to the virtual server; periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server; storing the delta image on the virtual server network attached storage device; and sending the delta image to the remote backup server; and if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server and the network attached storage device, then based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the block-level primary image on the remote backup server based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero; performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated image on the remote backup server; activating the remote backup server as a virtual server; redirecting end users to the virtual server; periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server; and storing the delta image on the virtual remote backup server.