Patent ID: 7080105

Claim:
A backup instructing method for backing up data stored in a storage device to another storage device both connected through a network to a management server and a plurality of work servers working under a distributed processing environment, comprising the steps of: acquiring a service name among a plurality of service names of services including jobs associated with each other for which a backup definition is to be created; identifying files included in jobs for said service name acquired, and a storage device among a plurality of storage devices connected to said network which stores the files; determining, after excluding any file from said identified files used by another service and backed up, a schedule for backing up said files in a time zone in which a service having said service name acquired is not executed by referring to a table having a service time of said service name acquired, and a storage device for storing said files; and transmitting an instruction for backing up said files to said determined storage device based on the determined schedule.