Patent ID: 7941621

Claim:
A method comprising: concealing, from each computer system in a pool of server computer systems which are available for performing a first backup or restore operation, a volume of a random-access storage device; initiating the first backup or restore operation while the volume is concealed from each computer system in the pool of server computer systems; automatically selecting the volume of the random-access storage device from a pool of volumes in response to initiating the first backup or restore operation; automatically selecting a first computer system from the pool of server computer systems which are available for performing the first backup or restore operation, wherein the first computer system is automatically selected in response to initiating the first backup or restore operation; automatically mounting the volume of the random-access storage device at the first computer system, wherein the random-access storage device is coupled to the first computer system by a network, and wherein the volume is a component of a non-distributed storage stack and is not simultaneously readable or writable by more than one host computer system; concealing the volume of the random-access storage device from each computer system other than the first computer system in the pool of server computer systems while the volume is mounted at the first computer system; completing the first backup or restore operation by transmitting a first set of data between the random-access storage device and the first computer system; automatically unmounting the volume of the random-access storage device at the first computer system in response to completing the first backup or restore operation; and concealing the volume of the random-access storage device from the first computer system after automatically unmounting the volume.