Patent ID: 8037240

Claim:
A method of reversed data backup for keeping local hard drives in a stand-by (non-spinning) mode and minimizing the number of disk spin-up operations thereby extending the life of local hard drives and reducing power consumption, heat and noise produced by the local hard drives in a system having a remote server for storing data from a client, the client for writing client data to and for reading client data from the remote server over a network, the client having at least one local hard drive for providing a back up of the client data stored on the remote server, the method comprising the steps of: a. determining if one or more conditions exist to synchronize the client data stored on the remote server with the local hard drive; and b. if at least one of the one or more conditions exist, synchronizing the client data between the remote server and the local hard drive, wherein the remote server is used as a primary system for storage when network connectivity and bandwidth are available, and wherein the client is configured to perform all operating system and application activities from the local hard drive when the network connectivity and bandwidth are unavailable; and wherein the at least one local hard disk does not spin up even in case of high bandwidth utilization if the at least one hard disk has spun up at least one of: too many times or too long in total time within a pre-determined time period.