Patent ID: 8015374

Claim:
A method for backing-up data in a system including a plurality of host data processing systems, for a set of the data processing systems the method comprising: providing a scheduling structure on a selected one of the host data processing systems, the scheduling structure including an indication of guest data processing systems executing on a second host data processing system enabled to back-up corresponding data; verifying inclusion of each enabled guest data processing system executing under the second host data processing system in the scheduling structure; in response to the inclusion of each enabled guest data processing system in the scheduling structure, receiving from the second host data processing system an indication of data corresponding to each enabled data processing system for adding to a control structure on the selected one of the host data processing systems; and backing-up the data corresponding to each enabled data processing system executing under the second host data processing system indicated in the control structure under control of the selected one of the host data processing systems.