Separating file data streams to enhance progressive incremental processing

A computer program product for transmitting a data file from a first system to a second system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

• identify data included in the data file, prior to transmission of the data file in a data stream to the second system, such that the second system can distinguish first data from second data in the data file,
• wherein the first data comprises information stored in the data file as content and the second data comprises information associated with said content;
• process the first data and the second data to determine whether the first data or the second data has changed;
• and
• transmit the first data to the second system, in response to determining that the first data has changed, so that the first data is stored in a data storage medium coupled to the second system in association with third data and fourth data previously stored in the data storage medium,
• wherein the third data and the fourth data comprise older versions of the first data and the second data, respectively, and
• wherein storing the first data in the data storage medium does not replace the third data and the fourth data.

A storage management system comprising:

• a first system communicatively coupled to a network, such that the first system may transmit a data file to a second system communicatively coupled to the network, said first system configured to identify data included in a data file, prior to transmission of the data file in a data stream to the second system, such that the second system can distinguish first data from second data in the data file,
• wherein the first data comprises information stored in the data file as content and the second data comprises information associated with said content, and
• wherein the first system processes the first data and the second data to determine whether the first data or the second data has changed,
• wherein the first system transmits the first data to the second system in response to determining that the first data has changed, such that the second system stores the first data in a data storage medium coupled to the second system in association with third data and fourth previously stored in the data storage medium,
• wherein the third data and fourth data comprise older versions of the first data and the second data, respectively;
• and
• wherein the second system does not replace the third data and fourth data.

A method of transmitting a data file from a first system to a second system, the method comprising:

• identifying data included in the data file, prior to transmission of the data file in a data stream to the second system, such that the second system can distinguish first data from second data in the data file,
• wherein the first data comprises information stored in the data file as content and the second data comprises information associated with said content;
• processing the first data and the second data to determine whether the first data or the second data has changed;
• transmitting the first data to the second system in response to determining that the first data has changed, so that the first data is stored in a data storage medium coupled to the second system in association with third data and fourth data previously stored in the data storage medium,
• wherein the third data and the fourth data comprise older versions of the first data and the second data, respectively, and
• wherein storing the first data in the data storage medium does not replace the third data and the fourth data.