Systems and methods for backing up data files

A system for creating back up files for data files stored on a computer network, comprising

• a data server having a source data file,
• a backup process for identifying changes in the source data file and for writing the changes to a target data file to mirror changes made to the source data file,
• a long term storage system for recording the target file to a storage medium in response to the operation of the back up process, thereby storing versions of the target file on the storage medium,
• a catalog process for recording metadata representative of locations of the versions of the target files on the storage medium and security data associated with the versions of the target data file and representative of user access rights for the versions of the target data file, and
• a secure restoration process for employing the security data to analyze access rights in response to a request to access the versions of the target file.

A system for backing up at least one source data file, comprising

• a data server having storage for at least one source data file,
• a back up process for identifying changes in the at least one source data file and for writing the changes to at least one back up file to mirror changes made to the at least one source data file,
• a long term storage system for recording the at least one back up file to a storage medium in response to the operation of the back up process, thereby storing at least one version of the at least one back up file on the storage medium,
• a catalog process for recording metadata representative of locations of the at least one version of the at least one back up file on the storage medium and security data associated with the at least one version of the at least one back up file and representative of user access rights for the at least one version of the at least one back up file, and
• a secure restoration process for employing the security data to analyze access right in response to a request to access the at least one version of the at least one back up file.

A system for backing up at least one source data file, the system comprising:

• a data serving having
• storage for the at least one source data file, and
• an agent operating on the data server and capable of dynamically detecting changes to the at least one source data file and capable of recording detected changes within a journal file;
• a back up server having storage for at least one back up file;
• a dynamic replication process responsive to data within the journal file for modifying the at least one back up file based on the journal file;
• a long term storage system for recording the at least one back up file to a storage medium in response to the operation of the dynamic replication process, thereby storing at least one version of the at least one back up file on the storage medium;
• and
• a catalog process for recording metadata representative of locations of the at least one version of the at least one back up file on the storage medium, to create an index for accessing the at least one version of the at least one back up file, wherein the catalog process is capable of storing securing metadata associated with the at least one version of the at least one back up file and representative of user access rights for the at least one version of the at least one back up file.