Methods and apparatus for backing up and restoring data portions stored in client computer systems

A method for backing up data portions stored within a computerized device, the method comprising the steps of:

• discovering a plurality of data portions stored within the computerized device;
• and
• for each data portion in the plurality of data portions, performing the steps of:
• (i) producing an identification of a data portion stored within the computerized device;
• (ii) determining if the identification of the data portion is contained within a preexisting catalog maintained by the computerized device thus indicating that the data portion has been previously backed up at least once by the backup server;
• if the identification of the data portion is not contained within the pre-existing catalog, then performing the steps of:
• (iii) conveying, to a backup server, the identification of the data portion stored within the computerized device;
• (iv) receiving a transfer indication from the backup server, the transfer indication indicating whether the backup server already contains a backed-up copy of the data portion based on the identification;
• and
• (v) determining if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion identified by the identification, and if not, transferring a copy of the data portion to the backup server, such that the computerized device only provides a copy of the data portion to the backup server if the backup server does not already have a copy of the data portion;
• and
• if the identification of the data portion is contained within the pre-existing catalog, then (vi) bypassing the steps of conveying the identification to the backup server, receiving a transfer indication from the backup server and determining if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion, such that a copy of the data portion is not transferred to the backup server.

A computerized device comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• a local storage device containing a plurality of data portions;
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory the processor, the local storage device and the communications interface;
• wherein the memory is encoded with logic instructions that form a backup client application that, when executed by the processor, performs a backup client process that causes the computerized device to back up the data portions stored within the local storage device to a backup server by performing the steps of:
• discovering a plurality of data portions stored within the computerized device;
• and
• for each data portion in the plurality of data portions, performing the steps of:
• (i) producing, in the memory, an identification of the data portion;
• (ii) conveying, to a backup server over the communications interface, the identification of the data portion stored within the computerized device;
• (iii) receiving, over the communications interface, a transfer indication from the backup server, the transfer indication indicating whether the backup server already contains a backed-up copy of the data portion based on the identification;
• and
• (iv) determining if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion identified by the identification, and if not, transferring a copy of the data portion from the local storage device to the backup server over the communications interface, such that the computerized device only provides a copy of the data portion to the backup server if the backup server does not already have a copy of the data portion;
• and
• (v) maintaining a catalog containing a catalog entry for each instance of the data portion stored within the computerized device, the catalog entry containing metadata specifying attributes associated with each instance of the data portion stored within the computerized device including the identification of the data portion.

A computerized device comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• a local storage device containing a plurality of data portions;
• and
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor, the local storage device and the communications interface;
• wherein the memory is encoded with logic instructions that form a backup client application that, when executed by the processor, performs a backup client process that causes the computerized device to back up the data portions stored within the local storage device to a backup server by performing the steps of:
• discovering a plurality of data portions stored within the computerized device;
• and
• for each data portion in the plurality of data portions, performing the steps of:
• (i) producing, in the memory, an identification of the data portion;
• (ii) determining if the identification of the data portion is contained within a preexisting catalog maintained by the computerized device thus indicating that the data portion has been previously backed up at least once by the backup server;
• if the identification of the data portion is not contained within the pre-existing catalog, then performing the steps of:
• (iii) conveying, to a backup server over the communications interface, the identification of the data portion stored within the computerized device;
• (iv) receiving, over the communications interface, a transfer indication from the backup server, the transfer indication indicating whether the backup server already contains a backed-up copy of the data portion based on the identification;
• and
• (v) determining if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion identified by the identification, and if not, transferring a copy of the data portion from the local storage device to the backuD server over the communications interface, such that the computerized device only provides a copy of the data portion to the backup server if the backuD server does not already have a copy of the data portion;
• and
• if the identification of the data portion is contained within the pre-existing catalog, then (vi) bypassing the steps of conveying the identification to the backup server, receiving a transfer indication from the backup server and determining if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion, such that a copy of the data portion is not transferred to the backup server.

A computer program product having a computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed in a computerized device having a coupling of a memory and a processor, programs the processor to perform a backup technique by performing the operations of:

• discovering a plurality of data portions stored within the computerized device;
• and
• for each data portion in the plurality of data portions, performing the steps of:
• (i) producing, in the memory, an identification of a data portion stored within a computerized device;
• (ii) conveying, to a backup server over the communications interface, the identification of the data portion stored within the computerized device;
• (iii) receiving, over the communications interface, a transfer indication from the backup server, the transfer indication indicating whether the backup server already contains a backed-up copy of the data portion based on the identification;
• (iv) determining if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion identified by the identification, and if not, transferring a copy of the data portion from the local storage device to the backup server over the communications interface, such that the computerized device only provides a copy of the data portion to the backup server if the backuD server does not alreadv have a copy of the data portion;
• and
• (v) maintaining a catalog containing a catalog entry for each instance of the data portion stored within the computerized device, the catalog entry containing metadata specifying attributes associated with each instance of the data portion stored within the computerized device including the identification of the data portion.