Backup and restore operations using a single snapshot driven by a server job request

In a system that includes one or more clients in communication with a server that performs a backup operation of data from the one or more clients, the data being organized into one or more backup groupings, a method for saving the data from a first client, the method comprising:

• at the server,
• receiving from at a first client a listing of all possible backup grouping for a first client;
• and
• causing a backup manager module to generate a snapshot job request identifying one or more backup groupings to be backed up, the one or more backup groupings associated with data stored on a plurality of volumes, the snapshot job request also including instructions for the first client to generate a single snapshot of the plurality of volumes;
• and
• at the first client,
• receiving the snapshot job request, the snapshot job request acting as a signal to the first client to generate a single snapshot of the plurality of volumes;
• identifying one or more directories corresponding to the one or more backup groupings specified in the snapshot job request;
• requesting creation of a single snapshot using at least a portion of each of the one or more identified directories, the single snapshot being created from the plurality of volumes;
• identifying the single snapshot created and stored at the first client, the single snapshot including the at least a portion of each of the one or more identified directories;
• and
• referencing the single snapshot in order to perform a save of some or all of the data corresponding to the identified backup groupings.