Method and apparatus for performing data backup
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorTakashi Inagaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for performing data backups is disclosed. An initial backup operation is performed on all datasets within a recording medium. A subsequent backup operation is performed on any of the datasets in a day at which the dataset has been rewritten or in a day at which a predetermined period for the dataset expires, whichever day comes first. The subsequent backup operation is performed on any of the datasets until another initial backup operation needs to be performed on all of the datasets again.
Claims3
A method for performing a backup and restore job of an entire or a portion of data, which is a subject for a backup storage of the data, to a storage medium by a computer, comprising steps of:
- storing management information having a correspondence relationship between a portion of the data and an identification information of the backup job when the portion of the data has been copied to the medium, by the computer;
- acquiring the identification information of the backup job by the computer, including a version number, and storing the version number in a version number storage unit;
- identifying a portion of the data, which has not been copied to the media during a predetermined period, based upon the identification information of the backup job;
- determining whether to backup the portion of the data to the medium, by the computer;
- calculating the version number of a backup job by subtracting a predetermined expiration period from the version number of the current backup job;
- backing up the portion of the data by copying the portion of the data to the medium by the computer;
- and
- restoring the portion of the data from the medium by the computer by the steps of:
- acquiring a latest version number from the version number storage unit;
- acquiring the predetermined expiration period for backed-up data;
- determining a version number for restoration by subtracting the predetermined expiration period from the latest version number;
- and
- reading the portion of the data from the medium by the computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.