Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Control technique
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-22
2004-11-30
Sparks, Donald (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Control technique
C711S112000, C711S114000, C711S147000, C710S065000, C710S074000, C709S226000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06826665
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data backup method and system, and more particularly, to a data backup method and system in a multi-platform environment.
Recently, computer systems having a “multi-platform” environment (or multi-vendor environment), in which computers having various different platforms are connected to a network, are being used. That is, computers having different platforms, such as a mainframe environment, a Unix environment and a Windows NT environment are connected to each other via the network and share data resources. For example, a database installed on a mainframe is accessed by a Unix computer. Unix is a registered trademark in the United States of America and other countries of the X/Open Company Limited, and Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. In such a system, data backup having high cost performance is required.
Conventionally, each computer has a backup device handled by the corresponding platform which backs up its data resources.
In recent years, distributed processing in which processing is distributed over a plurality of interconnected computers has been widely used. This improves convenience such as ease of changing system functions and human-machine interfaces, and improves reliability, such as localization of the effects of faults.
However, backing up data for each computer reduces the backup workability. Therefore, software that collectively controls storage devices (data resources) of a multi-platform environment has been used. For example, the software backs up the data of a whole system onto a tape library device of a mainframe. This is because the tape library device has redundancy and high reliability.
However, since the tape library device backs up unuseful data (for example, data used only by an NT client), the capacity of the tape library device must be very large. This increases the cost of the tape library device. That is, bit cost is increased. Further, the ratio of the amount of useful data is low as compared to the amount of storage capacity. Thus, the cost performance of backup is reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a high cost performance data backup system.
In one aspect of the present invention a method for saving plural pieces of data of a multi-platform environment on a plurality of storage devices is provided. First, an importance level of each piece of the plural pieces of data and a reliability level of each storage device are set. The plural pieces of data are saved on the plurality of storage devices in accordance with the set importance level and the set reliability level.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for saving plural pieces of data of a multi-platform environment is provided. The system includes a plurality of storage devices each having a reliability level and a setting unit to set an importance level of each piece of the plural pieces of data and a save destination for each piece of the plural pieces of data based on the reliability level of the storage devices. A backup unit is connected between the plurality of storage devices and the setting unit to save the plural pieces of data on the plurality of storage devices in accordance the set importance level and the set save destination.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer readable recording medium storing program code for saving plural pieces of data of a multi-platform environment on a plurality of storage devices is provided. The program code comprising the steps of setting an importance level of each piece of the plural pieces of data and a reliability level of each storage device, and saving the plural pieces of data on the plurality of storage devices in accordance with the set importance level and the set reliability level.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
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Dinh Ngoc V
Fujitsu Limited
Sparks Donald
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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