Managing snapshot/backup collections in finite data storage

Abstract

A method of managing a collection of members, wherein each member has data preserved in a finite data storage and each member belongs to a different data group of a temporal data store with which the finite data storage is associated, includes the step of deleting the oldest member of the collection upon the addition of a new member to the collection when the number of members of the collection exceeds a predetermined maximum number. The new member of the collection may be added to the collection after a member is deleted if the predetermined maximum number otherwise would be exceeded or, alternatively, the new member of the collection may be added to the collection, the predetermined maximum number of member then exceeded, and a member then deleted.

1 . A method of managing a collection of members, each member having data preserved in a finite data storage and each member belonging to a different data group of a temporal data store with which the finite data storage is associated, the method comprising the step of deleting the oldest member of the collection upon the addition of a new member to the collection when the number of members of the collection exceeds a predetermined maximum number.  
     
     
         2 . The invention of  claim 1 , wherein each member of the collection comprises a snapshot of an object.  
     
     
         3 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein each member of the collection comprises a snapshot of the same object.  
     
     
         4 . The invention of  claim 3 , wherein the object comprises one of the group of a logical container, a computer-readable medium, a portion of a logical container, and a portion of a computer-readable medium.  
     
     
         5 . The invention of  claim 1 , wherein each member of the collection comprises a backup of a source.  
     
     
         6 . The invention of  claim 5 , wherein each backup of the collection comprises a backup copy of the same source.  
     
     
         7 . The invention of  claim 6 , wherein the object comprises one of the group of a logical container, a computer-readable medium, a portion of a logical container, and a portion of a computer-readable medium  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of deleting comprises removing the data in the finite data storage of the member deleted.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of deleting comprises permitting the data in the finite data storage of the member deleted to be overwritten without preservation.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new member of the collection is added to the collection after a member is deleted if the predetermined maximum number otherwise would be exceeded.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new member of the collection is added to the collection, the predetermined maximum number of member is then exceeded, and a member is then deleted.  
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for performing the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         13 . A computer configuration comprising computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for performing the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         14 . The computer configuration of  claim 13 , wherein the method is automatically performed by a computer without user intervention.  
     
     
         15 . The computer configuration of  claim 13 , wherein the maximum number of members in the collection is predetermined by a user of the computer system.  
     
     
         16 . The computer configuration of  claim 13 , wherein the maximum number of members in the collection is predetermined by an administrator of the computer configuration.  
     
     
         17 . A method of managing a collection of snapshots of the same object, each snapshot being taken at a different point in time and having data preserved in a finite data storage, the method comprising the step of deleting the oldest snapshot of the collection upon the addition of a new snapshot to the collection when the number of snapshots in the collection exceeds a predetermined maximum number.  
     
     
         18 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for performing the method of  claim 17 .  
     
     
         19 . A method of managing a collection of backups of the same source, each backup being made at a different point in time and having data preserved in a finite data storage, the method comprising the step of deleting the oldest backup of the collection upon the addition of a new backup to the collection when the number of backups in the collection exceeds a predetermined maximum number.  
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for performing the method of  claim 19.