Systems and methods for backing up data files

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for continuous back up of data stored on a computer network. To this end the systems of the invention include a synchronization process that replicates selected source data files data stored on the network and to create a corresponding set of replicated data files, called the target data files, that are stored on a back up server. This synchronization process builds a baseline data structure of target data files. In parallel to this synchronization process, the system includes a dynamic replication process that includes a plurality of agents, each of which monitors a portion of the source data files to detect and capture, at the byte-level, changes to the source data files. Each agent may record the changes to a respective journal file, and as the dynamic replication process detects that the journal files contain data, the journal files are transferred or copied to the back up server so that the captured changes can be written to the appropriate ones of the target data files.

1 . A method for backing up at least one source data file, the method comprising: 
 synchronizing the at least one source data file and at least one back up file corresponding to the at least one source data file;    during synchronization, dynamically detecting changes to the at least one source data file;    based on the dynamically detected changes, generating a first journal file corresponding to the at least one source data file; and    modifying the corresponding at least one back up file based on the corresponding first journal file.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein synchronizing the at least one source data file and the at least one corresponding back up file comprises: 
 for a newly created source data file, incorporating the newly created source data file in the at least one corresponding back up file.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein synchronizing the at least one source data file and the at least one corresponding back up file comprises: 
 detecting changes to the at least one source data file;    based on the detected changes, generating a second journal file corresponding to the at least one source data file;    modifying the corresponding at least one back up file based on the corresponding second journal file.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein detecting changes to the at least one source data file comprises: 
 comparing the at least one source data file and the corresponding at least one back up file.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, based on the detected changes, generating the corresponding second journal file comprises: 
 including the detected changes in the corresponding second journal file.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, based on the detected changes, generating the corresponding second journal file comprises: 
 including the at least one source data file in the corresponding second journal file.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein modifying the at least one corresponding back up file based on the corresponding second journal file comprises: 
 including the corresponding second journal file in the at least one corresponding back up file.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein modifying the corresponding at least one back up file based on the corresponding second journal file comprises: 
 replacing the corresponding at least one back up file with the corresponding second journal file.    
   
   
       9 . A processor program for backing up at least one source data file, the processor program being tangibly stored on a processor-readable medium and comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to: 
 synchronize the at least one source data file and at least one back up file corresponding to the at least one source data file;    during synchronization, dynamically detect changes to the at least one source data file;    based on the dynamically detected changes, generate a first journal file corresponding to the at least one source data file; and    modify the corresponding at least one back up file based on the corresponding first journal file.    
   
   
       10 . A method for backing up at least one source data file, the method comprising: 
 providing at least one back up file corresponding to the at least one source data file;    during a synchronization of the at least one source data file and the at least one corresponding back up file, dynamically detecting changes to the at least one source data file;    based on the dynamically detected changes, generating a first journal file corresponding to the at least one source data file; and    after synchronization, modifying the corresponding at least one back up file based on the corresponding first journal file.    
   
   
       11 . A processor program for backing up at least one source data file, the processor program being tangibly stored on a processor-readable medium and comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to: 
 provide at least one back up file corresponding to the at least one source data file;    during a synchronization of the at least one source data file and the at least one corresponding back up file, dynamically detect changes to the at least one source data file;    based on the dynamically detected changes, generate a first journal file corresponding to the at least one source data file; and    after synchronization, modify the corresponding at least one back up file based on the corresponding first journal file.    
   
   
       12 . A method for accessing at least one back up file corresponding to at least one source data file included in a source data file structure, the method comprising: 
 replicating the source data file structure to generate at least one back up data file structure corresponding to the source data file structure; and,    generating an index for accessing the at least one source data file in the at least one corresponding back up data file structure, the index including metadata representative of the access rights associated with the at least one source data file in the source data file structure.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the index includes metadata representative of the location of the at least one source data file in the at least one corresponding back up data file structure.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the index includes at least one pointer to the location of the at least one source data file in the at least one corresponding back up data file structure.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 in response to a request from a party to access the at least one source data file in the at least one corresponding back up data file structure, determining whether access may be granted based on the access rights associated with the at least one source data file in the source data file structure.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining whether access may be granted comprises: 
 comparing the access rights associated with the at least one source data file in the source data file structure with the access rights of the party.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 based on whether access rights are matched, providing access to the at least one source data file in the at least one corresponding back up data file structure to the party.    
   
   
       18 . A processor program for accessing at least one back up file corresponding to at least one source data file included in a source data file structure, the processor program being tangibly stored on a processor-readable medium and comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to: 
 replicate the source data file structure to generate at least one back up data file structure corresponding to the source data file structure; and,    generate an index for accessing the at least one source data file in the at least one corresponding back up data file structure, the index including metadata representative of the access rights associated with the at least one source data file in the source data file structure.