Method and system for backing up files

Abstract

One aspect of the invention is a method for backing up files, which for example, includes, scanning at least one directory; creating a first list comprising all files at a time t 1 in the scanned at least one directory; saving values of a plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 1 , with each file in the first group of files, to create a first snapshot; backing up the files in the first group of files; scanning the at least one directory after backing up the files in the first group of files; creating a second list comprising all files at a time t 2 in the scanned at least one directory; saving values of the plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 2 , with each file in the second group of files, to create a second snapshot; and comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot.

1 . A storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for backing up files, the method comprising the following operations: 
 scanning at least one directory;    creating a first list comprising all files at a time t 1  in the scanned at least one directory, wherein the first list identifies a first group of files;    saving values of a plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 1 , with each file in the first group of files, to create a first snapshot comprising the first list and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 1  with each file in the first group of files;    backing up the files in the first group of files;    scanning the at least one directory after backing up the files in the first group of files;    creating a second list comprising all files at a time t 2  in the scanned at least one directory, wherein the second list identifies a second group of files;    saving values of the plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 2 , with each file in the second group of files, to create a second snapshot comprising the second list and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 2  with each file in the second group of files; and    comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot.    
   
   
       2 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot comprises determining whether the first list of files and the second list of files are the same; 
 and wherein the operations further comprise, failing the backup if the first list of files and the second list of files are not the same.    
   
   
       3 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot comprises determining whether the value of each of the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 2  with each file in the second group of files is the same as the corresponding attribute at the time t 1  of a corresponding file in the first group of files, and if not, failing the backup.  
   
   
       4 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise: 
 determining if all of the files in the first list of files have been successfully stored on a backup storage;    and if not, failing the backup.    
   
   
       5 . The storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the operation of failing the backup comprises rolling back at least one commit by a server.  
   
   
       6 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of attributes includes a timestamp attribute.  
   
   
       7 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of attributes includes a size attribute.  
   
   
       8 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one directory is located on a first client data storage coupled to a first client and on a second client data storage coupled to a second client.  
   
   
       9 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein a period of time between t 1  and t 2  is a set period of time.  
   
   
       10 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein a period of time between t 1  and t 2  is not pre-specified.  
   
   
       11 . A storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for backing up files, the method comprising the following operations: 
 obtaining a pregenerated first list of files;    saving values of a plurality of attributes, corresponding at a time t 1 , with each file in the first list of files, to create a first snapshot comprising the first list of files and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 1  with each file in the first list of files;    backing up the files in the first list of files;    saving values of the plurality of attributes, corresponding at a time t 2 , with each file in the first list of files, to create a second snapshot comprising the first list of files and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 2  with each file in the first list of files; and    determining if any of the attributes corresponding with each file in the first list of files, is different at the time t 2  than at the time t 1 , and if so, failing the backup.    
   
   
       12 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise, after backing up the files in the first list of files, determining, at the time t 2 , if any file in the first list of files has been deleted, and if so, failing the backup.  
   
   
       13 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of backing up the files in the first list of files comprises transmitting the files in the first list of files over a network to a server.  
   
   
       14 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of failing the backup comprises rolling back at least one commit by a server.  
   
   
       15 . A computing system, comprising: 
 a first client having a first memory and a first processing device;    wherein the processing device is programmed to perform operations for backing up files, the operations comprising:    scanning at least one directory;    creating a first list comprising all files at a time t 1  in the scanned at least one directory, wherein the first list identifies a first group of files;    saving values of a plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 1 , with each file in the first group of files, to create a first snapshot comprising the first list and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 1  with each file in the first group of files;    transmitting the files in the first group of files to a server, to backup the files in the first group of files;    scanning the at least one directory after transmitting the files in the first group of files to the server;    creating a second list comprising all files at a time t 2  in the scanned at least one directory, wherein the second list identifies a second group of files;    saving values of the plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 2 , with each file in the second group of files, to create a second snapshot comprising the second list and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 2  with each file in the second group of files; and    comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot.    
   
   
       16 . The computing system of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a second client having a second memory and a second processing device, wherein the second client is communicatively coupled to the first client and to the server.    
   
   
       17 . The computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the first client is configured to coordinate information transmitted from the first client and the second client.  
   
   
       18 . A method for backing up files, comprising the following operations; 
 scanning at least one directory;    creating a first list comprising all files at a time t 1  in the scanned at least one directory, wherein the first list identifies a first group of files;    saving values of a plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 1 , with each file in the first group of files, to create a first snapshot comprising the first list and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 1  with each file in the first group of files;    backing up the files in the first group of files;    scanning the at least one directory after backing up the files in the first group of files;    creating a second list comprising all files at a time t 2  in the scanned at least one directory, wherein the second list identifies a second group of files;    saving values of the plurality of attributes, corresponding at the time t 2 , with each file in the second group of files, to create a second snapshot comprising the second list and the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 2  with each file in the second group of files; and    comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one directory is located on a first client data storage coupled to a first client and on a second client data storage coupled to a second client.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the operation of comparing the first snapshot with the second snapshot comprises determining whether the value of each of the plurality of attributes corresponding at the time t 2  with each file in the second group of files is the same as the corresponding attribute at the time t 1  of a corresponding file in the first group of files, and if not, failing the backup.