Remote online information back-up system

Abstract

A remote online information back-up comprises a local computing system and a remote computing system. The local computing system includes a local disk and a local device driver. The local device driver is responsive to requests from a local application executing on the local computing system, for selectively processing calls to the local disk or to a remote disk for backup of data resident on the local disk. The remote computing system includes the remote disk and a remote device driver. The remote device driver is responsive to calls from either the local device driver or calls from a remote application executing on the remote computing system, wherein calls from the local device driver are processed to perform backup operations to the remote disk of data resident on the local computing system.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . A computer readable storage medium on which a plurality of software components are stored which include instructions to be executed on an associated host system to backup data, the software components comprising: 
 a first device driver configured to be disposed between a first disk driver and a first system interface of a first host system for selectively processing calls to a first disk or a second disk for backup of data resident on the first disk, wherein when executed on the first host system, the first device driver is configured to perform operations comprising; 
 monitoring availability of the first disk through interrogation of the first disk driver independent of the system interface, wherein if the first disk is deemed inaccessible, the first device driver routes read/write operations of the first computing system to a second host system.  
   
     
     
         24 . The storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the operations of the first device driver further comprise communicating with a network interface card driver on a first host system to create a connection with the second host system.  
     
     
         25 . The storage medium of  claim 24 , wherein the network interface card driver on the first host system communicates with the second host system via the Internet.  
     
     
         26 . The storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the operations of the first device driver further comprise communicating with a first disk cache disk driver associated with the first host system to perform caching.  
     
     
         27 . The storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the first device driver when installed on the first host system is configured as a code layer disposed between the system interface and the first disk driver.  
     
     
         28 . The storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the operations of the first device driver further comprise communicating with a second device driver disposed in the second host system.  
     
     
         29 . The storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the second device driver communicates with the first device driver through a network interface card driver disposed in the second host system.  
     
     
         30 . A computer readable storage medium on which a plurality of software components are stored which include instructions to be executed on an associated computer system for backing up data between a first computer system and a second computer system, the software components comprising: 
 a first device driver configured to be disposed between a first disk driver and a first system interface of a first computing system for selectively processing calls to a first disk or a second disk for backup of data resident on the first disk, wherein when executed on the first computer system, the first device driver is configured to perform operations comprising: 
 monitoring availability of the first disk through interrogation of the first disk driver independent of the system interface, wherein if the first disk is deemed inaccessible by the first device driver, the first device driver routes read/write operations of the first computing system to a second computing system; and  
   a second device driver disposed between a second disk driver and a second system interface of a second computing system for selectively processing calls to a second disk or the first disk, wherein when executed on the second computer system, the second device driver is configured to perform operations comprising: 
 monitoring availability of the second disk through interrogation of the second disk driver independent of the second system interface, wherein if the second disk is deemed inaccessible by the second device driver, the second device driver routes read/write operations of the second computing system to the first computing system.  
   
     
     
         31 . The storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the operations of the first device driver comprise communicating with a network interface card driver on the first computing system to create a connection with the second computing system.  
     
     
         32 . The storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the network interface card driver on the first computing system communicates with the second computing system via an Internet connection, a WAN connection, or a LAN connection.  
     
     
         33 . The storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the operations of the first device driver comprise communicating with a first disk cache disk driver associated with the first computer system to perform caching.  
     
     
         34 . The storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein when installed on the first computer system, the first device driver is configured as a code layer disposed between the system interface and the first disk driver.  
     
     
         35 . The storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein when installed on the second computer system, the second device driver is configured as a code layer disposed between the second system interface and the second disk driver.  
     
     
         36 . The storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein the second device driver communicates with the first device driver through a network interface card driver disposed in the second computing system.  
     
     
         37 . A computer readable storage medium on which a plurality of software components are stored which include instructions to be executed on an associated computer system for routing data between a first computer system and a second computer system, the software components comprising: 
 a first device driver configured to be disposed between a first system interface and a first disk driver of a first computing system, wherein the first device driver when executed on the first computer systems is configured to perform operations comprising: 
 monitoring at least some data calls intended to be processed by the first disk driver and interrogating the first disk driver to determine the accessibility of read/write access to a first disk controlled by the first disk driver to service the at least some data calls, wherein when the device driver determines from the interrogation of the disk driver that the first disk is unable to service one or more read/write calls, the device driver routes the read/write calls to a second computing system.  
   
     
     
         38 . The storage medium of  claim 37 , wherein the operations of the first device driver comprise communicating with a network interface card driver on the first computing system to create a connection with the second computing system.  
     
     
         39 . The storage medium of  claim 38 , wherein the network interface card driver on the first computing system communicates with the second computing system via the Internet.  
     
     
         40 . The storage medium of  claim 37 , wherein the operations of the first device driver comprise communicating with a first disk cache disk driver associated with the first computer system to perform caching.  
     
     
         41 . The storage medium of  claim 37 , wherein the first device driver communicates with a second device driver of the second computing system through a network connection.  
     
     
         42 . The storage medium of  claim 41 , further comprising a NIC driver configured to establish a communication connection between the first device driver and the second device driver.  
     
     
         43 . A system for reading and writing data between a first computer system and a second computer system, the system comprising: 
 a processor:    a computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer readable storage medium includes:    code for a first device driver disposed between a first disk driver and a first system interface for selectively processing calls to a first disk or a second disk for backup of data resident on the first disk; and    code for monitoring availability of the first disk through interrogation of the first disk driver independent of the system interface, wherein if the first disk is deemed inaccessible, the first device driver routes read/write operations of the first computing system to a second computing system.    
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the first device driver comprises code for communicating with a network interface card driver on a first computing system to create a connection with the second computing system.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the first device driver communicates with a first disk cache disk driver to perform caching.  
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the first device driver is configured as a code layer disposed between the system interface and the first disk driver.  
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the first device driver communicates with a second device driver disposed in the second computing system.  
     
     
         48 . A system for routing data between a first computer system and a second computer system, the system comprising: 
 a processor:    a computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer readable storage medium includes:    code for a first device driver disposed between a first system interface and a first disk driver of a first computing system, wherein the first device driver monitors at least some data calls intended to be processed by the first disk driver and wherein the first device driver interrogates the first disk driver to determine the accessibility of read/write access to a first disk controlled by the first disk driver, wherein when the device driver determines from the interrogation of the disk driver that the first disk is unable to service read/write calls, the device driver routes the read/write calls to a second computing system.    
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the first device driver comprises code for communicating with a network interface card driver on the first computing system to create a connection with the second computing system.  
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the first device driver communicates with a first disk cache disk driver to perform caching.  
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the first device driver communicates with a second device driver of the second computing system through a network connection.  
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , further comprising a NIC driver configured to establish a communication connection between the first device driver and the second device driver.