Granted Patent B1

US 7,558,928 · App. 11/028,443 · Granted Jul 7, 2009

Abstract

Claims (76)

1. A method for managing data in a computer system, the method comprising:

creating a backup data set comprising a plurality of data entries;

harvesting a harvested data set from the backup data set, wherein said harvesting comprises determining and storing a logical relationship among the plurality of data entries of the backup data set;

associating the harvested data set with the backup data set;

storing the harvested data set and the backup data set on a backup medium; and

creating and storing entries in a backup catalog which correspond to the harvested data set and the backup data set, said entries comprising a user-searchable view of contents of the harvested data set.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

creating a plurality of backup data sets, corresponding harvested data sets, and corresponding entries in the backup catalog;

browsing harvested data set entries in the backup catalog;

selecting one or more items from the harvested data set entries in the backup catalog;

restoring a harvested data set and a corresponding backup data set that correspond to the one or more items selected from the harvested data set entries in the backup catalog to a temporary location;

identifying corresponding data within the harvested data set as restored which corresponds to the selected one or more items; and

utilizing the corresponding data to restore corresponding data from the backup data set as restored to a live data set.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said identifying comprises performing a search of the harvested data set as restored for references which correspond to the selected one or more items.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the logical relationship comprises a hierarchy of groups and each data entry of the plurality of data entries is a member of one or more of said groups.

5. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein each data entry comprises one or more values, each value corresponding to a selection parameter of one or more pre-determined selection parameters;

wherein each harvested data set includes a plurality of references, each of said references corresponding to one of the plurality of data entries; and

wherein each of said references comprises data corresponding to the one or more values of a corresponding data entry.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein harvesting a data set comprises:

associating each of a plurality of references with one or more of the groups; and

for each of the plurality of data entries, storing data which corresponds to one or more values of a given data entry in a corresponding reference.

7. A computer system comprising:

a backup data set comprising a plurality of data entries; and

a backup server coupled to a data storage device;

wherein the backup server is configured to:

harvest a harvested data set from the backup data set, wherein harvesting the harvested data set comprises determining and storing a logical relationship among the plurality of data entries of the backup data set;

associate the harvested data set with the backup data set;

store the harvested data set and the backup data set on the data storage device; and

create and store entries in a backup catalog which correspond to the harvested data set and the backup data set, said entries comprising a user-searchable view of contents of the harvested data set.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the backup server is further configured to:

create a plurality of backup data sets, corresponding harvested data sets, and corresponding entries in the backup catalog;

display an interface which enables a user to:

browse harvested data set entries in the backup catalog; and

select one or more items from the harvested data set entries in the backup catalog;

restore a harvested data set and a corresponding backup data set that correspond to the one or more items selected from the harvested data set entries in the backup catalog to a temporary location;

identify corresponding data within the harvested data set as restored which corresponds to the selected one or more items; and

utilize the corresponding data to restore corresponding data from the backup data set as restored to a live data set.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more items includes one or more:

groups with which one or more references in the harvested data set as restored are associated; and/or

selected values which corresponds to a pre-determined selection parameter.

10. The computer system of claim 9 ,

wherein the plurality of data entries include one or more of an e-mail message, an e-mail attachment, and an e-mail mailbox; and/or

wherein the selection parameters include one or more of a timestamp, a task name, a folder name, a sender name, a recipient name, a mailbox name, and a sender address.

11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the logical relationship comprises a hierarchy of groups and each data entry is a member of one or more of said groups.

12. The computer system of claim 10 ,

wherein each data entry comprises one or more values, each value corresponding to a selection parameter of one or more pre-determined selection parameters;

wherein each harvested data set includes a plurality of references, each of said references corresponding to one of the plurality of data entries; and

wherein each of said references comprises data corresponding to the one or more values of a corresponding data entry.

13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein harvesting a data set comprises:

associating each of a plurality of references with one or more of the groups; and

for each of the plurality of data entries, storing data which corresponds to one or more values of a given data entry in a corresponding reference.

14. A computer storage medium storing computer instructions for managing data in a computer system, wherein the instructions are executable to:

create a backup data set comprising a plurality of data entries;

harvest a harvested data set from the backup data set, wherein harvesting the harvested data set comprises determining and storing a logical relationship among the plurality of data entries of the backup data set;

associate the harvested data set with the backup data set;

store the harvested data set and the backup data set on a backup medium; and

create and store entries in a backup catalog which correspond to the harvested data set and the backup data set, said entries comprising a user-searchable view of contents of the harvested data set.

15. The computer storage medium claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further executable to:

create a plurality of backup data sets, corresponding harvested data sets, and corresponding entries in the backup catalog;

display an interface which enables a user to:

browse harvested data set entries in the backup catalog; and

select one or more items from the harvested data set entries in the backup catalog;

restore a harvested data set and a corresponding backup data set that correspond to the one or more items selected from the harvested data set entries in the backup catalog to a temporary location;

identify corresponding data within the harvested data set as restored which corresponds to the selected one or more items; and

utilize the corresponding data to restore corresponding data from the backup data set as restored to a live data set.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the logical relationship comprises a hierarchy of groups and each data entry is a member of one or more of said groups.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16 ,

wherein each data entry comprises one or more values, each value corresponding to a selection parameter of one or more pre-determined selection parameters;

wherein each harvested data set includes a plurality of references, each of said references corresponding to one of the plurality of data entries; and

wherein each of said references comprises data corresponding to the one or more values of a corresponding data entry.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16 , wherein said harvesting comprises:

associating each of a plurality of references in a particular harvested data set with one or more of the groups; and

for each of the plurality of data entries, storing data which corresponds to one or more values of a given data entry in a corresponding reference.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18 , wherein identifying corresponding data within a particular harvested data set comprises performing a search of a particular harvested data set for references which correspond to the selected one or more items.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of data entries include one or more of an e-mail message, an e-mail attachment, and an e-mail mailbox.

Assignments (12)