Backing-up and restoring files including files referenced with multiple file names

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

determining files in a file system to backup in a computer readable storage medium;

determining from the files to backup files referenced with multiple names in the file system, wherein the files in the file system have a unique identifier and one or more names referencing the file in the file system;

creating for each file to backup an entry in a backup directory indicating file attributes and each name used to reference the file in the file system, wherein the entry for a file referenced with multiple names indicates the multiple names that reference the file; and

backing-up the determined files and the backup directory by writing the determined files and the backup directory to a backup object, wherein only one instance of files in the file system referenced with multiple file names are backed-up in the backup object.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating an operation to restore the backed-up files to a storage device;

writing the backed-up files to the storage device; and

using the backup directory to update a file system to indicate all names for each backed-up file written to the storage device, wherein multiple file names that reference one file, as indicated in the backup directory, are indicated in the file system to reference the file.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein using the backup directory to update the file directory comprises:

determining from the backup directory entry for each file written to the storage device each name of the file; and

creating in the file system each determined name for each file written to the storage device and a link from the name to the file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined files to backup comprise system files used by the operating system to perform operating system operations and that represent a system state of the operating system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transferring the backup object to a backup server for storage.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein backing-up the determined files and the backup directory comprises:

streaming the determined files and the backup directory to the backup object on a backup server.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating an operation to restore the backed-up files in the backup object to a storage device;

accessing the backed-up files from the backup object;

writing the accessed backed-up files to the storage device; and

using the backup directory to update a file system to indicate all names for each backed-up file written to the storage device, wherein only one instance of files referenced with multiple names is restored.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a file system including information on files; and

a backup client program executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining files in the file system to backup;

determining from the files to backup files referenced with multiple names in the file system, wherein the files in the file system have a unique identifier and one or more names referencing the file in the file system;

creating for each file to backup an entry in a backup directory indicating file attributes and each name used to reference the file in the file system, wherein the entry for a file referenced with multiple names indicates the multiple names that reference the file; and

backing-up the determined files and the backup directory by writing the determined files and the backup directory to a backup object, wherein only one instance of files in the file system referenced with multiple file names are backed-up in the backup object.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a storage device;

wherein the operations performed in response to executing the backup client program further comprise:

initiating an operation to restore the backed-up files to the storage device;

writing the backed-up files to the storage device; and

using the backup directory to update the file system to indicate all names for each backed-up file written to the storage device, wherein multiple file names that reference one file, as indicated in the backup directory, are indicated in the file system to reference the file.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein using the backup directory to update the file directory comprises:

determining from the backup directory entry for each file written to the storage device each name of the file; and

creating in the file system each determined name for each file written to the storage device and a link from the name to the file.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations performed in response to executing the backup client program further comprise:

initiating an operation to restore the backed-up files in the backup object to the storage device;

accessing the backed-up files from the backup object;

writing the accessed backed-up files to the storage device; and

using the backup directory to update the file system to indicate all names for each backed-up file written to the storage device, wherein only one instance of each file referenced with multiple names is restored.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium implementing code executed to perform backup operations with respect to files indicated in a file system that are stored in a storage device, wherein the code is enabled to cause operations, the operations comprising:

determining files in the file system to backup;

determining from the files to backup files referenced with multiple names in the file system, wherein the files in the file system have a unique identifier and one or more names referencing the file in the file system;

creating for each file to backup an entry in a backup directory indicating file attributes and each name used to reference the file in the file system, wherein the entry for a file referenced with multiple names indicates the multiple names that reference the file; and

backing-up the determined files and the backup directory by writing the determined files and the backup directory to a backup object, wherein only one instance of files in the file system referenced with multiple file names are backed-up in the backup object.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating an operation to restore the backed-up files to the storage device;

writing the backed-up files to the storage device; and

using the backup directory to update the file system to indicate all names for each backed-up file written to the storage device, wherein multiple file names that reference one file, as indicated in the backup directory, are indicated in the file system to reference the file.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein using the backup directory to update the file directory comprises:

determining from the backup directory entry for each file written to the storage device each name of the file; and

creating in the file system each determined name for each file written to the storage device and a link from the name to the file.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the determined files to backup comprise system files used by the operating system to perform operating system operations and that represent a system state of the operating system.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the code is further capable of causing communication with a backup server, wherein the operations further comprise:

transferring the backup object to the backup server for storage.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the code is further capable of causing communication with a backup server, and wherein backing-up the determined files and the backup directory comprises:

streaming the determined files and the backup directory to the backup object on the backup server.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating an operation to restore the backed-up files in the backup object to the storage device;

accessing the backed-up files from the backup object;

writing the accessed backed-up files to the storage device; and

using the backup directory to update the file system to indicate all names for each backed-up file written to the storage device, wherein only one instance of each file referenced with multiple names is restored.