Data transfer and recovery process

1. A method for data recovery, comprising:

generating a block-level image based upon a primary server;

sending the primary image to a network attached storage device;

sending the primary image to a remote backup server;

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the primary server,

sending the delta image to the network attached storage device;

sending the delta image to the remote backup server;

receiving a primary server failure notification;

diagnosing the primary server failure;

if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that can be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, then

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the block-level primary image on the network attached storage device based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero; and

based upon the results of the diagnosis, at least partially restoring the updated block-level primary image on the network attached storage device to the primary server;

if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that cannot be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, then

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the block-level primary image on the network attached storage device based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero;

performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated block-level primary image on the network attached storage device;

activating the network attached storage device as a virtual server;

redirecting end users to the virtual server;

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server;

storing the delta image on the virtual server network attached storage device; and

sending the delta image to the remote backup server; and

if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server and the network attached storage device, then

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the block-level primary image on the remote backup server based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero;

performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated image on the remote backup server;

activating the remote backup server as a virtual server;

redirecting end users to the virtual server;

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server; and

storing the delta image on the virtual remote backup server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the updating step uses the most recent delta image received from the primary server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diagnosis indicates a prior time at which the primary server was functioning and wherein the updating step uses at least one delta image to restore a block-level image to its state at the indicated prior time.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing a plurality of deltas images in sequence to comprise a single delta image that is equivalent to the net change in the primary block-level image due to the sequential application of the plurality of deltas to the primary block-level image.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a primary server restoration request;

performing a virtual to physical conversion of the virtual server on a backup device to create a restoration image;

performing a restoration of the primary server using the restoration image.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the backup device is a network attached storage device.

7. A method for data recovery, comprising:

receiving, at a network attached storage device and a remote backup server, a block-level image of a primary server;

periodically receiving, at a network attached storage device and a remote backup server, a delta image of a primary server representing an incremental change in the primary server;

receiving a primary server failure notification;

diagnosing the primary server failure;

if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that can be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, then

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the primary image on the network attached storage device based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero; and

based upon the results of the diagnosis, at least partially restoring the updated primary image on the network attached storage device to the primary server;

if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that cannot be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, then

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the primary image on the network attached storage device based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero;

performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated primary image on the network attached storage device;

activating the network attached storage device as a virtual server;

redirecting end users to the virtual server;

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server;

storing the delta image on the network attached storage device; and

sending the delta image to the remote backup server; and

if the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server and the network attached storage device, then

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating the primary image on the remote backup server based upon N delta images, where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero; and

performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated image on the remote backup server;

activating the remote backup server as a virtual server;

redirecting end users to the virtual server;

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server; and

storing the delta image on the remote backup server.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein diagnosing includes identifying an update that is likely to include a corruption of the primary image and wherein updating includes selecting an update that was composed earlier than the update including the corruption and applying to the backup image only the updates selected from the group of updates composed prior to the earlier update and the earlier update.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the diagnosis indicates a prior time at which the primary server was functioning and wherein the updating step uses at least one delta image to restore a block-level image to its state at the indicated prior time.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising processing a plurality of deltas images in sequence to comprise a single delta image that is equivalent to the net change in the primary block-level image due to the sequential application of the plurality of deltas to the primary block-level image.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving a primary server restoration request;

performing a virtual to physical conversion of the virtual server on a backup device to create a restoration image;

performing a restoration of the primary server using the restoration image.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the backup device is a remote server.

13. A method for data recovery, comprising:

generating a block-level image based upon a primary server;

sending the primary image to a network attached storage device;

sending the primary image to a remote backup server;

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the primary server,

sending the delta image to the network attached storage device;

sending the delta image to the remote backup server;

receiving a primary server failure notification;

diagnosing the primary server failure;

based upon the results of the diagnosis, updating one of:

the block-level primary image on the network attached storage device, and

the block-level primary image on the remote backup server,

the update based upon N delta images where N is an integer greater than or equal to zero;

performing a physical to virtual conversion of the updated block-level primary image;

activating the device storing the converted, updated block-level primary image as a virtual server; and

redirecting end users to the virtual server.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server that cannot be restored from the network attached storage device and the network attached storage device is intact, and wherein the block-level primary image on the network attached storage device is the image that is updated, converted, and activated as a virtual server.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server; and

sending the delta image to the remote backup server.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the diagnosis indicates a failure of the primary server and the network attached storage device and wherein the block-level primary image on the remote backup server is the image that is updated, converted, and activated as a virtual server.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

periodically generating a delta image representing an incremental change in the virtual server; and

storing the delta image on the virtual remote backup server.