Method for extracting and storing records of data backup activity from a plurality of backup devices

1. An automatic refresh request generation device for a data backup system having a plurality of data backup products, each data backup product connected to a computer network and each data backup product generating records relating to the data backup activity for the data backup product, the device comprising: a computer having a backup engine plug-in that obtains records of data backup activity from the plurality of data backup products and consolidate the records in a database that allows cross-referencing between the records from the plurality of data backup products; and a refresh request unit that operates in the background of the device, the refresh request unit further comprising a timer that determines if an hour of the current day has changed, that checks a string of values to determine if a refresh request is automatically initiated at the hour of the current day and that initiates a refresh request for a particular server-backup product combination.

2. A device for inserting records from one or more data backup products into a canonical database, each data backup product connected to a computer network and each data backup product generating records relating to the data backup activity for the data backup product, the device comprising: a computer having a backup engine plug-in that obtains records of data backup activity from each data backup product; and a database insertion unit that inserts the data from each record of a data backup product into a canonical database that allows cross-referencing between records from different data backup products, the database insertion unit further comprising-instructions that insert data from the record into a data backup portion, instructions that insert data from the record into a backup client portion, instructions that insert data from the record into a backup target portion, instructions that insert data from the record into a backup device name portion and instructions that insert data from the record into a backup level portion.

3. A system for inserting records from a plurality of data backup products having different formats into a canonical database, the system comprising: a computer network with data backup activity performed by a plurality of data backup products wherein each data backup product generates records relating to the data backup activity; a host computer connected to the computer network that executes a canonical backup device; and the canonical backup device further comprising a backup engine plug-in that obtains records of data backup activity from each data backup product and a database insertion unit that inserts the data from each record of a data backup product into a canonical database, the database insertion unit further comprising instructions that insert data from the record into a data backup table having a backup time and date field, a server name field, a client name field, a client host name field, a client nickname field, a target name field, a backup product name field, a backup level field, a backup canonical name field, a backup local data and time field, a backup bytes field, a backup file number field, a backup error count field, a days of week field, an hour of the day field and a backup volume field, instructions that insert data from the record into a backup client table having a client name field, a server name field, a client host name field, a client nickname field and a client owner field, instructions that insert data from the record into a backup target table having a server name field, a client name field, a client host name field, a client nickname field, a target name field, an ignore field and a ignore until field, means for inserting data from the record into a backup device name table having a backup product name field and instructions that insert data from the record into a backup level table having a backup product name field, a backup level field and a backup canonical level field.