JP2006343991A - Data backup device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data backup device that enables one data backup device to provide backup services in an economical and efficient way regardless of the volume of a disk device to be saved. <P>SOLUTION: The data backup device 10 for backing up data in the disk device of a computer comprises a high-speed storage medium device 10e that is accessible at high speed; a low-speed storage medium device 10f whose access speed is slower than that of the high-speed storage medium device 10e; a central processing unit 10a; and an operation display device 10g for operating the central processing unit 10a and displaying the result of the processing. The central processing unit 10a asks the disk device about specification information including address information and selects either the high-speed storage medium device 10e or the low-speed storage medium device 10f for use. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a data backup device that backs up data in a disk device when a computer is regularly checked or when a failure is dealt with.

  When checking a computer or dealing with a failure, there is a risk of damaging the data stored in the disk device of the target computer. In order to cope with this, data stored in the disk device is temporarily copied to a safer data backup device, and inspection services and maintenance services are performed. Such a data backup device is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

  By the way, in order to cope with a disk device whose capacity is constantly increasing, a high-speed storage medium corresponding to the disk device is required. On the other hand, a computer using an old-type small-capacity disk device is also operating at the site where the computer is used. For users who use computers, there is a range of equipment from old models to the latest models. In order to perform these data backups efficiently and at low cost, prepare a tool suitable for the capacity of the disk unit. Yes.

  Further, since data backup is performed by designating the address of the disk device, it is necessary to know the address information of the specifications of the disk device to be saved, and the storage medium of the safe data backup device based on that information Copied (saved). Further, if the storage medium of the disk device to be saved is defective, the processing is interrupted during saving. The save range that avoids the defect is specified again, and the save is resumed.

JP 2003-337731 A

  However, in reality, we do not bring multiple data backup devices to the site where old and new computers are mixed, and either an old, low-speed backup device with a cheap storage medium or a high-speed backup device with a high storage medium is used. I will bring it in. Therefore, using a high-speed backup device for a small-capacity disk device such as that used in older computers is less cost-effective and, conversely, using a low-speed backup device for a large-capacity disk device results in data loss. There is a problem that the backup work takes a lot of time and the inspection cost becomes high.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a data backup device capable of economically and efficiently performing a backup service with a single data backup device regardless of the capacity of a disk device to be saved.

  The present invention relates to a data backup device that backs up data in a disk device of a computer when checking the computer or responding to a failure, and a high-speed storage medium device that can be accessed at high speed, and a low-speed storage medium device that is slower than the access speed of the high-speed storage medium device. A central processing unit, and an operation display device for operating the central processing unit and displaying the processing result. The central processing unit inquires of the disk unit for specification information including address information, and a high-speed storage medium device And a low-speed storage medium device are selected and used.

  In the present invention, the disk device is inquired of specification information including address information, and either the high-speed storage medium device or the low-speed storage medium device is selected and used. Therefore, specification information including address information can be obtained directly from the disk device to be saved, so there is no need for prior investigation of the specification information, and a single data backup device provides an economical and efficient backup service. Can do.

  A data backup device for backing up data of a disk device of a computer operates a high speed storage medium device capable of high speed access, a low speed storage medium device slower than the access speed of the high speed storage medium device, a central processing unit, and the central processing unit And an operation display device for displaying the processing result. The central processing unit inquires of the disk device for specification information including address information, and selects and uses either the high speed storage medium device or the low speed storage medium device.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the use state of the data backup device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the data backup device of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the data backup device 10 temporarily connects the data stored in the disk device 13 by connecting to the disk device 13 of the computer when checking an external computer (not shown) or responding to a failure. Thus, the inspection data and the maintenance service are carried out by copying the data to the safe data backup device 10. When the inspection service or the maintenance service ends, the data copied to the data backup device 10 is returned to the disk device 13 and the data copied to the data backup device 10 is erased.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the data backup device 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 10 a that issues a command to the overall control of the data backup device 10 and the disk device 13 of the external computer, and a transfer speed when data is exchanged. In order to make up for the difference, the buffer memory (MEM) 10c for temporarily storing data and the central processing unit 10a are operated, and the operation display unit 10g for displaying the processing result and the data of the disk unit 13 are stored and backed up. A high-speed storage medium device 10e and a low-speed storage medium device 10f, and a firmware element (FARM) 10k for storing software for performing basic control.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10b denotes a bus, and these devices are connected to the bus 10b. However, the operation display device 10g is connected to the bus 10b via the interface (DISP-IF) 10h, and the high-speed storage medium device 10e and the low-speed storage medium device 10f are connected to the bus 10b via the interface (SCSI-IF) 10d. The disk device 13 of the external computer is connected to the bus 10b via an interface (SCSI-IF) 10i or an interface (IDE-IF) 10j.

  Next, the operation of taking the data of the disk device 13 of the external computer into the data backup device 10 will be described.

  The operator designates an interface corresponding to the interface type of the disk device 13 connected from the operation display device 10g, issues an individual information identification display command to the designated disk device 13, and acquires specification information. Only the recording capacity is extracted from the acquired specification information, the maximum sector address is calculated based on the extracted information on the storage capacity, and is displayed on the operation display device 10g. Based on this address information, the operator determines which of the high-speed storage medium device 10e and the low-speed storage medium device 10f is to be used. Table 1 shows an example of a criterion for determining which of the high-speed storage medium device 10e and the low-speed storage medium device 10f is used.

Table 1 Determination of whether to use a high-speed storage medium device or a low-speed storage medium device

Ii) O: used, Δ: used in some cases, ×: not used.

  At the time of periodic inspection, that is, maintenance of the computer, it is desired that the periodic inspection has a relatively long time and that the time required for data backup is allocated in advance, so that the cost for the periodic inspection is reduced as much as possible. For this reason, it is desirable to use the high-speed storage medium device 10e when the storage capacity is large, but in other cases, the low-speed storage medium device 10f is used unless there are special circumstances. On the other hand, it is desirable to use the high-speed storage medium device 10e regardless of the storage capacity when dealing with a failure that is competing for recovery.

  Since the address information indicates the entire area of the disk device 13, a data backup range can be designated. When the operator designates area definition information display from the operation display device 10g, the data backup device 10 extracts area definition information from a specific address of the disk device 13 and analyzes the presence or absence of the area. The address information for each area is calculated from the information, and the result is displayed on the operation display device 10g.

  FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an area configuration in the storage medium 15 of the disk device 13 to be backed up data shown in FIG. Assuming that there is an area configuration as shown in FIG. 3 and the computer does not use area 3, the backup time can be further shortened by setting an area other than area 3 as the data backup range.

  With the above operation, data backup conditions such as a storage medium device to be used and a data backup range are set. In the above example, the selection of which one of the high-speed storage medium device 10e and the low-speed storage medium device 10f is used and the deletion of the unused area from the data backup range are performed at the operator's discretion. However, it goes without saying that it may be automatically implemented.

  Next, processing performed by the central processing unit 10a after data backup conditions are set will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the data backup condition is set, the data in the disk device 13 is copied to the storage medium device 10e or 10f via the buffer memory (MEM) 10c that temporarily stores the data for each page (FIG. 4). SAVE step S200a). When all the data has been copied to the storage medium device 10e or 10f, the computer inspection or failure handling work is started.

  When this operation is completed, the data copied to the storage medium device 10e or 10f is similarly re-stored in the disk device 13 via the buffer memory (MEM) 10c for each page (LOAD step S200b in FIG. 4). . When the data storage in the disk device 13 is completed, the data copied to the storage medium device 10e or 10f for each page and the data stored in the disk device 13 are read and compared, and a defect is detected. Re-stores the copied data in that portion in the disk device 13 (COMP step S200c in FIG. 4).

  Further, if necessary, by inputting an arbitrary address to be tested, it is tested that the designated data can be normally read from the disk device 13 (TEST step S200d in FIG. 4). Thus, the data backup service is completed.

  Data backup is performed in this way, but the disk device is inquired for specification information including address information, and either a high-speed storage medium device or a low-speed storage medium device is selected and used. . Therefore, specification information including address information can be obtained directly from the disk device to be saved, so there is no need for prior investigation of the specification information, and a single data backup device provides an economical and efficient backup service. Can do.

  Also, when it is detected on the disk device side during the data backup process that the medium is defective and the data cannot be read, the backup process can be continued by applying dummy data to the corresponding data. .

It is a use condition explanatory view of a data backup device by the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows one Example of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the area structure in the storage medium of a disk apparatus. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of a central processing unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Data backup apparatus, 10a ... Central processing unit, 10b ... Bus, 10c ... Buffer memory, 10d ... Interface, 10e ... High-speed storage medium apparatus, 10f ... Low-speed storage medium apparatus, 10g ... Operation display apparatus, 10h ... Interface, 10i ... interface, 10j ... interface, 10k ... element for firmware, 13 ... disk device of external computer, 15 ... storage medium of disk device.

Claims (1)

In a data backup device that backs up data of a disk device of the computer at the time of checking a computer or responding to a failure, a high-speed storage medium device capable of high-speed access, a low-speed storage medium device slower than the access speed of the high-speed storage medium device, A processing device, and an operation display device for operating the central processing unit and displaying the processing result. The central processing unit queries the disk device for specification information including address information and stores the high-speed storage. A data backup device characterized in that one of a medium device and the low-speed storage medium device is selected and used.

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