(10) Patent No.: US 6,931,558 Bl (57) ABSTRACT ~ :!j 304 ; OS. BMR. & TSM files needed at restore time. Boot ~II backed-up ~ 106

Transcription

1 US Bl (12) Unied Saes Paen Jeffe e ai. (10) Paen No.: US 6,931,558 Bl (45) Dae of Paen: Aug. 16,2005 (54) COMPUTER RESTORATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS (75) Invenors: Peer Jeffe, Ausin, TX (US); Bruce Bramhall, Pflugerville, TX (US) (73) Assignee: VERITAS Operaing Corporaion, Mounain View, CA (US) ( *) Noice: Subjec o any disclaimer, he erm of his paen is exended or adjused under 35 U.S.c. 154(b) by 532 days. (21) Appl. No.: 09/998,246 (22) Filed: Nov. 30, 2001 Relaed U.S. Applicaion Daa (60) Provisional applicaion No. 60/250,200, filed on Nov. 29,2000. (51) In. CI?... G06F 1/24 (52) U.S. CI /340; 714/2; 714/7; 714/13; 714/15 (58) Field of Search /300,340; 714/1,2,7,13,15 (56) References Cied 5,452,454 A 5,828,887 A 5,930,824 A 6,065,123 A * 6,243,831 B1 * 6,317,826 B1 6,530,050 B1 * 6,535,976 B1 * 6,708,283 B1 * 6,785,695 B1 6,802,025 B1 * cied by examiner U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 9/1995 Basu 10/1998 Yeager e al. 7/1999 Anglin e al. 5/2000 Chou e al /322 6/2001 Musafa e al /24 11/2001 McCall e al. 3/2003 Mergard /726 3/2003 Hoggarh e al /2 3/2004 Nelvin e al /5 8/2004 Hamilon, II e al. 10/2004 Thomas e al. OTHER PUBLICATIONS Inernaional Search Repor applicaion No. PCT/USOl/ Primary ExaminerRehana Perveen (74) Aorney, Agen, or FirmMeyerons Hood Kivlin Kower & Goezel, P.c.; B. Noel Kivlin (57) ABSTRACT A mehod resores a clien device of a nework on major failure of he clien device. The clien device is incapable of auomaically booing on is own. The nework includes a server compuer. The mehod includes booing he clien device over he nework in he resoraion operaion, configuring he clien device according o he boo program and saved configuraion saes for he clien device, and copying files o he clien device in accordance wih he configuraion. The clien compuer has access o a sorage manager applicaion, such as a server compuer of he nework operaing a sorage managemen sofware program. All clien files, including configuraion files, as well as applicaion and daa files, of he clien device are saved on he nework by he sorage manager applicaion. The clien device is booed over he nework, raher han locally o he clien device by boo disk or oherwise. The boo program is loaded o he clien device, and he clien device rerieves configuraion and file informaion over he nework from he sorage manager applicaion. The clien device configures is disk according o he configuraion informaion, and hen all oher files and daa of he clien device a he ime of failure of he clien device are saved on he disk subsanially in he condiion and sae jus prior o he failure and as mos recenly backed up o he sorage manager applicaion. Alernaively, he clien device is rese and booed via a conrol device eiher locally or oherwise conneced o he clien device, and subsanially according o he mehod of he nework boo. 23 Claims, 5 Drawing Shees ~ :!j 304 ; OS. BMR. & TSM files needed a resore ime Boo ~II backedup Image clien files 102 ~ 106 Resore Clien

2 u.s. Paen Aug. 16,2005 Shee 1 of 5 US 6,931,558 Bl Service Compuer 104 ~100 Nework 102 Fig. 1 Clien Compuer 106 ~200 r Run command a server 202, Reboo clien over nework 204 1, Fig. 2

3 u.s. Paen Aug. 16, 2005 Shee 2 of 5 US 6,931,558 Bl BMR Server / , I Boo Server EJ ~I ~ ~ ~. ~ File Server EJ, I ~I III ~ EJ ~ ~ ~ 304 ~ TSM Server ~I ~ IIf ~ ~ "' 308 L B oo Image I OS, BMR, & TSM files needed a resore ime All back edup _ clien files Resore Clien Fig. 3

4 u.s. Paen Aug. 16,2005 Shee 3 of 5 US 6,931,558 Bl Run BMR server 402 BMR server, rerieves clien configuraion daa from TSM server 404 BMR server creaes clien boo program and makes available boo image and file sysems 406 Clien boo from boo server and runs program 408 Clien mouns files from file server 410, Clien configures disk, logical volumes, file sysems 412 Clien uses sandard sorage manager clien o resore files from sorage manager server 414 Clien configures, boo record and configuraion daabase 416 /400, Clien reboos 418 Clien performs posboo cleanup 420 Fig. 4

5 u.s. Paen Aug. 16, 2005 Shee 4 of 5 US 6,931,558 Bl Run BMR server 502 BMR server ges disk srucure from sorage manager 504 Forma daa of disk srucure for recovery 506 Creae cusom boo program 508 Manipulae configuraion of boo server and file server 510 Prepares for communicaions wih clien ~500 Fig. 5

6 u.s. Paen Aug. 16,2005 Shee 5 of 5 US 6,931,558 Bl Neworks boo of clien Tweak regisry I cleanup Communicaes wih boo server Auo boo , from boo server Copies o clien he boo image Runs cusomized boo program 608 Mouns files from file server, including: operaing sysem sorage manager clien BMR clien 610 Configure clien disk o las backup 612 Resore files from sorage manager o clien 614 Clien sorage manager sofware places files wihin disk srucure 616, Configure boo record 618 I Fig. 6 Posboo weaking '600

7 1 COMPUTER RESTORATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS This applicaion claims he benefi of U.S. provisional applicaion Ser. No. 60/250,200, eniled "Compuer Resoraion Sysems and Mehods", filed Nov. 29, BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presen invenion generally relaes o compuers and local and wide area inerconneced compuers and daa communicaions neworks and, more paricularly, relaes o resoraion of compuer sysems backed up on sorage managers, such as in a nework, upon a crash or oher similar even which prohibis normal boo up operaions. US 6,931,558 B1 Compuer boo disk crashes and similar major machine failure evens, in which normal boo up operaions are hereafer no possible or are oherwise hindered, are problemaic in several respecs o sysem adminisraors. Con 20 venionally, such evens have required sysem adminisraors o compleely reconfigure he crashed compuer, including, wihou limiaion, by reconfiguring machine nonvolaile random access memory (NVRAM) seings, loading he compuer operaing sysem, replacing applicaions and files, 25 rerieving backed up daa, and horoughly reconfiguring he operaing sysem, applicaion programs, drivers, and oher operaional seings. Even in insances in which a crash or similar sysems failure even does no require complee resoraion of he compuer sysem by he sysem adminisraor, a boo disk, as well as oher configuraional se ups, are ypically required. Boo disks and oher se up ools are ofen no readily available in he locaion of each compuer of a nework or oher wide area sysem. Moreover, o resore compuer sysems of such an arrangemen requires significan ime and effor, including o forma disk drives, replace or fix operaing sysems and errors, reload applicaions, rerieve backed up daa, and rouinely save, as well as addiionally reinsiue, operaing, nework, and applicaion seings o hose a he poin of he crash. Typically, neworks and sysem componens of he neworks, paricularly disribued and inerconneced compuers of he neworks, are backedup in normal sysem mainenance and adminisraion operaions. The backups can include backup of he sysem iself, as well as backup of daa and applicaions. Paricularly in enerprise compuing sysems, each compuer of he enerprise nework can be backed up regularly (or as oherwise scheduled or desired) as o daa and applicaions by use of a sorage manager sofware applicaion. Presen sorage manager applicaions provide file and daaoriened backups of each compuer. A number of differen sofware sorage manager applicaions are available for he enerprise compuing environmen, for example, he TSM sofware of Tivoli Sysems (an IBM Corporaion subsidiary), Verias, Legao, and ohers. 2 In order o provide complee sysem backups, including, for example, operaing sysem, drivers, and oher machine configuraion backup, addiional backup resources are required, such as "mksysb" images and "savevg" commands 5 on AIX, a produc like Disk Image on Windows, or oherwise. Such sysem backups, as compared o file and daa backups of sorage manager applicaions, are no available in many operaing sysems. Even when such sysem backup is mainained and available, machine resoraion in he even 10 of major failure has ypically been achieved by sysem adminisraors only by separaely employing such sysem backup o resore he basic operaing sysem and machine configuraion, and hen a separae file and daa backup of a sorage manager applicaion has been employed o resore 15 he res of he machine's daa and applicaions. The convenional backup and resoraion of compuers of he enerprise nework has been problemaic. For example, he sysem and file/daa backups which mus be mainained in order o perform he resoraion are redundan and wase valuable sorage space, nework bandwidh, and effor. File and daa backups, for insance, are ofen saved on individual machines of he nework by he backup funcion of he respecive operaing sysem of each machine. Sysem backup informaion is similarly saved or has even been mainained in hard copy or oher manual operaion. Any backups of he sysem and file/daa ha are saved on he nework are, herefore, redundan. Moreover, he convenional sysem backups, for example Ignie on HPUX, NIM 30 on AIX or ohers, are ofen ou of dae because such backups are no usually performed as frequenly as backups of applicaions and daa performed by he sorage manager applicaion. The duplicae backup procedures required for sysem configuraion daa, on he one hand, and applicaion 35 files and daa, on he oher hand, ogeher wih various individual machine and nework backup operaions, increase he poenial for human error when resoring from he backups. Sysem adminisraors mus juggle apes and resolve ape access conflics beween he various backups, 40 including he separae sorage manager backup and he sysem backup. Also, he machine resoraion process ypically requires separae seps of reinsallaion of he device operaing sysems, followed by resoraion from backup of applicaion and daa files. These separae reinsallaion of 45 sysem configuraions, on he one hand, and resoraion of applicaion and daa file backups, on he oher hand, are largely manual operaions which are ime consuming and hemselves errorprone. I would be a significan improvemen in he ar and 50 echnology o provide compuer machine resoraion sysems and mehods ha alleviae many of he problems of he convenional backups and resoraion processes, and ha provide advanages of ime savings, limied manual involvemen, and ready and auomaic availabiliy of resources for 55 performing he resoraion. Alhough hese presenly available sorage manager back SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION up resources are available in he several enerprise compuing sofware packages, he packages have no made i An embodimen of he invenion is a device resoraion possible o auomaically or readily resore any or each 60 sysem. The device resoraion sysem resores a clien paricular compuer or oher elemen of he compuing device o a sae prior o a major failure. The sysem includes enerprise. The backup daa has merely been available o a server device, a nework communicaively inerconnecing assis he sysem adminisraor o recopy and oherwise he clien device and he server device, a sorage manager rese each compuer o he daa and applicaion saus hen accessible o he server device for saving he sae, and a mainained in backup. The backups from hese packages 65 boo process in which he clien device boos eiher from a are merely file and daa backups, and can no provide server device over a nework, or from locally aached complee resoraion of he sysem. media, for example ape, CDROM, or floppy disk.

8 US 6,931,558 B1 3 4 Anoher embodimen of he invenion is a mehod of resoring a clien device of a nework on failure of he clien device. The nework includes a server compuer. The mehod includes booing he clien device via a nework or local media boo, creaing a boo program for operaion on he 5 clien device, configuring he clien device according o he boo program and a saved configuraion sae, and copying files o he clien device in accordance wih a configuraion from he sep of configuring. Ye anoher embodimen of he invenion is a mehod of resoring a clien device of a nework. The nework includes a server device. The server device has a sorage manager applicaion. The mehod includes backing up configuraion daa, as well as applicaion and daa files, by he sorage manager applicaion, and resoring he backed up configuraion daa, as well as applicaion and daa files, from he sep of backing up, o he clien device over he nework. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The presen invenion is illusraed by way of example and no limiaion in he accompanying figures, in which like references indicae similar elemens, and in which: FIG. 1 illusraes a nework, including a clien compuer and a server compuer conneced over he nework, for performing a resoraion operaion of embodimens of he presen invenion on failure of he clien compuer; FIG. 2 illusraes a mehod of he resoraion operaion performed on he nework, including he clien compuer and he server compuer, of FIG. 1, according o embodimens of 30 he presen invenion; FIG. 3 illusraes he server compuer, including componens of a resore server, a boo server, a file server and a sorage managemen server, and he clien compuer, each of FIG. 1, according o embodimens of he presen invenion; 35 FIG. 4 illusraes a mehod of resoraion of a compuer upon operaional failure, according o embodimens of he presen invenion; FIG. 5 illusraes a mehod of operaion of he server compuer of FIGS. 1 and 3, according o embodimens of he presen invenion; and FIG. 6 illusraes a mehod of operaion of he clien compuer of FIGS. 1 and 3, according o embodimens of he presen invenion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring o FIG. 1, a nework 100 includes nework elemens 102 communicaively inerconnecing a server compuer 104 and a clien compuer 106. The nework elemens 102 include any of a wide variey of convenional neworking componens and connecors, such as addiional server compuers, clien compuers, and connecion cables or channels, wired, wireless or oherwise. The server compuer 104 is any processing device ha is communicaively conneced by he nework elemens 102 o he clien compuer 106. The server compuer 104 is, for example, a compuer device equipped wih sofware o ac as a server of informaion requesed by one or more clien devices over he nework 100 and is, ypically, a convenional server compuer of an enerprise nework of communicaions and compuing elemens. The server compuer 104 serves o receive requess over he nework 100, for example, requess from he clien compuer 106, and in response o hose requess he server compuer 104 reurns a response over he nework 100. The server compuer 104 is paricularly capable of acing as a sorage manager for inerconneced elemens and devices of he nework or of communicaing wih a separae compuer (no shown in FIG. 1) ha performs sorage managemen funcions. The clien compuer 106 of he nework 100 is, likewise, any processing or communicaions device ha is capable of communicaing wih he server compuer 104 over he nework 100, by making requess or oherwise. The clien compuer 106 is, for example, a deskop or worksaion 10 compuer. The nework 100 is any of a variey of neworking and communicaions inerconnecions, such as an inrane, he Inerne, a dedicaed nework, or oher communicaions nework. The nework 100 is operable according o a paricular packeized daa proocol, such as ranspor conrol 15 proocol/inerne proocol (TCP/IP) or some oher nework proocol. The server compuer 104 and he clien compuer 106 communicae over he nework 100 via he paricular proocols of he nework, such as, for example, according o he sandard Inerne nework proocol TCP/IP. In normal 20 operaions, he clien compuer 106 makes requess over he nework 100 according o he paricular proocols of he nework 100, and he server compuer 104 responds over he nework 100 in answer o he requess. If here occurs any major failure of he clien compuer 106, he clien compuer can no boo and can no communicae wih he server compuer 104 in such manner or oherwise properly operae. In he nework 100, he server compuer 104, in conjunc ion wih he clien compuer 106, can perform an auomaic resoraion operaion o he clien compuer 106, which enables complee booup, reconfiguraion, and resoraion of sysems, files, and daa o he clien compuer 106. This auomaic resoraion operaion is performed wihou a boo disk a he clien compuer 106 and includes boh sysem resoraion and file and daa resoraion. In effec, he resoraion operaion performed by he nework 100, via he server compuer 104 and he clien compuer 106, com pleely resores he clien compuer 106 o he sae a he ime of he failure. Referring o FIG. 2, a mehod 200 is performed by he 40 server compuer 104 and he clien compuer 106 of he nework 100 of FIG. 1, in order o resore he clien compuer 106 on major failure ha prohibis normal boo of he clien compuer 106. In he mehod 200, a command is run in a sep 202 a he server compuer 106 by he sysem 45 adminisraor or oher user of he server compuer 106. The sep 202 iniiaes a nework reboo of he clien compuer 106 in a sep 204. The nework reboo of he sep 202 resores he clien compuer 106 in all respecs, including he sysems and applicaion and daa files of he clien compuer a he ime of he failure of he clien compuer 106. In he mehod 200, he server compuer 104 mainains, or oherwise has access o, a sorage manager device or sofware applicaion. Such sorage managers are convenional and ypically serve o back up o server devices, such as he 55 server compuer 104, and resore daa of clien devices, such as he clien compuer 106. These sorage managers generally do no back up all files, bu only back up applicaion files and daa. Machine configuraion saes are no ypically backed up. In he presen embodimens, he enirey of he 60 clien compuer 106 is backed up by he sorage manager, ha is, all files of he clien compuer 106, including machine configuraion saes, as well as he usual applicaion files and daa of he clien compuer 106, are backed up o he sorage manager. Backups of he clien compuer which follow an iniial full backup of all configuraion and file and daa files of he clien compuer 106 can be incremenal backups of only changed informaion since an imme

9 US 6,931,558 B1 5 diaely prior backup. By backing up machine configuraions of he clien compuer 106, a he regular and periodic backup imes for backup operaions of he sorage manager in backing up applicaion and daa files of he clien compuer 106, he sysem configuraions, as well as all applica 5 ions and daa, are backed up by he sorage manager. These full backups by he sorage manager are employed o resore he clien compuer 106 on failure, as furher described here. Referring o FIG. 3, he server compuer 104 of FIG includes four separae, disinc server componens 300, idenified in FIG. 3 as a bare meal resore (BMR) server 302, a boo server 304, a file server 306, and a sorage manager (SM) server 308. Each of he boo server 304, he file server 306 and he SM server 308 is communicaively 15 conneced o he BMR server 302. The server componens 300 are also communicaively conneced o he clien compuer 106 over he nework elemens 102. Alhough he respecive server componens 300 are illusraed in FIG. 3 as disinc and separae server compuers, he server compo 20 nens 300 are merely funcions ha can be performed and available on any number and arrangemen of compuing devices wih server funcionaliy. The server componens 300 can be each locaed on and performed by separae server devices, or can be grouped ono a single server device or 25 combinaions, banks, or oher arrangemens of server devices. The server devices funcioning as he server componens 300 can be cenrally locaed or disparaely locaed devices, all in communicaion over he nework 100 according o appropriae proocols and feaures. Referring o FIG. 4, a mehod 400 resores he sysem and applicaion and daa files o he clien compuer 106 of FIGS. 1 and 3, upon a major failure of he clien compuer 106. The mehod 400 is performed beween he server componens 300 and he clien compuer 106 over he nework 100 and, 35 hus, he resoraion mehod 400 can be iniiaed, performed and compleed from a locaion remoe from he locaion of he clien compuer 106. No boo disk or boo effors are required direcly a he locaion of he clien compuer 106. Raher, an exernal source or media aached o he clien 40 compuer 106, such as, for example, he server componens 300 in communicaion wih he clien compuer 106 over he nework 100, or alernaively an aached media and media read device, such as ape, CDRom, or floppy disk, serves o allow he clien device 106 o boo from he server compo 45 nens 300 or media device, as applicable. In such even, he server componens 300 or media device, as applies, permis he clien compuer 106 o perform he boo process. The hard drive and oher memory of he clien compuer 106 is no required in order for he clien compuer 106 o so boo. 50 Remoe reboo and resoraion of he clien compuer 106 according o he mehod 400, such as via communicaions of he clien compuer 106 wih neworked elemens like he server componens 300, are possible if he clien compuer 106, upon failure, reains sufficien unaffeced resources o communicae over he nework 100 wih he server componens 300 o reboo via communicaed commands wih he server componens 300. Remoe reboo and resoraion can also occur according o he mehod 400, for example, in he case of a sysem like an AIX SP node, where he physical 60 "fron panel" (i.e., on, off, rese and similar conrol circuiry and equipmen) of he clien compuer 106 can be manipulaed hrough sofware from anoher device, so ha he conrolling device can elecrically (and, if necessary, mechanically) iniiae a rese as if he rese buon on he 65 clien compuer 106 is riggered. In eiher even, communicaions wih devices exernal o he clien compuer 106, 6 eiher over he nework 100 by he server componens 300 or wih a conneced conrolling device, enable he complee resore operaion. The mehod 400 is commenced in a sep 402 a he BMR server 302 by a user, for example, a sysem adminisraor of he nework 100, by a run command inpu o he BMR server 302. This run command of he sep 402 causes he BMR server 302 o configure he boo server 304 and he file server 306 o iniiae resoraion and indicaes ha he paricular clien compuer 106 is o be configured and resored. In a sep 404, he BMR server 302 hen rerieves configuraion daa regarding he clien compuer 106 from he SM server 308. The configuraion daa so rerieved is he mos recenly backed up machine configuraion saes, as saved by he sorage manager. The SM server 308 is a convenional sorage manager applicaion ha serves o periodically backup and save applicaion and file informaion presen on he clien compuer 106, as well as on all oher clien devices of he nework enerprise. An example of he sorage manager applicaion of he SM server 308 is he TSMTM sofware of Tivoli Sysems (an IBM Corporaion subsidiary). Oher examples include he sorage manager producs of Verias, Legao, Compuer Associaes, and ohers. All such sorage manager applicaions include feaures enabling backups of clien devices, such as applicaion programs, daa files, and userseings. These sorage manager applicaions ypically provide backup of applicaion files, daa and only cerain userseings, primarily relaed o he applicaion files, and 30 do no usually provide sorage for operaing sysems, log files, and oher devicespecific sysem configuraions and informaion. Wih he presen embodimens, however, he sorage manager backs up all of he clien compuer 106 files, including he clien machine configuraion seings, as well as he applicaion and daa files. As previously menioned, his backup can be incremenal wih each regularly scheduled backup operaion performed by he sorage manager, such ha only changes since an immediaely prior backup are backed up wih he backup operaion. In a sep 406, he BMR server 302 creaes a clien boo program and makes available over he nework a boo image and file sysems for he clien compuer 106 being resored. The clien boo program is delivered over he nework 100 o he clien compuer 106 once he clien compuer 106 iniializes over he nework in a nework boo operaion. The boo image and file sysems are saved a he boo server 304 and he file server 306, respecively, and via he nework boo process and clien boo program are accessible o he clien compuer 106 over he nework 100 for iniiaion of resoraion operaions. In he following, a nework boo process (e.g., wih he nework 100 and server componens 300) is primarily described, however, i is o be undersood ha he subsanially similar boo process is achieved wih such conrolling device ha is conneced locally or oher 55 wise o he clien compuer 106 o effec reseing. The clien compuer 106 nex is booed from he boo server 304 and runs he clien boo program o rerieve boo informaion from he boo server 304 and file sysems from he file server 306 over he nework 100. The nework boo performed by he clien compuer 106 in such manner uses he sandard "boop" and/or "booparams" proocols o nework boo he clien compuer 106 from he boo server 304. The clien boo program coninues o operae a he clien compuer 106 o perform he boo over he nework 100 and o enable clien compuer 106 access o sysem configuraion files from he file server 306 and applicaion and daa files from he SM server 308.

10 7 In a sep 410, he clien compuer 106, via nework 100 communicaions beween he clien compuer 106 and he file server 306, mouns configuraion files from he file server 306. Based on he files so mouned from he file server 306, he hard disk of he clien compuer 106 is configured in a sep 412, and appropriae disk configuraions such as pariions, volume groups, logical volumes and files sysems are se up. Once so configured, he clien compuer 106 uses he sandard sorage manager clien applicaion in a sep 414 o resore files from he SM server 308 o he clien compuer 106. The sandard sorage manager clien applicaion is he clien sofware or oher applicaion which is required by he paricular sorage manager applicaion for he clien device, such as he clien compuer 106, o communicae wih he sorage manager for backup and resore operaions. Once he clien compuer 106 has been reconfigured from he nework boo by he boo server 304, he clien boo program, and configuraion files of he file server 306 in he seps 408, 410, 412, he sandard sorage manager clien applicaion operaes o resore he applicaion and daa files in ypical manner. In a sep 416, he clien compuer 106 configures a boo record and configuraion daabase for he clien compuer 106, in order ha he clien compuer 106 will have hem available for nex clien boo operaions. The clien compuer 106 hereafer reboos, in ypical manner, in a sep 418. An added sep 420 of posboo cleanup can be required. In he sep 420, any clien compuer 106 seings and daa ha are no fully resored from he res of he mehod 400 are adjused manually or by mainenance programs or rouines available a he clien or over he nework 100, as he case may be. Referring o FIG. 5, deails are illusraed of a mehod 500 of operaion of he BMR server 302, and oher server componens 300, in resoraion of he clien compuer 106 according o he mehods 200, 400 of FIGS. 2 and 4, respecively. A sep 502 is iniiaed by a user (e.g., sysem adminisraor) direcing he BMR server 302 o commence US 6,931,558 B1 a resore operaion of he paricular clien compuer 106. The sep 502 includes, for example, inpu by he user o he BMR 40 server 302 of a run command for he resore mehod 500. In a sep 504, he BMR server 302 rerieves or oherwise aains he appropriae disk srucure for he paricular clien compuer 106, for example, by rerieving such srucure informaion from he sorage manager applicaion or oher sorage or applicaion, hrough communicaions over he nework 100 or oherwise as applicable. A sep 506 follows, in which he forma daa is rerieved or oherwise aained of he disk srucure for he paricular clien compuer 106 o be recovered. The forma daa is available hrough communicaions over he nework 100 or oherwise as applicable. Thereafer, in a sep 508, he BMR server 302 creaes a cusom boo program for he paricular clien compuer 106. The cusom boo program includes informaion necessary o 55 he clien compuer 106 o iniiae a succeeding nework boo and o locae and access machine configuraion daa and applicaion and daa files on he nework 100, such as from he file server 306 and he SM server 308. The access o daa and files riggered by he boo program is made hrough communicaions over he nework 100 or oherwise. In a sep 510, he BMR server 302 manipulaes configuraion of he boo server 304 and he file server 306 o enable hose servers 304, 306 o be available o he paricular clien compuer 106 over he nework 100 for he nework boo and resore operaions. Nex, in a sep 512, he BMR server 302 prepares he respecive server componens 302, 304, 306, and he clien compuer 106 for communicaions herebeween over he nework 100. Referring o FIG. 6, a mehod 600 is performed by he clien compuer 106 o resore he clien compuer 106 on 5 major failure. A nework boo of he clien compuer 106 is performed in a sep 602. As previously menioned, he nework boo is a sandard nework boo operaion, iniiaed by he clien compuer 106 via he boo server 304 in communicaion over he nework 100 wih he clien com 10 puer 106. The clien compuer 106 communicaes wih he boo server 304 in a sep 604, in performing he nework boo operaion. The clien compuer 106 nex receives over he nework 100 in a sep 606 he boo image for he clien compuer 106 from he boo server 304, and he boo image 15 is copied o he clien compuer 106, for example, o random access memory (RAM). In a sep 608, he clien compuer 106 runs he cusomized boo program for he paricular clien compuer 106, as obained by he clien compuer 106 via communicaions 20 over he nework 100 from he BMR server 302. The clien compuer 106 nex, in a sep 610, mouns he sysem configuraion files for he clien compuer 106, as accessed via communicaions over he nework 100 wih he file server 306. The files mouned o he clien compuer from he file server 306 in he sep 610 include he operaing sysem for he clien compuer 106, he sorage manager clien sofware applicaion which is he sandard clien applicaion for he paricular sorage manager, and a BMR clien sofware applicaion ha enables he clien compuer o inerac wih he BMR server 302 over he nework 100 o perform he resoraion. In a sep 612, he hard disk of he clien compuer 106 is configured o mach he mos recen backup saved by he sorage manager. In he sep 612, he clien compuer communicaes over he nework 100 wih he SM server 308 o recover from he sorage manager he appropriae configuraion informaion. Nex, in a sep 614, he applicaion and daa files of he clien compuer 106 are resored from he sorage manager, hrough communicaions by he clien compuer 106 wih he SM server 308. The clien sorage manager sofware, ha is, he ypical clien sofware ha operaes wih he paricular sorage manager applicaion o resore daa from he sorage manager, places he backedup files from he sorage manager wihin he disk srucure of 45 he clien compuer 106. The sep 612 could alernaely involve communicaions wih or by oher or addiional elemens, raher han or in combinaion wih he SM server 308; for example, he clien device 106 can in a Unix implemenaion insead communicae wih and recover con 50 figuraion informaion from he file server or oher equipmen or locaion. In a sep 618, he clien compuer 106 configures is boo record from he configuraion daa obained from he file server 306 and he SM server 308 in he nework boo via he boo server 304 and he BMR server 302. Various regisry and cleanup operaions a he clien compuer 106, depending on he circumsances and paricular saes of he clien compuer 106, are hen performed in a sep 620. The sep 620 can be auomaed a he clien compuer 106, auomaed 60 over he nework 100, manual by a user, or combinaions hereof. An auo boo of he clien compuer 106 hen follows in a sep 622. Afer he auo boo of he sep 622, addiional posboo adjusmens and seup is performed o cause he clien compuer 106 o conform in all respecs o 65 he saus and files a he ime of he mos recen backup by he sorage manager applicaion and a he ime he failure occurred. The sep 622 is performed auomaically by he

11 US 6,931,558 B1 9 clien compuer 106 or over he nework 100 by communicaions wih anoher nework device, by manual seps of he user of he clien device 106 or over he nework 100 by he sysem adminisraor, or oherwise or hrough combinaions of he foregoing, all wih he resul ha he clien compuer is fully resored o he sae prior o he failure. In operaion of he sysems 100, 300, and he mehods 200, 400, 500, and 600, numerous alernaive business and echnical arrangemens are possible. Alhough only paricular devices of a communicaions nework and is nodes are 10 herein described and discussed, paricularly, he server compuer 104 and he clien compuer 106, i is o be expressly undersood ha such nework will ypically include numerous clien devices served by he server compuer 104 and he sorage manager applicaion. In fac, combinaions of clien devices, such as he clien compuer 106 and ohers, as well as server devices, such as he server compuer 104, is various server componens 300, and ohers, including, for example, hose elemens, pluraliies of any, cerain ones, all of hose elemens, and even addiional or alernaive elemens, and oher combinaions, are all possible in keeping wih he scope of he embodimens herein. The nework, iself, can, for example, be an inrane, even an inrane combinaion or inraneexrane combinaion, a wide or local area nework, a global nework, such as he Inerne, or 25 oherwise. Numerous banks of server devices and elemens, and pluraliies of clien devices or elemens, can be possible for resoraion according o he embodimens. Moreover, he various devices can be disparaely locaed and disribued, and can be can be cenrally locaed or disribued hrough a 30 wide geographic area in various combinaions and arrangemens. In he case of a global nework such as he Inerne, he nework is capable of communicaing by is proocols, which may include sandard or specialized proocols and operaions for specific siuaions. In he foregoing specificaion, he invenion has been described wih reference o specific embodimens. However, one of ordinary skill in he ar appreciaes ha various modificaions and changes can be made wihou deparing from he scope of he presen invenion as se forh in he claims below. Accordingly, he specificaion and figures are o be regarded in an illusraive raher han a resricive sense, and all such modificaions are inended o be included wihin he scope of he presen invenion. Benefis, oher advanages, and soluions o problems 45 have been described above wih regard o specific embodimens. However, he benefis, advanages, soluions o problems and any elemen(s) ha may cause any benefi, advanage, or soluion o occur or become more pronounced are no o be consrued as a criical, required, or essenial feaure 50 or elemen of any or all he claims. As used herein, he erms "comprises", "comprising", or any oher variaion hereof, are inended o cover a nonexclusive inclusion, such ha a process, mehod, aricle, or apparaus ha comprises a lis of elemens does no include only hose elemens bu may 55 include oher elemens no expressly lised or inheren o such process, mehod, aricle, or apparaus. Wha is claimed is: 1. A device resoraion sysem, for resoring a clien 60 device o a sae prior o a major failure, comprising: a server device; a nework communicaively inerconnecing he clien device and he server device; a sorage manager accessible o he server device for 65 saving he sae, wherein he sae includes clien disk configuraion informaion; and 10 a nework boo in which he server device causes he clien device o boo. 2. A mehod of resoring a clien device of a nework on failure of he clien device, wherein he nework includes a server compuer, comprising he seps of: booing he clien device via a nework boo; creaing a boo program for operaion on he clien device; configuring he clien device according o he boo program and a saved configuraion sae including clien disk configuraion informaion; copying a file o he clien device in accordance wih a configuraion from he sep of configuring. 3. The mehod of claim 2, wherein he seps of booing, creaing, configuring, and copying are performed hrough 15 communicaions over he nework beween he clien device and he server compuer. 4. The mehod of claim 2, wherein he sep of booing is performed by a boo server of he nework. 5. The mehod of claim 2, wherein he sep of creaing is 20 performed by he server compuer and he boo program is communicaed o he clien device. 6. The mehod of claim 2, wherein he sep of configuring he clien device is performed by a file server of he nework and a sorage manager. 7. The mehod of claim 2, wherein he sep of copying is performed by a sorage manager server of he nework. 8. The mehod of claim 2, furher comprising he sep of: soring an image of he clien device via a sorage manager applicaion of a server device of he nework. 9. The mehod of claim 8, wherein he sep of soring is performed by a sandard sorage manager applicaion and includes backup of he configuraion sae of he clien compuer. 10. The mehod of claim 9, wherein he sep of booing is 35 performed by a boo server of he nework; he sep of creaing is performed by a resore server of he nework; he sep of configuring is performed by a file server of he nework and a sorage manager server of he nework; and he sep of copying is performed by he file server and he 40 sorage manager. 11. A mehod of resoring a clien device of a nework, he nework including a server device having a sorage manager applicaion, comprising he seps of: backing up configuraion daa including clien disk configuraion informaion, as well as applicaion and daa files, by he sorage manager applicaion; and resoring he backed up configuraion daa, as well as applicaion and daa files, from he sep of backing up, o he clien device over he nework. 12. The mehod of claim 11, furher comprising he sep of: booing he clien device via a sandard nework boo. 13. The mehod of claim 12, furher comprising he sep of: supplying o he clien device a boo program; and using he boo program a he clien device o perform he sep of resoring. 14. The mehod of claim 11, wherein he clien device is remoe from he sorage manager applicaion. 15. The mehod of claim 12, wherein he sep of booing is iniiaed remoe from he clien device. 16. A device resoraion sysem, for resoring a clien device o a sae prior o a major failure, comprising: a conrolling device conneced o he clien device, for reseing he clien device; a sorage manager communicaively conneced o he clien device, for saving he sae, wherein he sae includes clien disk configuraion informaion; and

12 11 a boo program for operaing he clien device, communicaively conneced o he sorage manager, and causing he clien device o boo wih he sae. 17. A mehod of resoring a clien device on failure of he clien device, comprising he seps of: saving a sae of he clien device, including clien disk configuraion informaion, prior o he failure; reseing he clien device; booing he clien device; and US 6,931,558 B1 configuring he clien device according o he sae from 10 he sep of saving. 18. A sysem comprising: backup sofware; and a resoraion server; wherein he backup sofware is configured o creae one or more backups of a clien device, wherein a leas one backup of he one or more backups comprises clien disk configuraion informaion; and wherein, following a failure of he clien device, he resoraion server is configured o: 12 perform a nework boo of he clien device; and resore a clien disk configuraion using he clien disk configuraion informaion. 19. The sysem of claim 18, wherein he resoraion server 5 is furher configured o copy a boo image o he clien device over a nework. 20. The sysem as recied in claim 18, wherein he resoraion server is furher configured o moun one or more files a he clien device over a nework. 21. The sysem as recied in claim 20, wherein he one or more files include an operaing sysems configuraion file. 22. The sysem as recied in claim 18, wherein he resoraion server is furher configured o reesablish one or 15 more logical volumes a he clien device. 23. The sysem as recied in claim 18, wherein he resoraion server is furher configured o se up one or more file sysems a he clien device. * * * * *

13 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. : 6,931,558 B1 DATED : Augus 16, 2005 INVENTOR(S) : Peer Jeffe, Bruce Bramhall and Raymond Charles Schafer Page 1 of 1 I is cerified ha error appears in he aboveidenified paen and ha said Leers Paen is hereby correced as shown below: Tile page, Iem [75], Invenors, should read as following: Peer Jeffe, Bruce Bramhall, and Raymond Charles Schafer. Signed and Sealed his Sixh Day of December, 2005 JONW.DUDAS Direcor of he Unied Saes Paen and Trademark Office