GUI Timeline Graph for Backup Job Event Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing the history and statistics of image backup files in backup jobs is challenging due to the complexity of tracking timing and data sizes, making it difficult to ascertain the current state of the backup job, especially when multiple image backup files are involved.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface (GUI) timeline graph is employed to visually present the history of events of a backup job, displaying both time periods and data sizes associated with the events, allowing users to navigate and understand the current state of the backup job effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If image backup files are created and stored for each backup job, then backup history and statistics are preserved, but it becomes difficult to grasp timing and statistics of multiple backup files to ascertain the current state of the backup job
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the complex multi-dimensional data about backup files (timing, data sizes, file names) into a visual timeline graph interface. This graphical representation adds a spatial dimension to the data, allowing users to perceive temporal relationships and statistical information simultaneously, thus resolving the difficulty of grasping backup job state from multiple files.
2Ease of repair
If file backup tracks and stores information about file locations in source and destination storage, then individual files can be restored, but significant overhead in bandwidth and logical resources is incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for backup management (timing and data sizes of backup files) and presents it through a graphical interface. This extraction approach avoids the overhead of tracking detailed file location information while still providing sufficient data for backup job state assessment and restoration operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Graphical user interface timeline graph for navigating events of a backup job. In one example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a program that causes a processor to generate and present a graphical user interface (GUI) timeline graph for navigating events of a backup job. The GUI timeline graph includes a first axis representing time periods over which events of a backup job took place, a second axis representing a data size associated with each of the events of the backup job, and objects positioned along the first axis and the second axis. Each of the objects corresponds to one of the events of the backup job. A width along the first axis of each of the objects represents the time period over which the corresponding event took place. A length along the second axis of each of the objects represents the data size associated with the corresponding event.