Distributed Backup Storage Using Peer Computers and Error Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centralized backup servers in enterprise computing systems face high costs, performance bottlenecks, and risks of data loss due to physical damage or theft, as they require expensive redundancy and are vulnerable to single-point failures.
Innovation Solution
A cloud data backup system that utilizes the unused storage capacity of individual client computers, partitioning their hard drives to store backup data, and employs a distributed network to manage redundancy and error correction, ensuring data availability and security across multiple peer computers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centralized backup servers are used to store backup data, then data backup functionality is provided, but costs increase and performance bottlenecks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized backup server function into distributed backup capabilities across multiple peer computers. Each peer computer maintains local backup storage, eliminating the single-point failure risk of centralized servers while reducing infrastructure complexity and costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines unused storage capacity from multiple peer computers to create a distributed backup network. This merging of resources provides redundant backup capability without requiring expensive centralized infrastructure, thereby improving reliability while reducing device complexity.
2Reliability
If centralized backup servers are used, then backup data storage is achieved, but risks of data loss due to physical damage or theft increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments backup data storage across multiple geographically distributed peer computers rather than concentrating it in a single server. This segmentation ensures that physical damage or theft of one peer computer does not result in total data loss, thereby improving data security while reducing exposure to harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by maintaining redundant backup copies across multiple peer computers before any data loss event occurs. This prior cushioning through distributed redundancy protects against physical damage or theft, improving data security while minimizing the impact of harmful factors.
3Reliability
If expensive redundancy is implemented in centralized backup servers, then data loss prevention is improved, but costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables peer computers to self-contribute their unused storage capacity to the distributed backup network. This self-service approach provides redundancy and data loss prevention without requiring expensive external resources, thereby improving reliability while reducing quantity of substance (resource cost).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes peer computers multi-functional by having them serve both their primary computing functions and backup storage functions simultaneously. This universality allows the system to achieve redundancy and data loss prevention using existing resources rather than requiring additional expensive specialized infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for cloud data backup are disclosed. Example methods may store backup data from a client computer on portions of data storage media associated with peer computers. In some example embodiments, a file may be encoded into segments using an error-tolerant encoding scheme, and the segments may be stored on peer computers. In some example embodiments, individual segments may be stored on more than one peer machine and/or an individual peer machine may not receive all of the segments associated with the file.