International Business Machines Corporation

Kurt A Rybczyk

Bernhard Julius Klingenberg

Lisa A Shepard

Marci Devorah Formato

Steven M Reps

Kirby Grant Dahman

Mark V Chitti

Daniela Kern Mainieri Trevisan

Ronda L McCain

Keith C Williams

Nathan B Best

Mikael H Lindström

Andrew S Kronstadt

Backup schedule optimization is provided. Data describing a first backup schedule for a first backup server is identified. Performance metric data and workload data for a first backup server and a second backup server is collected. If a count of backup windows represented by workload data for the first backup server exceeds a data collection threshold, an updated backup schedule that offloads a pending job from the first backup server to the second backup server can be generated. The updated backup schedule is generated if a maximum average I/O threshold for the first backup server was exceeded while a minimum average I/O threshold for the second backup server was deceeded. The maximum and minimum average I/O thresholds are calculated based on respective target average I/O rates for the first and second backup servers, the target average I/O rates derived from respective perform metric data.

Optimizing data backup schedules

A method for detecting ransomware. A set of control files in a set of locations in a file system is checked, by a computer system, in response to an event, wherein the set of control files has a set of extensions targeted by the ransomware. In response to detecting a change in any of the set of control files, a file copying process for the file system is disabled by the computer system.

Data recovery enhancement system

Generating a secondary security key from a primary security key is provided. A first numeric code that is an alternate numeric representation of a first character in a primary security key is added to a second numeric code that is an alternate numeric representation of a second character in the primary security key to generate a running total value. The running total value is automatically designated as a secondary security key such that the primary security key is transformed into the secondary security key that is usable for encrypting data to provide a more secure computer system. The data is encrypted with the secondary security key.

Generating and utilizing a secondary security key

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for dynamically directing data in a deduplication backup system. A computer system identifies a data type for the data. The computer system determines whether the data is suitable for deduplication in the deduplication backup system based on the data type identified for the data and a policy. The computer system directs the data to a deduplication storage pool responsive to the data having the data type that is suitable for deduplication, reducing storage usage issues for backing up the data in the computer system.

Dynamically directing data in a deduplicated backup system

A specification of a target network environment including target devices is received. The specification includes an identity of each of the target devices and a compression feature requirement, a deduplication feature requirement, and an encryption feature requirement of the target network environment. A performance parameter corresponding to each of the requirements is computed based on the specification. Possible combinations of the target devices and enabled features in the target devices are determined to meet the specification. Each possible combination is compared to a knowledge base to determine a performance reduction for each of the enabled features based upon the performance parameters. A desired combination of the enabled features is determined from the possible combinations for each target device based upon the comparison. The desired combination includes a combination having a performance reduction that does not exceed a threshold value for data reduction in one or more enabled features.

Optimizing data reduction, security and encryption requirements in a network environment

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, program products, and systems for determining an amount of usable storage in a backup environment. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to receive system information pertaining to a storage backup environment. Embodiments of the present invention can calculate a compression ratio of the storage on a backup server and a backup ratio between an amount of data on a client computer system and an amount of data on the backup server and calculate an average amount of storage consumed on the backup server. Embodiments of the present invention can determine an existing backup capacity for the storage backup environment by identifying an amount representing the actual capacity of data capable of being stored on the backup server and reducing the amount representing the actual capacity according to the calculated average amount of storage consumed on the backup server.

Capacity management

A method, system, and/or computer program product generate a secondary security key from a primary security key. One or more processors, receive a primary security key. The processor(s) retrieve a first numeric code that is an alternate numeric representation of a first character in the primary security key. The processor(s) retrieve a second numeric code that is an alternate numeric representation of a second character in the primary security key. The processor(s) add the first numeric code to the second numeric code to generate a running total value. The processor(s) designate the running total value as a secondary security key, and encrypt data with the secondary security key.

Backup schedule optimization is provided. Backup environment data is identified. Data describing a first backup schedule is identified. Performance metric data that includes data for a data storage array of computer data storage device(s) of a backup server is collected. Data describing backup log(s) that associated with jobs backed up to the data storage array and respectively executed during backup window(s) is received. A target average I/O rate is determined based on the performance metric data of the data storage array. A second backup schedule is generated based on the target average I/O rate, average I/O rate(s) of the data storage array, the backup environment data, and the data describing one or more backup logs. A start time of a job is scheduled in the second backup schedule for a different time in a backup window compared to a start time of the job in the first backup schedule.

A method, computer system and computer program product for managing tapes storing a backup for a node. The method identifies the node for which a current set of tapes is present. The method determines whether the current set of tapes exceeds a threshold for undesired fragmentation for the node and moves data in the current set of tapes to a new set of tapes when a physical tape count exceeds the threshold for undesired fragmentation, wherein the data is more contiguous in the new set of tapes than the current set of tapes.

Backup consolidation

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product controls access to an appliance. A host system receives, from a client computer, appliance-specific user data that includes a user password, a user-created name of an appliance, a user identifier, and a network address of the client computer, and then concatenates the appliance-specific user data with a host name of the host system to create and store an Aggregate Identity Instance (AII) in the host system. The host system receives, from the client computer, a request to access the appliance, and determines whether appliance-specific user data sent with the request is in the AII in the host system. If so, then the host system matches the user-created name of the appliance to an address of the appliance; establishes a session between the client computer and the appliance; and uses the AII to encrypt and decrypt data.

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Waterbury, CT, United States of America

Kurt A Rybczyk