Method for incrementally archiving primary storage to archive storage by utilizing both a partition archive status array and a partition map

Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for directing a computer system to incrementally archive primary storage to archive storage, the primary storage being divided into a plurality of partitions, at least one the partitions having contents stored therein, comprising the steps of: in response to receiving a full backup request from user controls, scanning a partition map having a plurality of array entries, each array entry indicating either an invalid entry, or a location on the archive storage where a corresponding partition is or should be stored; for each partition having an array entry indicating where a corresponding partition is or should be stored, copying the partition to the location indicated by the array entry; in response to receiving an incremental archive request from user controls, scanning a partition archive status array having a plurality of entries, each entry indicating whether a corresponding partition has been modified since a previous archive; if a first entry indicates a modified partition, setting the first entry to an archive status; if the modified partition has an entry in the partition map indicating where the modified partition is or should be stored in the archive storage, storing the contents of the modified partition in the archive storage at the location indicated by the entry; if the modified partition has an invalid entry in the partition map, creating an entry in the partition map indicating an archive partition for storing a copy of the modified partition; and storing a copy of the contents of the modified partition to the archive partition.