Apparatus and method for backing up data from networked computer storage devices.

(57) Summary book invention relates to the method and equipment which store the data for storage in a concentrated type mass storage device from the computer of a large number in network environment. In the computer system which has the communications network which has connected one piece or two computers or more, and one memory storage mutually and by which the network was carried out, Parallel processes are made in order to carry out repetitive backup operation performed for the disk of the computer paraphernalia in a communications network to accumulate. One memory storage which can perform one piece or two primary storage or more which were connected to two or more processes, one piece, or two secondary storage or more may be sufficient as a storage unit. Initialization of the backup which takes place when primary storage does not have a full index or a backup data file for a disk but secondary storage has it is included in the backup operation of a disk. The directory of the data from these files and its disk is sent to primary storage with the index entry for each file or each directory during backup initialization, and primary storage sends these information to secondary storage directly. An index entry is incorporated into a full index and data is incorporated into a backup data file. In one index entry, the existence place etc. Of the related data which has the existence place, file, or directory on a file or the disk of a directory in the date and backup data file which were corrected at the end are indicated. The full index to which, as for computer paraphernalia, primary storage has an entry in each file and each directory of a disk in a backup operation, An increased part is backed up by primary storage so that it may have a backup data file for a disk by the data for the file changed or made and a directory after backup of the last to secondary storage is carried out. When at which appointed given time or the situation occurred displayed at the time, primary storage transmits a full index and a backup data file to secondary storage.