Abstract: Automatically configuring backup client systems and backup server systems in a backup environment includes the following steps: determining if a new backup client system is available in the backup environment; in case of an available new backup client system a backup configuration module performs the sub-steps of: determining data types the new backup client system has to backup; determining corresponding backup policies for the determined data types based on a backup policy table mapping data types with backup policies; selecting a backup server system for the determined data types based on a backup server table including connection details of available backup server systems; configuring the determined backup policies for the data types of the new backup client system on the selected backup server systems; and updating the backup server table with an identifier of the new backup client system and an identifier of the backup policy.

Abstract: A method and a distributed backup system for data backup are provided. The distributed backup system comprises a plurality of computer devices connected by a network. In the system, one of the computer devices comprises a program for managing data backup in the distributed data backup system. In the system, one of the computer devices comprises a first storage space for storing its own files and a second storage space for storing backup files of other computer devices. In the system, the one of the computer devices comprises a first database for storing metadata files of its own files and a second database for storing metadata files of the backup files of the other computer devices.