Abstract: A health services module can test availability of one or more applications installed in a virtual machine that is instantiated from a backup image of a virtual machine disk file. A health services module can be installed on a virtual machine to test one or more applications that a user wishes to validate. If the health services module indicates that the application(s) of the virtual machine are available, a guarantee of availability can be provided for the backup image of the virtual machine disk file. If the health services module indicates that the application(s) of the virtual machine are unavailable, no guarantee of availability can be given. The guarantee of availability can indicate that the backup image of the virtual machine disk file can be successfully restored, and that the application(s) of the virtual machine instantiated from the backup image are available to respond to a client request.

Abstract: A method for effectively removing access to individual files on magnetic tape media may include: 1) encrypting a file, 2) storing the encrypted file on a tape medium, 3) storing a cryptographic key for accessing the encrypted file within a cryptographic key block located at the end of the tape medium, and then, at a subsequent point in time, 4) removing access to the encrypted file by deleting the cryptographic key for the encrypted file from the cryptographic key block located at the end of the tape medium. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computer system data backup. A computer system includes an application server operating on a first host and a backup application configured to create new target database images for a sequence of backup datasets. The backup datasets include data from source databases associated with the application server. At least one of the source databases is hosted on a remote source host separate from the first host. The computer system includes a client registered with the application server and installed on a backup host. The client stores a seed document in each of the new target database images and modifies each seed document to specify which portions of a backup dataset in the sequence are to be stored in each new target database image. The backup application updates each new target database image based on the contents of a seed document.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computer system data backup. A computer system includes an application server operating on a first host and a backup application configured to create new target database images for a sequence of backup datasets. The backup datasets include data from source databases associated with the application server. At least one of the source databases is hosted on a remote source host separate from the first host. The computer system includes a client registered with the application server and installed on a backup host. The client stores a seed document in each of the new target database images and modifies each seed document to specify which portions of a backup dataset in the sequence are to be stored in each new target database image. The backup application updates each new target database image based on the contents of a seed document.