METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING RECURSIVE HARD LINKS IN A DATA PROCESSING

A method and apparatus in a data system for processing a recursive link in a directory structure in a data processing system. A path to a directory is identified including the recursive link in the directory structure, wherein the path includes a hierarchy towards a root directory, which is a highest directory. Responsive to identifying the path, a highest unprocessed directory in the path is selected as a current directory and all directories in the directory structure beneath the current directory are identified, excluding a directory below the current directory in the path. This step is performed until all directories in the path down to the directory having the recursive link have been processed to form a set of identified directories. All files within the set of directories are identified to form a set of identified files, which then permits backup operations to proceed.