1. A system comprising: a near-line server coupled to one or more servers that include original data; and a shadowing system coupled to the near-line server and configured to: receive a copy of the original data; receive delta data in a plurality of instances, wherein the delta data includes data of an incremental and differential difference between the original data; and dynamically and continuously generate and maintain an updated version of the copy at the near-line server in near real time, wherein the generating and maintaining comprise the one or more servers writing ahead information to at least one log file in response to changes in state of the original data, the information including the delta data, the one or more servers shipping the at least one log file to the near-line server, and the near-line server receiving and applying the write-ahead logs in maintaining the updated version; and retrofit log shipping capability for application data and other structured and unstructured data based in part on the use of an override operation of an application state to allow log files to be applied as they are received, the override operation used in part to prevent a component of the near line server from entering the application state in which no further log files can be applied.