Avoiding duplicative storage of managed content

• US 20070061373A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Text Corporation
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kilday, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24557 Efficient disk access during query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0671 In-line storage system

Abstract

Avoiding duplicative storage of managed content is disclosed. It is determined whether content associated with an object has been stored previously in an associated one of a plurality of storage locations used to store managed content with which the object is associated. If it is determined that the content has been stored previously in the storage location, the previously-stored content is associated with the object and the object, but not a duplicate copy of the content, is stored in the storage location.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding duplicative storage of content, comprising:

determining whether content associated with an object has been stored previously in a storage location with which the object is associated, the storage location being one of a plurality of storage locations used to store managed content with which the object is associated; and

in the event it is determined that the content has been stored previously in the storage location;

associating the previously-stored content with the object; and

storing the object, but not a duplicate copy of the content, in the storage location.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, in the event it is determined that the content has not been stored previously in the storage location, storing the object and the content in the storage location.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is linked to one or more other objects that together comprise a virtual document.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object comprises data associated with a mail message.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object comprises data attached to a mail message.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage location comprises a physical storage location with which the object is associated.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage location comprises a physical storage location associated with a set of objects with which the object is associated.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage location comprises one of a plurality of physical storage locations configured to store the managed content.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage location comprises a logical storage location with which the object is associated.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising retaining the content as stored in the storage location until a retention period associated with a last object associated with the content ends.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising deleting the content from the storage location upon expiration of a retention period associated with a last object associated with the content.

12. A system for avoiding duplicative storage of content, comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine whether content associated with an object has been stored previously in a storage location with which the object is associated, the storage location being one of a plurality of storage locations used to store managed content with which the object is associated; and

in the event it is determined that the content has been stored previously in the storage location;

associate the previously-stored content with the object; and

store the object, but not a duplicate copy of the content, in the storage location; and

a memory configured to provide instructions to the processor.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to store the object and the content in the storage location in the event it is determined that the content has not been stored previously in the storage location.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the storage location comprises a physical storage location with which the object is associated.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the storage location is one of a plurality of physical storage locations configured to store the managed content.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to retain the content as stored in the storage location until a retention period associated with a last object associated with the content ends.

17. A computer program product for avoiding duplicative storage of content, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining whether content associated with an object has been stored previously in a storage location with which the object is associated, the storage location being one of a plurality of storage locations used to store managed content with which the object is associated; and

in the event it is determined that the content has been stored previously in the storage location;

associating the previously-stored content with the object; and

storing the object, but not a duplicate copy of the content, in the storage location.

18. A computer program product as recited in claim 17, further comprising computer instructions for storing the object and the content in the storage location in the event it is determined that the content has not been stored previously in the storage location.

19. A computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the storage location comprises a physical storage location with which the object is associated.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the storage location comprises one of a plurality of physical storage locations configured to store the managed content.