DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF PROCESSING DATA

• US 20090112946A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Kevin Lloyd
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1756 based on delta files

Abstract

Data processing apparatus comprising: a chunk store partitioned into a plurality of chunk sections, at least one section storing specimen data chunks, the processing apparatus being operable to: process input data into one or more input data chunks; identify a chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk; and store the at least one input data chunk in another chunk section as a specimen data chunk if the identified chunk section has a predetermined characteristic.

Claims

1. Data processing apparatus comprising:

a chunk store partitioned into a plurality of chunk sections, at least one section storing specimen data chunks,

the processing apparatus being operable to;

process input data into one or more input data chunks;

identify a chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk; and

store the at least one input data chunk in another chunk section as a specimen data chunk if the identified chunk section has a predetermined characteristic.

2. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a manifest store, containing at least one manifest that represents at least a part of a data set and that comprises at least one reference to at least one specimen data chunk stored in the chunk store.

3. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a chunk index containing information on at least one specimen data chunk, the processing apparatus being operable to use the chunk index to identify said chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk.

4. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic is that the identified chunk section is fragmented to at least a predetermined extent.

5. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic is that a predetermined number or size of specimen data chunks stored in the identified chunk section are non-contiguous with one another.

6. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic is that the specimen data chunks corresponding to other input data chunks of the input data being processed are stored in more than a predetermined number of chunk sections.

7. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic is that the specimen data chunks in the identified chunk section have been referenced by fewer than a predetermined number of the most recent M manifests to be compiled.

8. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic is that fewer than a predetermined number of specimen data chunks in the identified chunk section correspond to input data chunks of the input data set being processed.

9. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic is that fewer than a predetermined number of manifests in the manifest store contain a reference to the said corresponding specimen chunk in the identified chunk section.

10. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the identified chunk section has said predetermined characteristic, and a subsequent input data chunk is found to correspond to said specimen data chunk in said another chunk section, the data processing apparatus is operable to compile a manifest with a reference to the said specimen data chunk stored in the said another chunk section.

11. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the identified chunk section has said predetermined characteristic, the data processor is operable not to compile subsequent manifests with references to the said identified chunk section.

12. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the identified chunk section has said predetermined characteristic, the data processor is operable to store at least one further specimen data chunk of the identified chunk section in the said another chunk section.

13. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the identified chunk section does not have a predetermined characteristic, the data processing apparatus is operable to compile a manifest with a reference to the specimen data chunk in the identified manifest.

14. A data processor comprising:

a plurality of chunk sections, at least one section storing specimen data chunks,

a separate manifest store, containing at least one manifest that represents at least a part of a data set and that comprises at least one reference to at least one specimen data chunk stored in a chunk section,

the processing apparatus being operable to;

process input data into one or more input data chunks;

identify a chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk; and

store the at least one input data chunk in another chunk section as a specimen data chunk if the identified chunk section is fragmented to at least a predetermined extent.

15. Data processing apparatus comprising:

a chunk store partitioned into a plurality of chunk sections, each section configured to store specimen data chunks,

a manifest store, containing at least one manifest that represents at least a part of a data set and that comprises at least one reference to at least one specimen data chunk stored in the chunk store.

the processing apparatus being operable to;

process input data into one or more input data chunks;

identify a chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk and references by at least one manifest in the manifest store; and

compile a manifest with a reference to the specimen data chunk of the identified chunk section unless the identified chunk section has a predetermined characteristic.

16. A method of processing data, using:

a chunk store partitioned into a plurality of chunk sections, at least one section storing specimen data chunks,

a manifest store, containing at least one manifest that represents at least a part of a data set and that comprises at least one reference to at least one specimen data chunk stored in the chunk store,

the method comprising;

processing input data into one or more input data chunks;

identifying a chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk; and

storing the at least one input data chunk in another chunk section as a specimen data chunk if the identified chunk section has a predetermined characteristic.

17. A method of processing data according to claim 16, further using a chunk index containing information on at least one specimen data chunk, the method further comprising using the chunk index to identify said chunk section already containing a specimen data chunk corresponding to at least one input data chunk.

18. A method of processing data according to claim 16, comprising compiling a manifest with a reference to the said another chunk section if the identified chunk section has the predetermined characteristic.

19. A method of processing data according to claim 18, wherein subsequent manifests are not compiled with references to the identified chunk section if the identified chunk section has the predetermined characteristic.

20. A method of processing data using:

a chunk store partitioned into a plurality of chunk sections storing specimen data chunks,

the method comprising;

processing input data into input data chunks;

identifying a specimen data chunk in a chunk section corresponding to an input data chunk; and

compiling a manifest with a reference to the specimen data chunk unless the chunk section containing the identified specimen data chunk has a predetermined characteristic.