STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20110295914A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/812
• 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 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A storage system includes: a data storing unit that stores division data configuring a file; a metadata storing unit that stores metadata representing a storing position of the division data; and a data processing unit that stores the division data into the data storing unit and stores the metadata representing the storing position of the division data into the metadata storing unit. Into the metadata storing unit, the data processing unit stores the metadata that has a key part storing position-in-file information representing a position in the file of the division data and an address part storing address information representing a storing position in which the division data is stored corresponding to the position represented by the position-in-file information so as to correspond to the position-in-file information. The key part and the address part are configured by mutually separated data.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a data storing unit configured to store division data configuring a file;

a metadata storing unit configured to store metadata representing a storing position of the division data; and

a data processing unit configured to store the division data into the data storing unit and store the metadata representing the storing position of the division data into the metadata storing unit and, based on the metadata stored in the metadata storing unit, retrieve the division data stored in the data storing unit and reproduce the file,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the metadata into the metadata storing unit, the metadata having a key part configured to store position-in-file information representing a position in the file of the division data and an address part configured to store address information representing a storing position in which the division data is stored corresponding to the position represented by the position-in-file information so as to correspond to the position-in-file information, and the key part and the address part being configured by mutually separated data.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

the data processing unit is configured to store upper metadata representing a storing position of the metadata into the metadata storing unit; and

the upper metadata has an upper meta-key part configured to store the position-in-file information representing the position in the file of the division data specified via the metadata in the storing position represented by the upper metadata, and an upper meta-address part configured to store address information representing storing positions of the key part and the address part of the metadata, respectively, so as to correspond to the one position-in-file information stored in the key part.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the address information representing the storing position of the address part composing the existing metadata referred to by the other upper metadata, into the upper meta-address part of the upper metadata.

4. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the address information representing the storing position of the key part composing the existing metadata referred to by the other upper metadata, into the upper meta-address part of the upper metadata.

5. The storage system according to any of claim 2, wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the upper metadata having the upper meta-key part and the upper meta-address part configured by mutually separated data, into the metadata storing unit.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, wherein:

the data processing unit is configured to store the upper metadata that has the upper meta-key part and the upper meta-address part, that represents a storing position of the other upper metadata and that is positioned in an upper hierarchy than the other upper metadata, into the metadata storing unit; and

the upper meta-address part of the upper metadata positioned in the upper hierarchy is configured to store address information respectively representing storing positions of the upper meta-key part and the upper meta-address part of the other upper metadata positioned in a lower hierarchy, so as to correspond to the one position-in-file information stored in the upper meta-key part.

7. The storage system according to claim 6, wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the address information representing a storing position of the upper meta-address part composing the existing upper metadata referred to by other upper metadata, into the upper meta-address part of the upper metadata positioned in the upper hierarchy.

8. The storage system according to claim 6, wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the address information representing a storing position of the upper meta-key part composing the existing upper metadata referred to by other upper metadata, into the upper meta-address part of the upper metadata positioned in the upper hierarchy.

9. The storage system according to any of claim 1, wherein the data processing unit is configured to divide the key part and/or the address part of the metadata stored in the metadata storing unit, based on information stored in the key part and/or the address part and information stored in the key part and/or the address part of the other metadata.

10. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein the data processing unit is configured to divide the key part and/or the address part of the metadata so that the information stored in the key part and/or the address part becomes identical to the information stored in the key part and/or the address part of the other metadata.

11. The storage system according to any of claim 1, comprising an address table configured to, for each of the address information stored in the address part, store a count of reference of the address information to other data,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to, in accordance with the reference count of each of the address information stored in the address table, delete data referred to by the address information.

12. The storage system according to any of claim 2, comprising an address table configured to, for each of the address information stored in the address part and the upper meta-address part, store a count of reference of the address information to other data,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to, in accordance with the reference count of each of the address information stored in the address table, delete data referred to by the address information.

13. The storage system according to claim 11, wherein the data processing unit is configured to delete data referred to by the address information whose reference count stored in the address table is 0.

14. A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program comprising instructions for causing an information processing device including a data storing unit configured to store division data configuring a file and a metadata storing unit configured to store metadata representing a storing position of the division data, to realize:

a data processing unit configured to store the division data into the data storing unit and store the metadata representing the storing position of the division data into the metadata storing unit and, based on the metadata stored in the metadata storing unit, retrieve the division data stored in the data storing unit and reproduce the file,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to store the metadata into the metadata storing unit, the metadata having a key part configured to store position-in-file information representing a position in the file of the division data and an address part configured to store address information representing a storing position in which the division data is stored corresponding to the position represented by the position-in-file information so as to correspond to the position-in-file information, and the key part and the address part being configured by mutually separated data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium that stores the program according to claim 14, wherein:

the data processing unit is configured to store upper metadata representing a storing position of the metadata into the metadata storing unit; and

the upper metadata has an upper meta-key part configured to store the position-in-file information representing the position in the file of the division data specified via the metadata in the storing position represented by the upper metadata, and an upper meta-address part configured to store address information representing storing positions of the key part and the address part of the metadata, respectively, so as to correspond to the one position-in-file information stored in the key part.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. A data processing method comprising, in an information processing device that includes a data storing unit configured to store division data configuring a file and a metadata storing unit configured to store metadata representing a storing position of the division data:

storing the division data into the data storing unit and storing the metadata representing the storing position of the division data into the metadata storing unit;

retrieving the division data stored in the data storing unit and reproducing the file based on the metadata stored in the metadata storing unit; and

storing the metadata into the metadata storing unit, the metadata having a key part configured to store position-in-file information representing a position in the file of the division data and an address part configured to store address information representing a storing position in which the division data is stored corresponding to the position represented by the position-in-file information so as to correspond to the position-in-file information, and the key part and the address part being configured by mutually separated data.

19. The data processing method according to claim 18, comprising:

storing upper metadata representing a storing position of the metadata into the metadata storing unit,

wherein the upper metadata has an upper meta-key part configured to store the position-in-file information representing the position in the file of the division data specified via the metadata in the storing position represented by the upper metadata, and an upper meta-address part configured to store address information representing storing positions of the key part and the address part of the metadata, respectively, so as to correspond to the one position-in-file information stored in the key part.