STORAGE DISCOUNTS FOR ALLOWING CROSS-USER DEDUPLICATION

• US 20130151484A1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kruglick, Ezekiel
• Application Number:
  US13/521,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/692
• 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 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Technologies are presented for deduplicating data storage across multiple separate users in a datacenter environment. In some examples, the deduplication may take into consideration separate encryption and packaging of various inactive data modules and machine instances, and may be performed based on customer proactive flagging of data as available for deduplication. Billing system records may be employed to track saved space for incentivizing users through discounts and as a garbage collection master reference for tracking usage of deduplication packages, which may otherwise be difficult in the multi-package environment.

Claims

1. A method for data storage deduplication across multiple users in a datacenter environment, the method comprising:

determining data storage flagged as available for deduplication;

generating deduplication signatures from the flagged data storage;

removing sections of the flagged data storage;

replacing the removed sections with deduplication pointers; and

providing discounts to owners of the flagged data storage based on a processing time associated with the deduplication.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating billing records based on the removed sections; and

providing the discounts to owners of the flagged data storage also based on the billing records.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the billing record is used to track saved space for discounting to the owners of the flagged data storage and as a garbage collection master reference for tracking usage of deduplication packages.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising iteratively generating additional deduplication signatures and removing additional sections.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining data storage as available for deduplication comprises receiving an indication from the owners of data.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing the deduplication when the datacenter has spare capacity.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

9-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A server adapted to perform data storage deduplication across multiple users in a datacenter environment, the server comprising:

a memory adapted to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute a data management application in conjunction with the stored instructions, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine data storage flagged as available for deduplication;

generate deduplication signatures from the flagged data storage;

remove sections of the flagged data storage;

replace the removed sections with deduplication pointers^. and

provide discounts to owners of the flagged data storage based on a processing time associated with the deduplication.

25. The server according to claim 17, wherein the deduplication takes into consideration separate encryption and packaging of inactive data modules and machine instances of the datacenter.

26. The server according to claim 25, wherein the data comprises packages including at least one from a set of:

an operating system (OS) portion, an OS modification and/or add-on portion, an applications portion, and a user data portion.

27. The server according to claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to:

scan decrypted data portions comprising at least one from a set of;

the OS portion and the applications portion for the deduplication; and

store deduplicated data in discrete packages that are owned by the datacenter.

28. The server according to claim 26, wherein encrypted data portions include at least one from a set of the OS modification and/or add-on portion, the applications portion, and the user data portion.

29. The server according to claim 26, wherein the packages are accessed sequentially one package at a time.

30. The server according to claim 17, wherein the deduplication is performed at a data storage section of the datacenter that does not allow outside access.

18-24. -24. (canceled)

31-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A datacenter performing data storage deduplication across multiple users, the datacenter comprising:

a plurality of data stores; and

at least one server for data management, the server configured to;

determine data storage flagged as available for deduplication;

generate deduplication signatures from the flagged data storage;

remove sections of the flagged data storage;

replace the removed sections with deduplication pointers; and

provide discounts to owners of the flagged data storage based on a processing time associated with the deduplication.

34. The datacenter according to claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to:

generate billing records based on the removed sections; and

provide the discounts to owners of the flagged data storage also based on the billing records.

40. The datacenter according to claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to perform the deduplication when the datacenter has spare capacity.

41. The datacenter according to claim 33, wherein the deduplication takes into consideration separate encryption and packaging of inactive data modules and machine instances of the datacenter.

43. The datacenter according to claim 41, wherein the data comprises packages including at least one from a set of:

an operating system (OS) portion, an OS modification and/or add-on portion, an applications portion, and a user data portion and the server is further configured to;

scan decrypted data portions comprising at least one from a set of;

the OS portion and the applications portion for the deduplication; and

store deduplicated data in discrete packages that are owned by the datacenter.

47. The datacenter according to claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to:

share the deduplication signatures between datacenter sites; and

transfer a data store by transferring deduplication signatures and non-duplicated data associated with the data store.

48. The datacenter according to claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to:

update a potential deduplication list with new deduplication signatures generated from the flagged data storage.

35-39. -39. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

44-46. -46. (canceled)