IDENTIFYING REDUNDANT DATA FOR DISK IMAGE STREAMING

• US 20140149660A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gschwind, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,229,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1044 Space efficiency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0677 Optical disk device, e.g. CD-ROM, DVD

Abstract

Redundant data in a streaming disk image is identified using commands to indicate unused disk blocks, such as TRIM/UNMAP commands. A TRIM/UNMAP layer is added between an operating system and a disk driver to support the use of TRIM/UNMAP commands. Using the TRIM/UNMAP layer, blocks of a streamed disk image that are unallocated by the operating system are identified. The identified unallocated blocks are streamed to a server for analysis and storage.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a system memory, and a bus that couples various system components including the system memory to the processor, the system configured to perform a method comprising;

adding, with a processing device, a TRIM/UNMAP layer between an operating system and a disk driver to support TRIM/UNMAP commands;

identifying, using the TRIM/UNMAP layer, blocks of a streamed disk image that are unallocated by the operating system; and

streaming the identified unallocated blocks to a server for analysis and storage.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the TRIM/UNMAP layer is presented to the operating system as a simulated solid-state drive.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, in response to a client request for the streamed disk image, the server transmits a list of the identified unallocated blocks to a client.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the client identifies, using the TRIM/UNMAP layer, blocks of the streamed disk image that are unallocated due to deletion by the client and transmits the unallocated blocks back to the server for analysis and storage.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the client identifies and transmits modified allocated blocks to the server for analysis and storage.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the identified unallocated blocks are recorded in a log or metadata file associated with the disk image.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the TRIM/UNMAP layer streams image data unidirectionally or bidirectionally between the server and a client.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the TRIM/UNMAP commands are integrated into the operating system independently of the disk driver.