×

Single instance storage of information

  • US 5,813,008 A
  • Filed: 07/12/1996
  • Issued: 09/22/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of reducing the space required to store information items that are transferred between a plurality of servers connected on a distributed network, the method comprising:

  • (a) dividing an information item into a common portion and a unique portion, said common portion comprising information that is relatively unchanged when the information item is manipulated or transferred, and said unique portion comprising other information that is typically changed so as to generate further unique portions corresponding to the common portion, when the information item is manipulated or transferred;

    (b) assinging a single-instance identifier to the common portion that is globally unique across the plurality of servers so that said common portion can be uniquely identified on any server of the distributed network;

    (c) storing the uniquely identified common portion on the distributed network so that the uniquely identified common portion is not stored more that once on any given server of the distributed network; and

    (d) storing said unique portion and any said generated further unique portions along with a single-instance identifier so that on any given server, there is not more that one common portion independent of the number of corresponding unique portions stored on the same server.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×