Elimination of redundant objects in storage systems

• US 7,403,949 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Colin Scott, Cannon, David Maxwell, Edwards, Robert Clair Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US11/206,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/10, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 714/710
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a data structure corresponding to a set of client nodes selected from a plurality of client nodes is generated. Objects from the selected set of client nodes are stored in the data structure. A determination is made that an object corresponding to a client node of the selected set of client nodes has to be stored. An additional determination is made as to whether the object has already been stored in the data structure by any client node of the selected set of client nodes. The object is stored in the data structure, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the data structure by any client node of the selected set of client nodes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a data structure corresponding to a set of client nodes selected from a plurality of client nodes;

storing, in the data structure, objects from the selected set of client nodes;

determining that an object corresponding to a client node of the selected set of client nodes has to be stored;

determining whether the object has already been stored in the data structure by any client node of the selected set of client nodes; and

storing the object in the data structure, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the data structure by any client node of the selected set of client nodes,

wherein the selected set of client nodes share common objects that are stored in the data structure on a server node, and wherein redundant files are eliminated by storing the common objects of the selected set of client nodes in the data structure generated on the server node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing database entries for the objects stored in the data structure corresponding to the selected set of client nodes, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

including in the metadata, insertion time for the objects and the number of client nodes that reference the objects, wherein the number of objects stored in the data structure is limited based on insertion times for the objects and the number of client nodes that reference the objects.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from one client, a request to delete one object;

dereferencing a pointer to the one object stored in the data structure, wherein the pointer is associated with inventory entries specific to the one client;

decrementing the number of client nodes that references the one object; and

deleting the one object from the data structure, in response to determining that no client nodes reference the one object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server node and the set of client nodes can communicate in a client server environment and in a peer to peer environment.

5. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing:

generating a data structure corresponding to a set of client nodes selected from a plurality of client nodes;

storing, in the data structure, objects from the selected set of client nodes;

determining that an object corresponding to a client node of the selected set of client nodes has to be stored;

determining whether the object has already been stored in the data structure by any client node of the selected set of client nodes; and

storing the object in the data structure, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the data structure by any client node of the selected set of client nodes,

wherein the selected set of client nodes share common objects that are stored in the data structure on a server node, and wherein redundant files are eliminated by storing the common objects of the selected set of client nodes in the data structure generated on the server node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing:

storing database entries for the objects stored in the data structure corresponding to the selected set of client nodes, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

including in the metadata, insertion time for the objects and the number of client nodes that reference the objects, wherein the number of objects stored in the data structure is limited based on insertion times for the objects and the number of client nodes that reference the objects.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing:

receiving, from one client, a request to delete one object;

dereferencing a pointer to the one object stored in the data structure, wherein the pointer is associated with inventory entries specific to the one client;

decrementing the number of client nodes that references the one object; and

deleting the one object from the data structure, in response to determining that no client nodes reference the one object.