Moving data from file on storage volume to alternate location to free space
First Claim
1. A method in connection with a computing device having a storage volume, a file system managing the storage volume, and a plurality of files stored on the storage volume by the file system and accessed by such file system, each of the plurality of files being defined to include data and metadata relating to the data, at least a portion of the data of each of at least some of the plurality of files having been removed from the file and stored at an alternate location such that the data does not occupy substantially any space on the volume and the file is in a reduced, ghosted form, each of at least some of the ghosted files having been fully or partially reconstituted for use by retrieving the data thereof from the alternate location and associating such retrieved data with such ghosted file to form the reconstituted file, the method for re-ghosting each of at least some of the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files and comprising:
- receiving a trigger based on a triggering event;
selecting files from among the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files based on first predetermined selection criteria to obtain a set of candidate files, wherein each of the first predetermined selection criteria pertains to a corresponding characteristic of the files; and
re-ghosting one of one or more subsets of the candidate files chosen based on at least one criterion pertaining to a same characteristic of the files as a corresponding characteristic of a corresponding one of the first predetermined selection criteria.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Files on a computing device are defined to include data and metadata relating to the data. Data from each file has been removed therefrom and stored at an alternate location and the file is in a reduced, ghosted form. Each of at least some ghosted files has been fully or partially reconstituted for use by retrieving the data thereof from the alternate location and associating such retrieved data with such ghosted file to form the reconstituted file. Upon receiving a trigger based on a triggering event, files are selected from among the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files based on first predetermined selection criteria, and each of at least some of the selected files are re-ghosted.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method in connection with a computing device having a storage volume, a file system managing the storage volume, and a plurality of files stored on the storage volume by the file system and accessed by such file system, each of the plurality of files being defined to include data and metadata relating to the data, at least a portion of the data of each of at least some of the plurality of files having been removed from the file and stored at an alternate location such that the data does not occupy substantially any space on the volume and the file is in a reduced, ghosted form, each of at least some of the ghosted files having been fully or partially reconstituted for use by retrieving the data thereof from the alternate location and associating such retrieved data with such ghosted file to form the reconstituted file, the method for re-ghosting each of at least some of the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files and comprising:
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receiving a trigger based on a triggering event; selecting files from among the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files based on first predetermined selection criteria to obtain a set of candidate files, wherein each of the first predetermined selection criteria pertains to a corresponding characteristic of the files; and re-ghosting one of one or more subsets of the candidate files chosen based on at least one criterion pertaining to a same characteristic of the files as a corresponding characteristic of a corresponding one of the first predetermined selection criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer readable storage medium bearing computer executable instructions, for re-ghosting files, the computer executable instructions comprising:
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instructions for receiving a trigger based on a triggering event; instructions for selecting files from among the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files based on first predetermined selection criteria to obtain a set of candidate files, wherein each of the first predetermined selection criteria pertains to a corresponding characteristic of the files; and instructions for re-ghosting one of one or more subsets of the candidate files chosen based on at least one criterion pertaining to a same characteristic of the files as a corresponding characteristic of a corresponding one of the first predetermined selection criteria. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A system comprising:
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a storage volume; a file system managing the storage volume; and a plurality of files stored on the storage volume by the file system and accessed by the file system, each file being defined to include data and metadata relating to the data, at least a portion of the data of the file having been removed from the file and stored at one of a plurality of alternate locations such that the data does not occupy substantially any space on the volume and the file is in a reduced, ghosted form each of at least some of the ghosted files having been fully or partially reconstituted for use by retrieving the data thereof from the alternate location and associating such retrieved data with such ghosted file to form the reconstituted file, the system re-ghosting files by receiving a trigger based on a triggering event selected from one of a periodic trigger activated when a predetermined period of time has elapsed, a space trigger activated when free space on the volume falls below a certain amount, and a combination thereof, and upon receiving the trigger, selecting files from among the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files based on first predetermined selection criteria to obtain a set of candidate files, wherein each of the first predetermined selection criteria pertains to a corresponding characteristic of the files, and re-ghosting one of one or more subsets of the candidate files chosen based on at least one criterion pertaining to a same characteristic of the files as a corresponding characteristic of a corresponding one of the first predetermined selection criteria. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification