Efficient hierarchical storage management of a file system with snapshots
First Claim
1. A file storage management method, the method comprising:
- providing an inode of a first file that includes at least one reference, where the at least one reference includes a physical disk address of a data block of the first file;
providing an inode of a snapshot file of the first file, where the inode includes at least one reference that includes the physical disk address of the data block of the first file;
copying the at least one data block of the first file from a first storage level to a second storage level;
updating the at least one reference of the inode of the snapshot file with a logical value, where the logical value includes a value indicating that additional processing is required to obtain the physical disk address of the data block of the first file; and
providing a managed region that controls access to the data block through the inode of the first file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is provided for managing the storage of a file that has been selected for migration from a first storage level within a file system to a second storage level. The method comprises copying each of one or more data blocks of the selected file that are stored in the first storage level at a physical disk address maintained in a corresponding reference of an inode for the selected file from the first storage level to the second storage level; maintaining a logical ditto address in each reference of an inode for each snapshot file in the file system that refers to one of the one or more data blocks of the selected file that were copied to the second storage level; and updating the file system to include a managed region for controlling access to the one or more data blocks through the inode for the selected file.
33 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A file storage management method, the method comprising:
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providing an inode of a first file that includes at least one reference, where the at least one reference includes a physical disk address of a data block of the first file; providing an inode of a snapshot file of the first file, where the inode includes at least one reference that includes the physical disk address of the data block of the first file; copying the at least one data block of the first file from a first storage level to a second storage level; updating the at least one reference of the inode of the snapshot file with a logical value, where the logical value includes a value indicating that additional processing is required to obtain the physical disk address of the data block of the first file; and providing a managed region that controls access to the data block through the inode of the first file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A data processing system, comprising:
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a central processing unit; a random access memory for storing data and programs for execution by the central processing unit; a first storage level comprising a nonvolatile storage device; and computer readable instructions stored in the random access memory for execution by the central processing unit to perform a program for managing the storage of a file that has been selected for migration from the first storage level within a file system to a second storage level, wherein the program causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising; providing an inode of a first file that includes at least one reference, where the at least one reference includes a physical disk address of a data block of the first file; providing an inode of a snapshot file of the first file, where the inode includes at least one reference that includes the physical disk address of the data block of the first file; copying the at least one data block of the first file from the first storage level to the second storage level; updating the at least one reference of the inode of the snapshot file with a logical value, where the logical value includes a value indicating that additional processing is required to obtain the physical disk address of the data block of the first file; and providing a managed region that controls access to the data block through the inode of the first file.
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Specification