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System and method for retrieving and using block fingerprints for data deduplication

  • US 8,412,682 B2
  • Filed: 06/29/2006
  • Issued: 04/02/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:

  • storing data in a plurality of data blocks serviced by a storage system having a processor;

    receiving a write operation directed to a data block of the plurality of data blocks;

    performing a first computation to generate a checksum value for the data block to verify data integrity of the write operation;

    generating, without requiring a second computation, a fingerprint of the data block to identify duplicate data of the plurality of data blocks by storing at least a portion of the checksum value generated to verify data integrity in the fingerprint and storing at least a portion of data from the data block in the fingerprint;

    storing, in a fingerprint record, a copy of extracted metadata associated with the data block, wherein the metadata includes a generation number of an index node (inode) associated with the data block;

    storing the fingerprint in the fingerprint record;

    deleting the inode associated with the data block;

    reallocating the inode in response to a new write operation;

    modifying the generation number of the inode associated with the data block in response to the new write operation; and

    eliminating the fingerprint record in response to the generation number of the fingerprint record differing from the modified generation number.

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