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Single instance buffer cache method and system

  • US 9,043,555 B1
  • Filed: 02/25/2009
  • Issued: 05/26/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of reducing data duplication in a buffer cache comprising:

  • accessing, by a storage management computing device, a file reference pointer associated with a file in a deduplicated file system when loading a requested data block from the file into the buffer cache;

    comparing, by the storage management computing device, when the requested data block is not stored in association with the file reference pointer in the buffer cache, a fingerprint from the requested data block that identifies the requested data block taken from the deduplicated filesystem against one or more fingerprints identifying a corresponding one or more shareable data blocks in the buffer cache;

    determining, by the storage management computing device, when there is at least one other file reference pointer associated with a shareable data block of the one or more shareable data blocks in the buffer cache, and based on the comparing, when there is a match between the fingerprint of the requested data block and a fingerprint of the shareable data block of the one or more shareable data blocks in the buffer cache;

    marking, by the storage management computing device, the shareable data block from the match in the buffer cache when there is an attempt to modify the shareable data block, wherein the marked shareable data block is copied to the buffer cache after the attempt to modify the shareable data block and when there is at least one other file reference pointer associated with the shareable data block; and

    allocating, by the storage management computing device, the shareable data block from the match in the buffer cache, wherein the allocating comprises associating a new buffer header with the shareable data block, the new buffer header comprising metadata for the shareable data block.

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