File clones in a distributed file system
US9223500B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Grant date | Dec 29, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 25, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/2094
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Embodiments are directed towards cloning files in a distributed file system. In response to a request to create file clones, a file cloning application can be employed to generate file clones based on a source file. The file cloning application can generate a new inode for each new file clone and at least one new shadow store. Data blocks from the source file can be transferred to the shadow store. The transferred data blocks can be replaced with reference blocks that point to the data blocks transferred to the shadow store. Likewise, additional reference blocks pointing to data blocks in the shadow store can be generated for the new file clone inodes. Further, the shadow store can maintain reference counters that track the number of reference blocks pointing to each shadow store block. Also, file clones can be generated based on a point-in-time snapshot of the source file.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.