Data storage space recovery system and method
US9251049B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 2013 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 3, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F16/1727
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A process of determining explicitly free data space in computer data storage systems with implicitly allocated data space through the use of information provided by a hosting computer system with knowledge of what space allocated is currently being used at the time of a query, is provided. In one embodiment, a File System (“FS”) is asked to identify clusters no longer in use which is then mapped to physical disks as visible to an Operating System (“OS”). The physical disks are mapped to simulated/virtualized volumes presented by a storage subsystem. By using server information regarding the FS, for those pages that are no longer in use, point in time copy (“PITC”) pages are marked for future PITC and will not be coalesced forward, thereby saving significant storage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.