An on-disk storage arrangement increases the number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) that may be maintained for a volume of a storage system. The on-disk storage arrangement comprises a novel volume information (volinfo) block representing a root of the volume; the volinfo block is stored at predefined locations on disk and comprises various system wide configuration data. The volinfo block further comprises a data structure configured to provide a level of indirection that increases the number of PCPIs maintainable by a file system executing on the storage system. To that end, the data structure may be organized as an array of pointers, wherein each pointer references a block containing a snapshot root, thereby enabling efficient access to each PCPI maintained by the file system.

Claims

20 · 4 independent · depth 3

20 granted claims

›1.independentA method for increasing a number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) maintained for a volume of a storage system, the method comprising the…+9

›2.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the pointers comprise volume block numbers.d2

›3.↳ 1The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:norganizing the pointers as a table having a plurality of entries, each entry storing a pointer;…d2+1

›5.↳ 1The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:norganizing the pointers as an array indexed by PCPI identifier (ID); and associating the active…d2+1

›7.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the fsinfo block comprises a pointer configured to reference an inode file associated with the active file system.d2

›8.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein each PCPI fsinfo block comprises a pointer configured to reference an inode file associated with a PCPI.d2

›9.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined location comprises a first and second volume block number.d2

›10.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the volinfo block further comprises fields for PCPIs that do not have associated PCPI fsinfo blocks referenced by the vo…d2

›11.independentA system adapted to maintain an increased number of persistent consistency point images (PCPI) for a volume of a storage system, the system comprising…+6

›18.independentApparatus for increasing a number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) maintained for a volume of a storage system, the apparatus comprising…

›19.independentA computer readable medium, including program instructions executing on a storage system, for increasing a number of persistent consistency point imag…+1

Classifications

3 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G06F11/00

USPC · US Patent Classification

714/6707/202

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1.9 y

705 days filing → grant

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Nadeem Iqbal

art unit 2114 · TC 2100

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