Importance

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Abstract

Redundant data is globally de-duplicated across a shared architecture that includes a plurality of storage systems. The storage systems implement copy-on-write or WAFL to generate snapshots of original data. Each storage system includes a de-duplication client to identify and reduce redundant original and/or snapshot data on the storage system. Each de-duplication client can de-duplicate a digital sequence by breaking the sequence into blocks and identifying redundant blocks already stored in the shared architecture. Identifying redundant blocks may include hashing each block and comparing the hash to a local and/or master hash table containing hashes of existing data. Once identified, redundant data previously stored is deleted (e.g., post-process de-duplication), or redundant data is not stored to begin with (e.g., inline de-duplication). In both cases, pointers to shared data blocks can be used to reassemble the digital sequence where one or more blocks were deleted or not stored on the storage system.

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First Claim