Patent ID: 9229646
Filing Date: 2016-01-05
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A method of accessing a first unit of data stored in a content addressable storage environment that includes a plurality of storage clusters, wherein the content addressable storage environment identifies each unit of data stored thereon using a content address that is based, at least in part, upon at least a portion of the content of the respective unit of data, wherein the content address comprises an identifier used to determine on which of the plurality of storage clusters the respective unit of data is stored, the method comprising acts of: receiving a request from a host computer to locate the first unit of data previously stored in the storage environment, wherein the request identifies the first unit of data via a first content address that is based, at least in part, upon at least a portion of the content of the first unit of data, wherein the identifier of the first content address comprises a common identifier that is the same as the identifier of a second content address of a second unit of data that is related to the first unit of data, wherein each of the plurality of storage clusters comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes in each storage cluster share a software utility that is separate from a software utility used by nodes in other storage clusters of the plurality of storage clusters; and in response to receipt of the request, determining on which one of the plurality of storage clusters the unit of data is stored based, at least in part, on the common identifier of the first content address of the first unit of data.