Patent ID: 7991973
Filing Date: 2011-08-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A data storage system comprising: a storage device, the storage device divided into a plurality of blocks configured for storing data for a plurality of volumes organized in a hierarchy comprising object inodes and group inodes, wherein each object inode references those blocks which store data corresponding to that object inode and wherein each group inode references those object inodes corresponding to that group inode; and a processor configured to execute instructions for maintaining a block map corresponding to the data stored on the storage device, wherein the block map stores reference data indicating which of the blocks on the storage device are allocated to one or more of the group inodes, and which blocks on the storage device are unallocated, and wherein the reference data includes, for groups of one or more blocks, a pair of boundary values representing end points in an order of the group inodes to which the group of blocks were allocated, the group inodes including but not limited to snapshots.