Patent ID: 9182921
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: generating a snapshot of at least a portion of a data set managed by a storage server, wherein metadata in the data set includes a plurality of references to data blocks; performing a copy operation in the storage server to generate a copy of the data set separate from the snapshot, by defining a set of block locations containing a predetermined reference value and replacing the contents of individual block locations with references to individual data segments; during the copy operation to generate the copy of the data set separate from the snapshot, receiving from a requester a first read request directed to the copy of the data set that the copy operation is to generate; providing data from the snapshot to the requester by the storage server, in response to the first read request; determining a range of references to copy from a source metadata container to a destination metadata container; stopping the copy operation after the range of references has been copied; during the copy operation, receiving an append request; and based on the append request, appending a reference to an appended data segment to the copy of the data set beginning at a location in the copy of the data set determined based on the range of references to copy.