Patent ID: 8204867
Filing Date: 2012-06-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code executable by a processor to perform operations for enhanced block-level deduplication, the operations comprising: storing one or more express block signatures in an express directory, the one or more express block signatures comprising block signatures for data blocks meeting a reference count requirement, the one or more express block signatures corresponding to one or more data blocks received by a storage device, the reference count requirement comprising a minimum number of references to a particular data block for inclusion of a block signature for the particular data block in the express directory; storing one or more primary block signatures and one or more reference counts for the primary block signatures in a primary directory, the one or more primary block signatures corresponding to the one or more data blocks, the primary block signatures comprising block signatures having a reference count below the reference count requirement, the primary directory distinct from the express directory; and determining whether a block signature for a data block matches one of the one or more express block signatures stored in the express directory as the data block is received by a storage device.