Patent ID: 6961009

Claim:
An apparatus configured to process input data, wherein the input data is segmented into a plurality of segments, the apparatus comprising: logic configured to determine one or more segments in the plurality of segments that are to be referenced segments; for each of the one or more referenced segments, logic configured to replace data for the referenced segments with a reference label; for each referenced segment not already present in a persistent segment store, logic configured to store a reference binding in the persistent segment store, wherein a reference binding associates a referenced segment's data and its reference label; logic configured to determine whether any sequence of segments is to be grouped as a reference group; for each reference group, logic configured to replace a reference label or data for segments in the sequence with a group label; and for each reference group not already present in the persistent segment store, logic configured to store a group reference binding in the persistent segment store, wherein a group reference binding associates a reference group's reference labels or data with its group label.