Patent ID: 8170991

Claim:
A method comprising: obtaining file extents for a plurality of files, wherein the file extents are defined in an original block layout of an image of a storage volume; generating a re-ordered block layout, wherein for each file of the plurality of files, the generating the re-ordered block layout comprises re-ordering respective blocks of the each file, the respective blocks of the each file are defined by the original block layout, the re-ordering is based at least in part on respective file extents of the each file, and the respective blocks of the each file are contiguous in the re-ordered block layout; generating, for each file of the plurality of files, layout metadata indicative of a mapping between the original block layout for the each file, and the re-ordered block layout for the each file; storing an archive image to a sequential storage device, wherein the archive image comprises the re-ordered block layout, and the layout metadata; storing, within the archive image, metadata for the plurality of files, wherein for each file of the plurality of files, corresponding layout metadata for the each file is stored contiguously with corresponding blocks of the each file; copying free blocks from the image of the storage volume into the archive image, wherein the free blocks are stored in a contiguous arrangement in the archive image; and restoring the image to another storage device from the archive image on the sequential storage device, wherein the restoring comprises converting the re-ordered block layout back to the original block layout based on the layout metadata in the archive image.