Patent ID: 8131924

Claim:
A method for reducing storage of duplicate data on a sequential access media operatively connected to a storage system having a processor and a memory, comprising: receiving data at the storage system to be stored on the sequential access media; determining that the data is already stored at a first location on the sequential access media; storing to a second location on the sequential access media a reference that points to the data at the first location in response to determining the data is already stored at the first location; receiving at the storage system a data request from a requestor; and determining whether the data request is directed to the first location or whether the data request is directed to the second location, in response to determining the data request is directed to the first location, caching the requested data at a third location to a second non-sequential storage device logically corresponding to the first location, in response to determining the data request is directed to the second location: determining whether the requested data at the first location has been cached at the third location, in response to determining that the requested data has been cached at the third location, providing the requested data from the third location to the requestor, in response to determining that the requested data has not been cached at the third location, caching the requested data at the third location, and providing the requested data to the requestor from the third location.