Patent ID: 8224874

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for removing unreferenced data segments from deduplicated data systems, the method comprising: identifying a deduplicated data system that contains a plurality of data objects, wherein the deduplicated data system reduces redundant data by only storing a single instance of each data segment referenced by the data objects; dividing the data objects within the deduplicated data system into a plurality of data object groups; identifying, within the data object groups, at least one data object group that has changed subsequent to a prior garbage-collection operation that removed data segments that were not referenced by data objects within the deduplicated data system; identifying at least one container within the deduplicated data system that contains data segments referenced by data objects within the changed data object group; for each identified container, removing data segments from the identified container that are not referenced by data objects within the deduplicated data system; wherein the method is performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor.