Patent ID: 7996361

Claim:
A method, implemented using a computer system, comprising: associating a source file and a replica file with one another, using a processor of said computer system, wherein said replica file and said source file are both within a first fileset, said replica file is not within a fileset that is a clone of a fileset comprising said source file, a file system comprises said first fileset, said file system is stored in at least one storage device of said computer system, said source file comprises a first reference to a first data block, and a metadata file system object, said replica file comprises a replica metadata file system object, and said associating comprises generating a second reference to said first data block by generating a reference within said replica metadata file system object, wherein said reference is to said metadata file system object, and modifying said replica file to comprise the second reference to said first data block; receiving a modification request at the computer system, wherein said modification request is a request to modify data within one of said source file and said replica file; and in response to said receiving said modification request, allocating a block within said one of said source file and said replica file, using the processor.