Patent ID: 7076622

Claim:
A method of optimizing storage of common data blocks within a networked storage system, said method comprising: receiving a data block to be stored in a networked storage system; analyzing contents of a received data block to determine a number of copies of the data block the networked storage system is entrusted to store and a number of copies of the data block existing within the networked storage system, and to identify a location of each copy of the data block within the networked storage system; identifying performance and reliability requirements of the networked storage system; determining an optimal number of copies of the received data block to store in the networked storage system, wherein the determining is made according to the number of copies of the data block the networked storage system is entrusted to store in combination with the identified performance and reliability requirements of the networked storage system; and maintaining the optimal number of copies of the received data block within the networked storage system.