Patent ID: 6889297

Claim:
A method for eliminating data redundancies in a data processing system, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a first data block identifier for a first data block, the first data block identifier being calculated based on data of the first data block; determining whether a second data block identifier matching the first data block identifier exists, the second data block identifier being calculated based on data of a second data block; and when it is determined that the second data block identifier matching the first data block identifier exists, retrieving the second data block associated with the second data block identifier, determining whether the first data block and the retrieved second data block correspond to one another by obtaining a revised first data block identifier having more bits than the first data block identifier and by obtaining a revised second data block identifier having more bits than the second data block identifier, and replacing the first data block with a reference to the second data block when the first data block and the retrieved second data block correspond to one another.