Patent ID: 8612702

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for performing optimized backups of multiple independent volumes, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of independent volumes to be backed up to a backup server over a network, wherein: each volume within the plurality of independent volumes corresponds to a different machine; a deduplication subsystem that is external to the backup server creates and stores deduplicated versions of the plurality of independent volumes by identifying and storing shared regions of memory among the plurality of independent volumes a single time; prior to transferring any data within, or any hashes of, the plurality of independent volumes to the backup server, obtaining information from the deduplication subsystem that indicates that at least one volume within the plurality of independent volumes comprises at least one shared region of memory that is identical to a region of memory on at least one other volume within the plurality of independent volumes; when creating backups of the plurality of independent volumes, using the obtained information to: transfer only a single copy of each shared region of memory to the backup server; back up each shared region of memory a single time so that the backups of the plurality of independent volumes share a single copy of each shared region of memory.