Patent ID: 8732217

Claim:
A method for identifying data for relocation in a multivolume file system, comprising: generating a file location map, the file location map containing a list of the locations of files that occupy space on each of a plurality of volumes of the file system, the file system comprising at least a first volume and a second volume; updating the file location map in accordance with changes in a file change log for the file system; identifying, using at least one computer processor, data residing on the first volume of the file system by scanning the file location map; using the identified data, calculating a ratio of per-file activity during a first time period relative to overall file system activity over a second time period to derive a file activity ratio for each of the files of the identified data; and selecting files for relocation based on the file activity ratio, wherein the file change log is scanned in a sampling interval to identify files active during the sampling interval in response to at least one action.