Patent ID: 7870353

Claim:
A method, comprising: maintaining user data in a user data storage location implemented in a user data storage system; maintaining metadata for the user data at a metadata storage location implemented in a metadata storage system, wherein the metadata enables clients access to the user data; receiving a request to copy at least one specified storage unit having user data to at least one copy of the at least one specified storage unit; performing a first type of copy operation to copy the at least one specified storage unit having the user data to the at least one copy of the at least one specified storage unit in response to the request to copy, wherein the first type of copy operation allows access to the user data in the at least one copy of the at least one specified storage unit before the user data has been completely copied to the copy of the at least one specified storage unit; and performing a second type of copy operation, in response to the request to copy, to copy metadata for the at least one specified storage unit being copied to a copy of the metadata for the copied user data, wherein the copy of the metadata provides clients a view of a file system implemented in the user data in the copy of the at least one specified storage unit, wherein the second type of copy operation denies access to the metadata while the metadata is being copied to the to the copy of the metadata, and wherein the first and second types of copy operations comprise different types of copy operations.