Abstract: A system and method for caching fingerprints in a client cache is provided. A data object that comprises a set of data segments and describes a backup process is identified. Thereafter, a request referencing the data object is made to a deduplication server to request that a task identifier be added to the data object. If the deduplication server is able to successfully add the task identifier to the data object, then an active identifier is added to each data segment from the set of data segments in a cache that is within a client system.

Abstract: A method for managing deduplication reference data may include (1) identifying multiple of data containers configured to store a plurality of deduplicated data segments that are referenced by multiple data objects within a deduplicated data system, (2) maintaining multiple reference databases including (i) a first reference database corresponding to a first subset of the data containers and (ii) a second reference database corresponding to a second subset of the data containers, the second subset differing from the first subset, (3) determining that a data object references at least one segment within a first data container within the first subset but does not reference any data segment within a second data container within the second subset and (4) updating the first reference database with information specifying that the data object references at least one data segment within at least one data container within the first subset of data containers.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing increased scalability in deduplication storage systems may include (1) identifying a database that stores a plurality of reference objects, (2) determining that at least one size-related characteristic of the database has reached a predetermined threshold, (3) partitioning the database into a plurality of sub-databases capable of being updated independent of one another, (4) identifying a request to perform an update operation that updates one or more reference objects stored within at least one sub-database, and then (5) performing the update operation on less than all of the sub-databases to avoid processing costs associated with performing the update operation on all of the sub-databases. Various other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for improving performance within a storage system employing deduplication techniques using address manipulation are disclosed. A data segment within a storage object is identified from among a number of data segments within a storage object. The data segment represents data stored in a storage device. Some or all of the data represented by the data segment is stored in a data block that is associated with the data segment. The storage object is then compacted. Compaction includes reordering data segments, including the identified data segment, by performing address manipulation on a data block address of the data block (e.g., an address of the data block within the storage device). The reordering of the data segments changes the order of the data segments within the storage object.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating reference-based synthetic backups. The method may include identifying a first set of references that identify data of a first backup. The first backup may represent at least a portion of a data set at a first time. The method may also include identifying a second set of references that identify data of a second backup. The second backup may represent changes made to the data set between the first time and a second time. The method may further include creating a synthetic backup that represents at least a portion of the data set at the second time by aggregating one or more references from the first set of references and one or more references from the second set of references. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for improving performance with single-instance-storage volumes by leveraging data locality is provided. A client provides a set of fingerprints generated from data segments to be saved to a single-instance storage volume and receives the information on whether a data segment exists on the single-instance storage volume and where it is stored if a data segment exists. Based on its received information, the client determines if a number of non-sequential accesses of a computer-readable medium for the said set of segments from the single-instance-storage volume exceeds a predetermined threshold. If so, the client provides the whole set of data segments for storage within the single-instance storage volume regardless of whether or not the data segments are duplicate data segments. These sent data segments will be stored contiguously within the single-instance storage volume while the duplicates will be removed from their previous stored locations.

Abstract: Containers that store data objects that were written to those containers during a particular backup are accessed. Then, a subset of the containers is identified; the containers in the subset have less than a threshold number of data objects associated with the particular backup. Data objects that are in containers in that subset and that are associated with the backup are copied to one or more other containers. Those other containers are subsequently used to restore data objects associated with the backup.

Abstract: Providing authentication of users accessing an NFS shared file system. A shared secret is used as a component of the mount point used to access the NFS share. Upon receiving a request to access to the data in the NFS share, the process creates at least one cryptographic value and then creates a path to the mount point which incorporates the cryptographic value. The process then creates the mount point at the path, e.g., /PATH:k1, where k1 is the cryptographic value. Creation of the mount point is preferably performed using NFS protocol semantics, without requiring any changes to the NFS protocol semantics. A second cryptographic value, k2, may be used for unmounting the mount point.

Abstract: A system and method for caching fingerprints in a client cache is provided. A data object that comprises a set of data segments and describes a backup process is identified. Thereafter, a request referencing the data object is made to a deduplication server to request that a task identifier be added to the data object. If the deduplication server is able to successfully add the task identifier to the data object, then an active identifier is added to each data segment from the set of data segments in a cache that is within a client system.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for efficiently creating a full backup image of a client device by efficiently communicating backup data to a backup server using a change tracking log, or track log. A present full backup image can be created using a track log that is associated with a previous full backup image. The client device can determine whether files, which were included in the previous full backup image, have or have not changed using the track log. The client device can transmit changed file data to the backup server for inclusion in the present full backup image. The client device can also transmit metadata identifying unchanged file data to the backup server. The backup server can use the metadata to extract a copy of the unchanged file data from the previous full backup image for inclusion in the present full backup image.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for implementing a two-level fingerprint caching scheme for a client cache and a server cache. The client cache hit ratio can be improved by pre-populating the client cache with fingerprints that are relevant to the client. Relevant fingerprints include fingerprints used during a recent time period (e.g., fingerprints of segments that are included in the last full backup image and any following incremental backup images created for the client after the last full backup image), and thus are referred to as fingerprints with good temporal locality. Relevant fingerprints also include fingerprints associated with a storage container that has good spatial locality, and thus are referred to as fingerprints with good spatial locality. A pre-set threshold established for the client cache (e.g., threshold Tc) is used to determine whether a storage container (and thus fingerprints associated with the storage container) has good spatial locality.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for managing data in cloud storage using deduplication techniques is described. At least one unique segment of data is received from at least one backup source. The at least one unique segment of data is written to at least one container file associated with the at least one back up source. An index file is created for the at least one container file. The index file includes information regarding the unique segments of data. A plurality of the unique segments of data is transmitted from the at least one container file as an object to a virtual container on cloud storage. A virtual container is composed of an index file and one or more container files, and the index file and each container file are stored as individual cloud storage objects. Spatial locality of the plurality of unique segments of data is maintained in cloud storage.

Abstract: A method and system for efficient space management for single-instance-storage volumes is provided. A backup module storing data within a collection of containers according to access locality and retention time of the data, wherein the retention time defines an amount of time the data is stored within the collection of containers before deletion of the data, and the access locality comprises an order in which the data is to be accessed is further provided. A compaction module compacting the stored data by selecting at least two containers among the collection of containers, wherein the selection is performed using a predetermined criteria that includes access locality and retention time of the data is also provided. The compaction module distributes the data among the at least two containers. The compaction criteria creates an imbalance among the containers to create more empty, full, or nearly full containers.

Abstract: Containers that store data objects that were written to those containers during a particular backup are accessed. Then, a subset of the containers is identified; the containers in the subset have less than a threshold number of data objects associated with the particular backup. Data objects that are in containers in that subset and that are associated with the backup are copied to one or more other containers. Those other containers are subsequently used to restore data objects associated with the backup.

Abstract: A method for restoring deduplicated data may include receiving a request to restore a set of deduplicated data segments to a client system, where each data segment in the set of deduplicated data segments is referred to by one or more deduplication references. The method may also include procuring reference data that indicates, for each data segment in the set of deduplicated data segments, the number of deduplication references that point to the data segment. The method may further include using the reference data to select one or more data segments from the set of deduplicated data segments for client-side caching, caching the one or more data segments in a cache on the client system, and restoring the one or more data segments from the cache on the client system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for efficient space management for single-instance-storage volumes is provided. A backup module storing data within a collection of containers according to access locality and retention time of the data, wherein the retention time defines an amount of time the data is stored within the collection of containers before deletion of the data, and the access locality comprises an order in which the data is to be accessed is further provided. A compaction module compacting the stored data by selecting at least two containers among the collection of containers, wherein the selection is performed using a predetermined criteria that includes access locality and retention time of the data is also provided. The compaction module distributes the data among the at least two containers. The compaction criteria creates an imbalance among the containers to create more empty, full, or nearly full containers.

Abstract: A system and method for writing data segments to a backup storage medium. Data segments are sent from multiple clients to a shared backup server. The backup server writes the data segments for each client into separate container files and then flushes the data from the container files into the backup storage medium. After backing up all of the data segments from a single client, the server commits the transaction which includes flushing newly written data from any open files, closing the open files, and updating metadata for the newly written data. To reduce the amount of time needed to commit the transaction, the backup server flushes and closes container files prior to transaction commit time.

Abstract: A system and method for caching fingerprints in a client cache is provided. A data object that comprises a set of data segments and describes a backup process is identified. Thereafter, a request referencing the data object is made to a deduplication server to request that a task identifier be added to the data object. If the deduplication server is able to successfully add the task identifier to the data object, then an active identifier is added to each data segment from the set of data segments in a cache that is within a client system.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing increased scalability in deduplication storage systems may include (1) identifying a database that stores a plurality of reference objects, (2) determining that at least one size-related characteristic of the database has reached a predetermined threshold, (3) partitioning the database into a plurality of sub-databases capable of being updated independent of one another, (4) identifying a request to perform an update operation that updates one or more reference objects stored within at least one sub-database, and then (5) performing the update operation on less than all of the sub-databases to avoid processing costs associated with performing the update operation on all of the sub-databases. Various other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for restoring deduplicated data may include receiving a request to restore a set of deduplicated data segments to a client system, where each data segment in the set of deduplicated data segments is referred to by one or more deduplication references. The method may also include procuring reference data that indicates, for each data segment in the set of deduplicated data segments, the number of deduplication references that point to the data segment. The method may further include using the reference data to select one or more data segments from the set of deduplicated data segments for client-side caching, caching the one or more data segments in a cache on the client system, and restoring the one or more data segments from the cache on the client system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.