Abstract: Methods and systems for improving performance in a storage system utilizing snapshots are disclosed by using metadata management of snapshot data. Specifically, various metadata structures associated with snapshots are utilized to reduce the number of IO operations required to locate data within any specific snapshot. The number of IO operations are reduced by allowing the various metadata structures associated with the temporally current snapshot to locate data directly within any temporally earlier snapshot or on the original root volume.

Abstract: A method for communicating between at least one environment-independent application logic code (AL code) and at least one environment which is a combination of hardware and software. The method includes creating at least one interaction style code (IS code) that is specific to and communicates with the at least one environment, and is provided with an interaction style interface (IS interface) for interfacing an interaction style with said at least one application logic code (AL code). The interaction style interface (IS interface) is independent of and does not specify properties of said at least one environment, and the at least one environment-independent application logic code (AL code) runs unchanged in all environments. The at least one interaction style code (IS code) is operable with all of a graphical user interface, a non-graphical user interface, an HTML-based web browser user interface, and no user interface.

Abstract: Methods and systems for improving performance in a storage system utilizing snapshots are disclosed by using metadata management of snapshot data. Specifically, various metadata structures associated with snapshots are utilized to reduce the number of IO operations required to locate data within any specific snapshot. The number of IO operations are reduced by allowing the various metadata structures associated with the temporally current snapshot to locate data directly within any temporally earlier snapshot or on the original root volume.

Abstract: Methods and systems for metadata management in a storage system are disclosed. First level metadata is associated with a plurality of storage devices in a storage system. Entries in the first level metadata identify storage related attributes of corresponding portions on the plurality of storage devices. Entries in a second level metadata are associated with a corresponding plurality of entries in the first level metadata, where the second level metadata identifies metadata related attributes of the corresponding first level metadata entries. Responsive to receiving a request for a storage related attribute in the first level metadata table, the storage related attribute is derived from the second level metadata table, which reduces the first level metadata processing requirements and increases the performance of the storage system.

Abstract: A method for allowing at least one environment-independent application logic code to successfully communicate with at least one hardware component, the method comprising creating an interaction style code that interfaces with the hardware component, the interaction style code provided with an interaction style interface that is independent of properties of the hardware component for interfacing the interaction style with the application logic code.