Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for merging a sequence of delta files is described. The delta files together define a series of changes between a base file and an updated file, each delta file defining one or more changes in terms of one or more unique tokens each identifying original data or of one or more reused tokens identifying data reused from the immediately preceding delta file or the base file. The method comprises creating an initial merge structure from the base file and the first delta file in the sequence. A further merge structure is created from the initial merge structure and the next delta file in the sequence by comparing tokens in the initial merge structures and replacing reused tokens in the further merge structure with tokens in the initial merge structure. The initial merge structure is then replaced with the further merge structure so that the further merge structure becomes the initial merge structure.

Abstract: A checkpoint which describes a base file is produced by dividing the base file into a series of segments; generating for each segment a segment description; and creating from the generated segment descriptions a segment description structure as the checkpoint. The segment descriptions represent segments of the base file at a minimum level of resolution sufficient to represent distinctly the segment. A difference file which defines differences between an updated file and the base file is produced by generating at different levels of resolution segment descriptions for segments in the updated file and comparing the generated segment descriptions with segment descriptions in the checkpoint to identify matching and non-matching segments. Data identifying segments in the updated file that match segments in the base file and data representing portions of the updated file at a minimum level of resolution sufficient to represent distinctly the portion are stored as the difference file.