Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing deduplicated images of data objects that change over time. The method includes: organizing unique content of each data object as a plurality of content segments and storing the content segments in a data store; for each data object, creating an organized arrangement of hash structures, wherein each structure, for a subset of the hash structures, includes a hash signature for a corresponding content segment and is associated with a reference to the corresponding content segment, and for each data object, maintaining an organized arrangement of temporal structures to represent a corresponding data object over time, wherein each structure is associated with a temporal state of the data object, and wherein each temporal state is associated with the hash structures representing the content of the data object during that temporal state.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for storing deduplicated images in which a portion of the image is stored in encoded form directly in a hash table, the method comprising: organizing unique content of each data object as a plurality of content segments and storing the content segments in a data store; receiving content to be included in the deduplicated image of the data object; determining if the received content may be encoded using a predefined non-lossy encoding technique and in which the encoded value would fit within the field for containing a hash signature; if so, placing the encoding in the field and marking the hash structure to indicate that the field contains encoded content; otherwise, generating a hash signature for the received content and placing the hash signature in the field and placing the received content in a corresponding content segment if it is unique.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing garbage collection to identify content segments no longer referenced in a deduplicating storage system in which redundant mark operations in a mark-and-sweep technique are avoided. An organized arrangement of hash structures is created for each data object, wherein each structure includes a hash signature for a corresponding content segment and is associated with a reference to the corresponding content segment, and the logical organization of the arrangement represents the logical organization of the content segments as they are represented within the data object. Additionally, for each data object, temporal states are maintained over time. Garbage collection iterates over the temporal structures and, for each temporal structure, marks the garbage collection state for the associated content segments for only the content segments that have changed relative to an immediately prior temporal state of the data object.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for forming deduplicated images of a data object that changes over time using difference information between temporal states of the data object. The method includes organizing the content of the data object for a first temporal state as a plurality of content segments and storing the content segments in a data store; creating an organized arrangement of hash structures to represent the data object in its first temporal state; receiving difference information for the data object; forming at least one hash signature for the changed content; and storing the changed content that is unique in the data store as content segments, whereby a deduplicated image of the data object for a second temporal state is stored without requiring reception of a complete image of the data object for the second temporal state.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for using a first deduplicating store to update a second deduplicating store with information representing how data objects change over time, said method comprising: at a first and a second deduplicating store, for each data object, maintaining an organized arrangement of temporal structures to represent a corresponding data object over time, wherein each structure is associated with a temporal state of the data object and wherein the logical arrangement of structures is indicative of the changing temporal states of the data object; finding a temporal state that is common to and in temporal proximity to the current state of the first and second deduplicating stores; and compiling and sending a set of hash signatures for the content that has changed from the common state to the current temporal state of the first deduplicating store.

Abstract: Systems and methods for backing-up data from a first storage pool to a second storage pool using difference information between time states are disclosed. The system has a data management engine for performing data management functions, including at least a back-up function to create a back-up copy of data. By executing a sequence of snapshot operations to create point-in-time images of application data on a first storage pool, each successive point-in-time image corresponding to a specific, successive time-state of the application data, a series of snapshots is created. The snapshots are then used to create difference information indicating which application data has changed and the content of the changed application data for the corresponding time state. This difference information is then sent to a second storage pool to create a back-up copy of data for the current time-state.

Abstract: A system includes logic to cache at least one block in at least one cache if the block has a popularity that compares favorably to the popularity of other blocks in the cache, where the popularity of the block is determined by reads of the block from persistent storage and reads of the block from the cache.

Abstract: A system includes logic to cache at least one block in at least one cache if the block has a popularity that compares favorably to the popularity of other blocks in the cache, where the popularity of the block is determined by reads of the block from persistent storage and reads of the block from the cache.

Abstract: Systems and methods for streaming of multimedia files over a network are described. A streaming delivery accelerator (SDA) caches content from a content provider and streams the cached content to a user. Cached content is incrementally added to the cache memory, and the SDA is disconnected from the content provider when sufficient content for a predetermined time of play has been received. The caching process can be iterative, with only content not previously retained in the cache requested from the content provider. A method for cache eviction of content no longer of interest to users is also described.