Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for processing data. The method includes receiving a write request from a host, and in response to the write request, obtaining system metadata for a system, selecting, based on the system metadata, a selected component of the system to perform a data processing operation, and initiating the data processing operation on the selected component.

Abstract: A method for storing data includes receiving, by a data cluster, a request to store data from a host, deduplicating, by the data cluster, the data to obtain deduplicated data on a first data node, replicating the deduplicated data to generate a plurality of replicas, and storing a first replica of the plurality of replicas on a second data node and a second replica of the plurality of replicas on a third data node, wherein the first data node, the second data node and the third data node are in the data cluster.

Abstract: A data deduplication system includes a data deduplication subsystem coupled to each of a host system and a storage system. The data deduplication system receives data from the host system, generates a data deduplication identifier for the data, and determines whether the data deduplication identifier for the data is stored in a data deduplication database. In response to determining that the data deduplication identifier is not stored in the data deduplication database, the data deduplication system stores the data deduplication identifier for the data in the data deduplication database in association with a data counter for the data, and transmits the data to the storage system for storage. In response to determining that the data deduplication identifier is stored in the data deduplication database, the data deduplication system increments a data counter that is associated with the data deduplication identifier in the data deduplication database, and discards the data.