Network Appliance, Inc.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Netapp, Inc.

Collin Park

Stephen Lee Manley

Vijay Mohan Deshmukh

Kiyoshi James Komatsu

Pete Wyckoff

Trond Myklebust

One or more aspects of the disclosure relate to techniques for accessing a file stored in a clustered computing network, where the file is stored in the clustered computing network in a plurality of related volumes that stem from a particular (e.g., parent) volume. In the method, a request to retrieve the file from the particular volume is received at the client. The client then determines whether the file is stored in a client memory so as to be identified with the particular volume. If the file is not stored in the client memory so as to be identified with the particular volume, then the file is retrieved from a different but related volume.

Client data retrieval in a clustered computing network

Use of data images to allow release of unneeded data storage. An embodiment of a method includes generating a series of archives of a set of data, each archive of the series of archives being stored in a data storage. The method further includes releasing an older archive in the series of archives from the data storage after a new archive in the series of archives is generated. A point-in-time image of the data storage is generated after each new archive in the series of archives is generated, with the data captured by the image including data contained in the new archive.

Use of data images to allow release of unneeded data storage

A plurality of read-only, persistent point-in-time images (RPPIs) of a file system are maintained on a storage server. Each of these RPPIs is created to capture an update of the file system. The file system has at least one subset. If, for each subset of the file system, the file system has an RPPI, other than a first RPPI, having a corresponding subset identical to the first RPPI's corresponding subset, the first RPPI may be deleted, yet all updates captured by the first RPPI are still maintained by other RPPI or RPPIs.

Method and system for reducing the number of read-only, persistent point-in-time images on a storage server

Embodiments of the present invention include creating a subsequent backup copy of a data set by storing a full backup copy of the data set to reflect a state of a data set including blocks of data, at a first point in time. At a second point in time, after the first point in time, changes to the data set are identified. Next, as part of the subsequent backup copy, only each block of the data set which has been changed or added since the first point in time is stored.

Eliminating duplicate blocks during backup writes

A method and a apparatus for testing a software emulator while executing the software emulator on a target machine architecture are disclosed. The method may include the steps of executing a test program on a target machine architecture, with a test program producing a first output, executing an emulator on the target machine architecture, and the emulator executing the test program under emulation, with the test program producing a second output.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Collin Park