Checkpointing of metadata into user data area of a content addressable storage system

A method comprising:

• configuring storage devices of a storage system to provide a metadata area and a user data area, the user data area being separated into pages;
• initiating generation of one or more checkpoints in the storage system;
• and
• in conjunction with the generation of a given one of the one or more checkpoints in the storage system:
• storing checkpointed metadata from the metadata area in the user data area;
• and
• storing mapping information relating portions of the checkpointed metadata to respective pages of the user data area that store those portions of the checkpointed metadata, the mapping information comprising:
• a plurality of page location arrays each having a plurality of entries specifying respective locations of checkpointed metadata pages in the user data area;
• and
• one or more array location arrays each indexed by a corresponding set of page location array identifiers specifying respective locations of page location arrays in the user data area;
• wherein the method is implemented by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes said at least one processing device:

• to configure storage devices of a storage system to provide a metadata area and a user data area, the user data area being separated into pages;
• to initiate generation of one or more checkpoints in the storage system;
• and
• in conjunction with the generation of a given one of the one or more checkpoints in the storage system:
• to store checkpointed metadata from the metadata area in the user data area;
• and
• to store mapping information relating portions of the checkpointed metadata to respective pages of the user data area that store those portions of the checkpointed metadata, the mapping information comprising:
• a plurality of page location arrays each having a plurality of entries specifying respective locations of checkpointed metadata pages in the user data area;
• and
• one or more array location arrays each indexed by a corresponding set of page location array identifiers specifying respective locations of page location arrays in the user data area.