Systems and methods for improving the efficiency of point-in-time representations of databases

A system for improving the efficiency of point-in-time representations of databases, the system comprising:

• an identification module, stored in memory, that identifies a database that references:
• one or more utilized storage locations that store substantive data;
• one or more allocated unutilized storage locations that are currently storing non-substantive data comprising one or more characters that do not represent a portion of a file;
• a query module, stored in memory, that queries a database management application for metadata that identifies the allocated unutilized storage locations;
• a creation module, stored in memory, that creates a point-in-time representation of the database such that the database and the point-in-time representation of the database both reference the substantive data stored in the utilized storage locations but the point-in-time representation does not reference the allocated unutilized storage locations, wherein creating the point-in-time representative of the database comprises:
• identifying, based at least in part on the metadata, the allocated unutilized storage locations that are currently storing the non-substantive data;
• flagging the allocated unutilized storage locations in connection with the point-in-time representation of the database;
• a detection module, stored in memory, that detects a request to write certain substantive data to at least one of the allocated unutilized storage locations flagged in connection with the point-in-time representation of the database;
• an Input/Output module, stored in memory, that satisfies the request while refraining from performing a copy-on-write operation on the at least one of the allocated unutilized storage locations due at least in part to the at least one of the allocated unutilized storage locations currently storing the non-substantive data;
• wherein the detection module further detects another request to write at least some substantive data to at least one of the utilized storage locations referenced by the point-in-time representation;
• wherein the Input/Output module further performs a copy-on-write operation on the at least one of the utilized storage locations due at least in part to the at least one of the utilized storage locations storing substantive data;
• at least one physical processor that executes the identification module, the query module, the creation module, the detection module, and the Input/Output module.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• identify a database that references:
• one or more utilized storage locations that store substantive data;
• one or more allocated unutilized storage locations that are currently storing non-substantive data comprising one or more characters that do not represent a portion of a file;
• create a point-in-time representation of the database such that the database and the point-in-time representation of the database both reference the substantive data stored in the utilized storage locations but the point-in-time representation does not reference the allocated unutilized storage locations, wherein creating the point-in-time representative of the database comprises:
• identifying the allocated unutilized storage locations that are currently storing the non-substantive data by querying a database management application for metadata that identifies the allocated unutilized storage locations;
• flagging the allocated unutilized storage locations in connection with the point-in-time representation of the database;
• detect a request to write certain substantive data to at least one of the allocated unutilized storage locations flagged in connection with the point-in-time representation of the database;
• satisfy the request while refraining from performing a copy-on-write operation on the at least one of the allocated unutilized storage locations due at least in part to the at least one of the allocated unutilized storage locations currently storing the non-substantive data;
• detect another request to write at least some substantive data to at least one of the utilized storage locations referenced by the point-in-time representation;
• perform, in response to detecting the another request, a copy-on-write operation on the at least one of the utilized storage locations due at least in part to the at least one of the utilized storage locations storing substantive data.