# US 10,372,683 B1 · Method to determine a base file relationship between a current generation of files and a last replicated generation of files > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,683 B1 - Document ID: US10372683B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/083,958 - Filed: 2016-03-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29 - Assignees: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Applicants: EMC Corporation - Inventors: Xuan Wang; Bhimsen Bhanjois - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372683B1 ## CPC - G06F 16/178: Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems - G06F 11/1453: {using de-duplication of the data} - G06F 11/2094: {Redundant storage or storage space (G06F11/2056 takes precedence)} - G06F 11/2097: {maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated (initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups)} - G06F 16/125: {characterised by the use of retention policies (retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185)} - G06F 16/1752: {based on file chunks} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for data replication between two file systems is disclosed. A base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation may be constructed based on the generation-to-generation base file relationships of the intervening generations. The base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation may be utilized in the replication of the current generation of files to the replica file system to reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred while the files on the replica file system are more than one generation behind the current generation due to network outage or other issues. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: subsequent to creation of a current generation of files, determining all generation-to-generation base file relationships between any two consecutive generations of files within a range from a last replicated generation to the current generation; subsequent to creation of a current generation of files, determining all sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation based on the generation-to-generation base file relationships; subsequent to creation of the current generation of files, constructing a base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation based on all the sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation; and performing a data replication of the current generation of files from a source file system to a replica file system based on the base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation without replicating intervening generations of files between the current generation and the last replicated generation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the current generation of files is more than one generation after the last replicated generation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation comprises a set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation is an intersection of all the sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation is not transferred from source file system to the replica file system during the data replication of the current generation of files. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each generation of files comprises more than one files. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source file system is located on a first deduplication data storage system, and the replica file system is located on a second deduplication data storage system. ### Claim 8 A data storage system, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory or other data storage device and configured to: subsequent to creation of a current generation of files, determine all generation-to-generation base file relationships between any two consecutive generations of files within a range from a last replicated generation to the current generation; subsequent to creation of the current generation of files, determine all sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation based on the generation-to-generation base file relationships; subsequent to creation of the current generation of files, construct a base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation based on all the sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation; and perform a data replication of the current generation of files from a source file system to a replica file system based on the base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation without replicating intervening generations of files between the current generation and the last replicated generation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the current generation of files is more than one generation after the last replicated generation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation comprises a set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation is an intersection of all the sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation is not transferred from source file system to the replica file system during the data replication of the current generation of files. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein each generation of files comprises more than one files. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the source file system is located on a first deduplication data storage system, and the replica file system is located on a second deduplication data storage system. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein which, when executed by processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: subsequent to creation of a current generation of files, determining all generation-to-generation base file relationships between any two consecutive generations of files within a range from a last replicated generation to the current generation; subsequent to creation of the current generation of files, determining all sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation based on the generation-to-generation base file relationships; subsequent to creation of a current generation of files, constructing a base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation based on all the sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation; and performing a data replication of the current generation of files from a source file system to a replica file system based on the base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation without replicating intervening generations of files between the current generation and the last replicated generation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the current generation of files is more than one generation after the last replicated generation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the base file relationship between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation comprises a set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation is an intersection of all the sets of common regions of data between any two consecutive generations of files within the range from the last replicated generation to the current generation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of common regions of data between the current generation of files and the last replicated generation is not transferred from source file system to the replica file system during the data replication of the current generation of files. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each generation of files comprises more than one files. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the source file system is located on a first deduplication data storage system, and the replica file system is located on a second deduplication data storage system.