Policy-based, multi-scheme data reduction for computer memory

A computer program product for implementing policy-based, multi-scheme data reduction in a computer memory, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising:
• receiving, by a policy engine of the computer memory, a plurality of policy rules comprising a first policy rule that specifies applying a first data reduction scheme to data in the computer memory that matches first characteristics and a second policy rule that specifies applying a second data reduction scheme to data in the computer memory that matches second characteristics, wherein the first data reduction scheme is different from the second data reduction scheme;
• determining, by the policy engine, that first data in the computer memory matches the first characteristics;
• determining, by the policy engine, that second data in the computer memory matches the second characteristics;
• applying the first data reduction scheme to the first data;
• modifying a metadata block corresponding to the first data and the second data to indicate that the first data reduction scheme was applied to the first data;
• applying the second data reduction scheme to the second data;
• and
• modifying the metadata block to indicate that the second data reduction scheme was applied to the second data.

A computer system configured to implement policy-based, multi-scheme data reduction, the system comprising:

• a computer memory storing computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the computer memory and configured to access the computer memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:
• receive, by a policy engine of the computer memory, a plurality of policy rules comprising a first policy rule that specifies applying a first data reduction scheme to data in the computer memory that matches first characteristics and a second policy rule that specifies applying a second data reduction scheme to data in the computer memory that matches second characteristics, wherein the first data reduction scheme is different from the second data reduction scheme;
• determine, by the policy engine, that first data in the computer memory matches the first characteristics;
• determine, by the policy engine, that second data in the computer memory matches the second characteristics;
• apply the first data reduction scheme to the first data;
• modifying a metadata block corresponding to the first data and the second data to indicate that the first data reduction scheme was applied to the first data;
• apply the second data reduction scheme to the second data;
• and
• modifying the metadata block to indicate that the second data reduction scheme was applied to the second data.