Deduplication database without reference counting

A computer-implemented method for updating a deduplication database, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving a request to add a record to a primary table within a deduplication database (DDB),
• wherein the primary table comprises a plurality of primary records containing information about deduplicated data blocks stored in a plurality of secondary storage devices,
• wherein, each of the plurality of primary records in the primary table comprises, at least:
• a primary record identifier,
• a unique signature for a corresponding data block, and
• a location of the corresponding data block within one of the plurality of secondary storage devices,
• wherein each of the plurality of primary records does not comprise a field for tracking number of times the corresponding data block is referenced in the plurality of secondary storage devices;
• upon completion of a secondary storage job, updating a secondary table, wherein the secondary table comprises one or more job records,
• wherein each job record comprises at least one or more job identifiers and at least one or more primary record identifiers;
• receiving or identifying a request to update the primary table;
• and
• in response to the request to update the primary table, using the secondary table and bitmap, removing at least one of the plurality of primary records not referenced in the one or more job records of the secondary table.

An information management system configured to update a deduplication database, the information management system comprising:

• one or more processors configured to:
• receive a request to add a record to a primary table within a deduplication database (DDB),
• wherein the primary table comprises a plurality of primary records containing information about deduplicated data blocks stored in a plurality of secondary storage devices,
• wherein, each of the plurality of primary records in the primary table comprises, at least:
• a primary record identifier,
• a unique signature for a corresponding data block, and
• a location of the corresponding data block within one of the plurality of secondary storage devices,
• wherein each of the plurality of primary records does not comprise a field for tracking number of times the corresponding data block is referenced in the plurality of secondary storage devices;
• upon completion of a secondary storage job, update a secondary table, wherein the secondary table comprises one or more job records,
• wherein each job record comprises at least one or more job identifiers and at least one or more primary record identifiers;
• for each primary record identifier identified in the primary table, query the secondary table for presence of that primary record identifier;
• when query results indicate that the primary record identifier is not referenced in one or more job records in the secondary table, remove, from the primary table, a corresponding record associated with the primary record identifier, wherein the removing of the corresponding record is executed by using a bitmap to track which records are not in the secondary table.