Copy process substituting compressible bit pattern for any unqualified data objects

A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to copy data, comprising:

• receiving a request to copy a body of source data to specified target storage;
• reviewing contents of the source data to identify data objects therein;
• for each identified data object, performing copy operations comprising:
• consulting prescribed metadata records to determine whether a copy of the identified data object already exists in the target storage;
• only if a copy does not already exist, performing operations comprising:
• applying prescribed criteria to determine whether the identified data object qualifies for copying;
• forming a copy of the identified data object in target storage, comprising:
• if the data object qualifies for copying, writing the data object to the target storage;
• if the data object does not qualify for copying, instead of writing the data object writing a predetermined bit pattern to the specified target storage;
• responsive to completion of the forming operation, updating the metadata records to indicate that the data object exists in the specified target storage regardless of whether the data object was replaced with a predetermined bit pattern rather than being physically written to the specified target storage.

A logic circuit of multiple interconnected electrically conductive elements configured to perform operations to copy data comprising:

• receiving a request to copy a body of source data to specified target storage;
• reviewing contents of the source data to identify data objects therein;
• for each identified data object, performing copy operations comprising:
• consulting prescribed metadata records to determine whether a copy of the identified data object already exists in the target storage;
• only if a copy does not already exist, performing operations comprising:
• applying prescribed criteria to determine whether the identified data object qualifies for copying;
• forming a copy of the identified data object in target storage, comprising:
• if the data object qualifies for copying, writing the data object to the target storage;
• if the data object does not qualify for copying, instead of writing the data object writing a predetermined bit pattern to the specified target storage;
• responsive to completion of the forming operation, updating the metadata records to indicate that the data object exists in the specified target storage regardless of whether the data object was replaced with a predetermined bit pattern rather than being physically written to the specified target storage.

A data storage system, comprising:

• digital data storage including a body of source data;
• metadata;
• a storage director, programmed to perform copy operations comprising:
• receiving a request to copy a body of source data to specified target storage of the digital data storage;
• reviewing contents of the source data to identify data objects therein;
• for each identified data object, performing copy operations comprising:
• consulting the metadata to determine whether a copy of the identified data object already exists in the target storage;
• only if a copy does not already exist, performing operations comprising:
• applying prescribed criteria to determine whether the identified data object qualifies for copying;
• forming a copy of the identified data object in target storage, comprising:
• if the data object qualifies for copying, writing the data object to the target storage;
• if the data object does not qualify for copying, instead of writing the data object writing a predetermined bit pattern to the specified target storage;
• responsive to completion of the forming operation, updating the metadata to indicate that the data object exists in the specified target storage regardless of whether the data object was replaced with a predetermined bit pattern rather than being physically written to the specified target storage.

A data storage system, comprising:

• first means for storing digital data including a body of source data;
• second means for storing metadata;
• third means for copying data of the digital data storage by:
• receiving a request to copy a body of source data to specified target storage in the first means;
• reviewing contents of the source data to identify data objects therein;
• for each identified data object, performing copy operations comprising:
• consulting the second means to determine whether a copy of the identified data object already exists in the target storage;
• only if a copy does not already exist, performing operations comprising:
• applying prescribed criteria to determine whether the identified data object qualifies for copying;
• forming a copy of the identified data object in target storage, comprising:
• if the data object qualifies for copying, writing the data object to target storage;
• if the data object does not qualify for copying, instead of writing the data object writing a predetermined bit pattern to the specified target storage;
• responsive to completion of the forming operation, updating the second means to indicate that the data object exists in the specified target storage regardless of whether the data object was replaced with a predetermined bit pattern rather than being physically written to the specified target storage.