US 2010/0306176 A1 · DEDUPLICATION OF FILES

Abstract

Files may be stored by a plurality of director devices. At times, a central director archive may deduplicate a file by removing the file from each of the plurality of director devices that is storing the file. The archive generally stores all files stored by each of the director devices. In one example, a director archive includes a processing unit that generates a list of identifiers of files stored by the director archive device that should be removed from a director device in accordance with policies of the files, wherein the director archive device is configured to store copies of files stored by the director device, and wherein the director device is communicatively coupled to the director archive device, and a network interface that sends the list of identifiers to the director device to cause the director device to delete the files from local storage of the director device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

generating, by a director archive device, a list of identifiers of one or more files stored by the director archive device that should be removed from a director device in accordance with policies of the respective one or more files, wherein the director archive device stores copies of files stored by the director device, and wherein the director device is communicatively coupled to the director archive device;
and
sending the list of identifiers to the director device to cause the director device to delete the one or more files from local storage of the director device.

A director archive device comprising:

a processing unit configured to generate a list of identifiers of one or more files stored by the director archive device that should be removed from a director device in accordance with policies of the respective one or more files, wherein the director archive device is configured to store copies of files stored by the director device, and wherein the director device is communicatively coupled to the director archive device;
and
a network interface configured to send the list of identifiers to the director device to cause the director device to delete the one or more files from local storage of the director device.

A system comprising:

a director device configured to store a plurality of files;
and
a director archive device communicatively coupled to the director archive device comprising:
a computer-readable medium configured to store copies of the plurality of files stored by the director device;
a processing unit configured to generate a list of identifiers of one or more files stored by the director archive device that should be removed from the director device in accordance with policies of the respective one or more files;
and
a network interface configured to send the list of identifiers to the director device to cause the director device to delete the one or more files from local storage of the director device.

4 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that cause a processor of a director archive device to:

generate a list of identifiers of one or more files stored by the director archive device that should be removed from a director device in accordance with policies of the respective one or more files, wherein the director archive device stores copies of files stored by the director device, and wherein the director device is communicatively coupled to the director archive device;
and
send the list of identifiers to the director device to cause the director device to delete the one or more files from local storage of the director device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Deduplication of files

Life of this patent

Deduplication of files

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20