Method of minimizing the amount of network bandwidth needed to copy data between data deduplication storage systems

A method for minimizing the amount of network bandwidth needed to copy data between a first data storage location, data on the first storage location employing data deduplication, and a second data storage location, data on the first storage location employing data deduplication, said method comprising:

• compiling a first list of unique fingerprints from data to be sent that resides on a first data storage location;
• transmitting the first list from the first storage location to a second storage location;
• based on the first list of unique fingerprints, compiling a second list of unique fingerprints corresponding to a subset of non-duplicative data which needs to be sent and a third list of unique fingerprints corresponding to a subset of duplicative data which needs to be omitted from the transfer;
• determining which of the second list and third list is smaller;
• transmitting the one of the second list and the third list that is smaller from the second storage location to the first storage location;
• and
• transmitting non-duplicative data from the first storage location to the second storage location based on the one of the second list and the third list that is received.

A data storage system, comprising:

• a first data storage location, data on the first storage location employing data deduplication;
• a second data storage location connected to the first data storage location, data on the first storage location employing data deduplication;
• said first data storage location configured and arranged to compile a first list of unique fingerprints from data to be sent that resides on a first data storage location, said first data storage location further configured and arranged to transmit the first list from the first storage location to a second storage location;
• said second storage location configured and arranged to determine the subset of non-duplicative data that needs to be sent based on the first list received from the first storage location;
• and
• said first storage location further configured and arranged to transmit non-duplicative data from the first storage location to the second storage location based on the subset of non-duplicative data that needs to be sent that was previously determined by the second storage location.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for minimizing the amount of network bandwidth needed to copy data between a first data storage location employing data deduplication and a second data storage location employing data deduplication, said method comprising:

• compiling a first list of unique fingerprints from data to be sent that resides on a first data storage location;
• transmitting the first list from the first storage location to a second storage location;
• determining the subset of non-duplicative data that needs to be sent;
• and
• transmitting non-duplicative data from the first storage location to the second storage location based on the subset of non-duplicative data that needs to be sent that was previously determined.