Optimizing snapshot lookups

A method for use in a storage system, the method comprising:

• maintaining a medium mapping table to map underlying mediums to active mediums, wherein each underlying medium represents a snapshot;
• maintaining an address translation table to map mediums to locations within the one or more storage devices;
• initiating a search optimization operation for a first range of a first medium, wherein the search optimization operation comprises collapsing the medium mapping table for the first range of the first medium, and wherein the first range of the first medium has at least one underlying medium;
• creating one or more first entries in the address translation table;
• assigning the one or more first entries to the first range of the first medium;
• and
• copying attributes from one or more second entries in the address translation table to the first entries, wherein the second entries are assigned to a second medium, and wherein the second medium underlies the first range of the first medium

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to

• maintain a medium mapping table to map underlying mediums to active mediums, wherein each underlying medium represents a snapshot;
• maintain an address translation table to map mediums to locations within the one or more storage devices;
• initiate a search optimization operation for a first range of a first medium, wherein the search optimization operation comprises collapsing the medium mapping table for the first range of the first medium, and wherein the first range of the first medium has at least one underlying medium;
• create one or more first entries in the address translation table;
• assign the one or more first entries to the first range of the first medium;
• and
• copy attributes from one or more second entries in the address translation table to the first entries, wherein the second entries are assigned to a second medium, and wherein the second medium underlies the first range of the first medium.