Mapping structure for maintaining metadata for snapshots in a virtualized storage environment

A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute a method for obtaining metadata for a virtual disk (vDisk) from snapshots using a mapping structure in a virtualized storage environment, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for an I/O operation on a vDisk;
• determining whether an entry corresponding to the vDisk is available in a mapping structure, the mapping structure configured to identify which entries in a metadata structure contain metadata for fulfilling the I/O operation;
• traversing the metadata structure to locate the metadata upon determination that the entry is not available in the mapping structure, wherein traversal of the metadata structure occurs after determining whether the entry corresponding to the vDisk is available in the mapping structure;
• and
• obtaining a location of the metadata in the metadata structure by retrieving the entry in the mapping structure upon determination that the entry is available in the mapping structure.

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory comprising computer code executed using the processor, in which the computer code implements a method for obtaining metadata for a virtual disk (vDisk) from snapshots using a mapping structure in a virtualized storage environment, the method comprising:
• receiving a request for an I/O operation on a vDisk;
• determining whether an entry corresponding to the vDisk is available in a mapping structure, the mapping structure configured to identify which entries in a metadata structure contain metadata for fulfilling the I/O operation;
• traversing the metadata structure to locate the metadata upon determination that the entry is not available in the mapping structure, wherein traversal of the metadata structure occurs after determining whether the entry corresponding to the vDisk is available in the mapping structure;
• and
• obtaining a location of the metadata in the metadata structure by retrieving the entry in the mapping structure upon determination that the entry is available in the mapping structure.