Providing instant and distributed access to a source blob via copy-on-read blobs and link blobs

A storage system, comprising:

• a processing unit comprising a processor circuit;
• and
• a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the storage system to:
• receive a first read request for first data;
• determine that the first data is not retrievable via a copy-on-read blob created based on a source blob;
• retrieve the first data via the source blob;
• copy the first data to a location associated with the copy-on-read blob;
• and
• return the first data from the location in response to the first read request.

A computer-readable storage medium having program instructions recorded thereon that, when executed by a processing unit comprising a processing circuit, perform a method on a storage system comprising a server, the method comprising:

• receiving a first read request for first data;
• determining that the first data is not retrievable via a copy-on-read blob created based on a source blob;
• retrieving the first data via the source blob;
• copying the first data to a location associated with the copy-on-read blob;
• and
• returning the first data from the location in response to the first read request.