High availability distributed deduplicated storage system

A method of performing a storage operation in a distributed, deduplicated storage system, comprising:

• receiving a request to perform a storage operation corresponding to a first data block,
• wherein the request to perform the storage operation is initiated according to a storage policy,
• wherein the storage policy comprises a set of settings or preferences for performing storage operations to data stored on one or more devices assigned or associated with the storage policy,
• wherein a plurality of deduplication database computing devices comprises a first deduplication database computing device and a second deduplication database computing device, and
• wherein the first deduplication database computing device is configured to store a first subset of signature blocks and is designated as a failover deduplication database computing device for the second deduplication database computing device;
• in response to the request and using one or more processors, identifying that the second deduplication database computing device is assigned to store a first signature corresponding to the first data block;
• determining that the second deduplication database computing device is unavailable;
• determining that the first signature is stored in the first deduplication database computing device,
• wherein the first subset of signature blocks comprises a first signature block, and
• wherein the first signature block comprises the first signature, and an indication of a location of the first data block in a secondary storage device;
• and
• in response to determining that the first signature is not stored in the second deduplication database computing device, querying the first deduplication database computing device for the first signature and the location of the first data block in the secondary storage device.

A distributed deduplicated storage system, comprising:

• a first deduplication database computing device configured to store a first subset of signature blocks;
• and
• a second deduplication database computing device,
• wherein the first deduplication database computing device is designated as a failover deduplication database computing device for the second deduplication database computing device,
• wherein the second deduplication database computing device is configured to:
• receive a request to perform a storage operation corresponding to a first data block,
• wherein the request to perform the storage operation is initiated according to a storage policy,
• wherein the storage policy comprises a set of settings or preferences for performing storage operations to data stored on one or more devices assigned or associated with the storage policy;
• identify that the second deduplication database computing device is assigned to store a first signature corresponding to the first data block;
• determine that the second deduplication database computing device is unavailable;
• determine that the first signature is stored in the first deduplication database computing device,
• wherein the first subset of signature blocks comprises a first signature block, and
• wherein the first signature block comprises the first signature, and an indication of a location of the first data block in a secondary storage device;
• and
• in response to determining that the first signature is not stored in the second deduplication database computing device, querying the first deduplication database computing device for the first signature and the location of the first data block in the secondary storage device.