Technique for remapping data in a storage management system

A method for remapping data in a storage management system having a time store and a current store, the current store maintaining a mirror copy of current data of a storage system and the time store recording copy-on-write data for historical data of the storage system, the method comprising:

• selecting a zone in the storage system for which access requests for historical data are anticipated;
• identifying, in the time store, one or more first storage locations containing copy-on-write data for the historical data associated with the zone;
• recording the one or more first storage locations in a mapping list to facilitate subsequent access requests for the historical data associated with the zone;
• updating the mapping list to reflect relevant changes in the copy-on-write data in the time store;
• identifying, in the current store, one or more second storage locations corresponding to a portion of the zone for which there is no copy-on-write data available in the time store;
• and
• recording the one or more second storage locations in the mapping list;
• wherein the historical data associated with the zone existed therein at a past time specified in the anticipated and subsequent access requests.

A system for remapping data in a storage management system having backup data that enable restoration of historical data of a storage system, the system comprising:

• means for receiving at least one access request for a first set of historical data;
• means for identifying a second set of historical data, wherein the first set of historical data is a subset of the second set of historical data;
• means for identifying, in the storage management system, one or more storage locations containing backup data for the second set of historical data;
• means for storing a mapping list of the one or more identified storage locations to facilitate subsequent access requests for any of the second set of historical data;
• means for updating the stored mapping list to reflect changes made to the backup data for the second set of historical data;
• means for receiving a subsequent access request for a third set of historical data;
• and
• means for fulfilling the subsequent access request based on the stored mapping list of the one or more identified storage locations if the third set of historical data is a subset of the second set of historical data.

A system for remapping data in a storage management system having a time store and a current store, the current store maintaining a mirror copy of current data of a storage system and the time store recording copy-on-write data for historical data of the storage system, the system comprising:

• means for selecting a zone in the storage system for which access requests for historical data are anticipated;
• means for identifying, in the time store, one or more first storage locations containing copy-on-write data for the historical data associated with the zone;
• means for recording the one or more first storage locations in a mapping list to facilitate subsequent access requests for the historical data associated with the zone;
• means for updating the mapping list to reflect relevant changes in the copy-on-write data in the time store;
• means for identifying, in the current store, one or more second storage locations corresponding to a portion of the zone for which there is no copy-on-write data available in the time store;
• and
• means for recording the one or more second storage locations in the mapping list;
• wherein the historical data associated with the zone existed therein at a past time specified in the anticipated and subsequent access requests.