Systems and methods for a snapshot of data

A system for tracking snapshots of a file system, the system comprising:

• at least one computer processor;
• at least one memory;
• a file structure comprising a plurality of files and directories that are logically stored in a tree on the at least one memory;
• a plurality of metadata structures, each metadata structure corresponding to a file or directory of the file structure, each metadata structure comprising a governance list, the governance list comprising one or more snapshot identifiers, each snapshot identifier uniquely identifying a snapshot governing the file or directory and indicating when the snapshot was taken, each snapshot identifier based on a global count of the file system at a time when its corresponding snapshot was taken, the global count indicating a time relative to when a snapshot is taken;
• at least one executable software module executed by the at least one computer processor and configured to:
• access a target metadata structure corresponding to a target file or directory of the file structure;
• compare the most recent snapshot identifier of the governance list of the target metadata structure with the global count of the file system, the most recent snapshot identifier indicating when the most recent snapshot was taken relative to the global count;
• based on the comparison of the most recent snapshot identifier to the global count, determine that one or more ancestors of the target metadata structure must be accessed;
• access at least one ancestor metadata structure of the target metadata structure;
• determine that a snapshot identifier of the governance list of the at least one ancestor metadata structure is more recent than the most recent snapshot identifier of the governance list of the target metadata node;
• and
• add the more recent snapshot identifier of the governance list of the at least one ancestor metadata structure to the governance list of the target metadata structure.