Method and system for efficient space management for single-instance-storage volumes

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• an interconnect coupled to said at least one processor;
• a network adapter for transmitting data to and receiving data from a single-instance-storage volume;
• and
• a computer-readable medium coupled to said at least one processor via said interconnect, said computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by said at least one processor to:
• store data within a plurality of containers as stored data, wherein
• the data is stored according to access locality of the data and retention time of the data,
• the retention time defines an amount of time the data is to be stored within the plurality of containers before deletion of this data, and
• the access locality comprises a probability that a group of data comprising the data will be accessed together,
• the stored data comprises a plurality of data segments, and
• the stored data is distributed among each of the plurality of containers such that each of the plurality of containers stores one or more different data segments of the plurality of data segments;
• delete one or more segments of the plurality of the stored data to generate remaining stored data, wherein
• the deletion creates one or more gaps among the remaining stored data;
• remove at least one of the one or more gaps by compacting the stored remaining data, wherein
• the compacting comprises:
• selecting at least two containers of the plurality of containers,
• the selecting is performed using a predetermined criteria, and
• the predetermined criteria comprises:
• the access locality of the remaining stored data, and
• retention time of the remaining stored data;
• and
• distribute the remaining stored data among said at least two containers.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for storing data within a plurality of containers as stored data, wherein the storing of the data is performed according to access locality of the data and retention time of the data,
• the retention time defines an amount of time the data is to be stored within the plurality of containers before deletion of said this data,
• the access locality comprises a probability that a group of data comprising the data will be accessed together,
• the stored data comprises a plurality of data segments, and
• the stored data is distributed among each of the plurality of containers such that each of the plurality of containers stores one or more different data segments of the plurality of data segments;
• means for deleting one or more segments of the plurality of data segments to generate remaining stored data, wherein
• the deleting creates one or more gaps among the remaining stored data;
• means for removing at least one of the one or more gaps by compacting the remaining stored data, wherein
• the compacting comprises:
• means for selecting at least two containers of the plurality of containers,
• the means for selecting uses a predetermined criteria, and
• the predetermined criteria comprises:
• access locality of the remaining stored data, and
• retention time of the remaining stored data;
• means for distributing the remaining stored data among the at least two containers;
• and
• network means for sending data to and receiving data from a single-instance-storage volume.