Reclaiming space from a file system

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for avoiding unnecessary read-modify-write operations in a storage system that, when executed by a storage computer, cause the storage computer to:

• write a first file having a predetermined block size to a volume in a logical block;
• take a snapshot of the volume, the snapshot including an image of the logical block;
• delete the first file from the volume;
• mark the first file as unwritten or invalid;
• and
• write a second file having a size less than the predetermined block size to the volume in the logical block, wherein the second file is written without performing a read-modify-write operation on data in the snapshot.

A computer-implemented method for replicating space reclamation information between a first storage computer and a second storage computer in a storage system, the method comprising:

• maintaining a volume with the first storage computer;
• maintaining a duplicate of the volume with the second storage computer;
• writing a first file having a predetermined block size to the volume in a logical block;
• taking a snapshot of the volume, the snapshot including an image of the logical block;
• deleting the first file from the volume;
• creating a temporary dummy file;
• expanding the temporary dummy file to fill at least a portion of the volume;
• identifying physical regions of the volume occupied by the temporary dummy file, wherein the physical regions include the logical block;
• marking the first file as unwritten or invalid in the volume;
• transmitting the identified physical regions including the logical block from the first storage computer to the second storage computer;
• and
• writing a second file having a size less than the predetermined block size to the volume in the logical block, wherein the second file is written without performing a read-modify-write operation on data in the snapshot.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for replicating space reclamation information between a first storage computer and a second storage computer in a storage system that, when executed by the first storage computer, cause the first storage computer to:

• maintain a volume;
• write a first file having a predetermined block size to the volume in a logical block;
• take a snapshot of the volume, the snapshot including an image of the logical block;
• delete the first file from the volume;
• create a temporary dummy file;
• expand the temporary dummy file to fill at least a portion of the volume;
• identify physical regions of the volume occupied by the temporary dummy file, wherein the physical regions include the logical block;
• mark the first file as unwritten or invalid in the volume;
• communicate the identified physical regions including the logical block from the first storage computer to the second storage computer;
• and
• write a second file having a size less than the predetermined block size to the volume in the logical block, wherein the second file is written without performing a read-modify-write operation on data in the snapshot.