System and method for fast backup and restoring using sorted hashes

A system for data backup, the system comprising:

• a set of data blocks located on a storage media subject to a backup;
• a backup storage for backup of the data blocks;
• a module for generating hash values of the data blocks;
• location pointers corresponding to the data blocks;
• a hash table for storing the location pointers and hash values corresponding to the data blocks, wherein:
• the hash values are sorted and compared against the hash values from the hash table corresponding to previously backed up data blocks;
• the location pointers of the data blocks are stored, if the hash values match the hash values corresponding to the previously backed up data blocks;
• the matching hash values are deleted and remaining unique hash values are stored into the hash table;
• the data blocks corresponding to the unique hash values are backed up to the backup storage;
• redundant data block locations of data blocks in the backup data storage that are absent from the hash table are identified;
• the backup data storage is divided into containers;
• a number of redundant data blocks in each container is determined;
• and
• whether to delete a redundant data block is determined based on a ratio of the number of redundant data blocks in a corresponding container to the number of used data blocks in the corresponding container.