Method and apparatus for replicating virtual machine images using deduplication metadata

A system, comprising:

• a first storage device configured to store data representing a first instance of a virtual machine image;
• a processor configured to
• copy a deduplication metadata file that describes the first instance of the virtual machine image from the first storage device to a second storage device, wherein the deduplication metadata file comprises a list of one or more virtual machine image data files for the first instance of the virtual machine image and associated reference links to data blocks of the one or more virtual machine image data files,
• determine, based on metadata describing the data blocks of the one or more virtual machine image data files in the deduplication metadata file, which data representing the first instance of the virtual machine image matches data from a set of data on the second storage device, and
• form a second instance of a virtual machine image on the second storage device based on the metadata description in the deduplication metadata file to replicate the first instance of a virtual machine image at the second storage device, the processor being further configured,
• link the second instance of a virtual machine image to at least a portion of the set of data on the second storage device for data representing the first instance of a virtual machine image that matches data from the set of data on the second storage device,
• to form the second instance of a virtual machine image without transferring underlying blocks of data for the one or more virtual machine image data files from the first storage device to the second storage device.

A method, comprising:

• identifying data representing a first instance of a virtual machine image on a first storage device to be replicated to a second storage device;
• copying a deduplication metadata file that describes the first instance of the virtual machine image from the first node to the second node, wherein the deduplication metadata file comprises a list of one or more virtual machine image data files for the first instance of the virtual machine image and associated reference links to data blocks of the one or more virtual machine image data files;
• determining which data representing the first instance of the virtual machine image matches data from a set of data on the second storage device, wherein determining which data representing the first instance of a virtual machine image matches data from the set of data on the second storage device further comprises:
• determining a block number associated with the first instance of the virtual machine image on the first storage device;
• determining a hash value associated with the first instance of the virtual machine image based on the block number;
• determining the data representing the first instance of the virtual machine image on the first storage device matches data from the set of data on the second storage device based on the hash value;
• forming a second instance of the virtual machine image on the second storage device to replicate the first instance of the virtual machine image at the second storage device, wherein forming the second instance of the virtual machine image on the second storage device further comprises:
• linking the second instance of the virtual machine image to at least a portion of the set of data on the second storage device for data representing the first instance of the virtual machine image that matches data from the set of data on the second storage device
• to form the second instance of the virtual machine image without transferring underlying blocks of data for the one or more virtual machine data files from the first storage device to the second storage device.