System and method for creating deduplicated copies of data by tracking temporal relationships among copies and by ingesting difference data

摘要

Systems and methods are disclosed for forming deduplicated images of a data object that changes over time using difference information between temporal states of the data object. The method includes organizing the content of the data object for a first temporal state as a plurality of content segments and storing the content segments in a data store; creating an organized arrangement of hash structures to represent the data object in its first temporal state; receiving difference information for the data object; forming at least one hash signature for the changed content; and storing the changed content that is unique in the data store as content segments, whereby a deduplicated image of the data object for a second temporal state is stored without requiring reception of a complete image of the data object for the second temporal state.