US 12,430,055 B2
System and method for expanding the lifetime of virtual entries in data storage systems
Alexander Shknevsky, Fair Lawn, NJ (US); Vamsi K. Vankamamidi, Hopkinton, MA (US); and Uri Shabi, Tel Mond (IL)
Assigned to Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/428,161.
Prior Publication US 2025/0244899 A1, Jul. 31, 2025
Int. Cl. G06F 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/0641 (2013.01) [G06F 3/0604 (2013.01); G06F 3/0667 (2013.01); G06F 3/0679 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, comprising:
monitoring a deduplication function of a virtual layer of a data storage system;
incrementing a reference count of a virtual entry when a data page is written to a physical layer of the data storage system;
decrementing the reference count of the virtual entry when a data page is deleted from the virtual layer;
maintaining the virtual entry in the virtual layer when the reference count reaches a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is zero;
determining whether a predetermined action of the data storage system is to be performed;
reclaiming the virtual entry when the predetermined action of the data storage system is to be performed, wherein the predetermined action of the data storage system includes performing a flush operation when the predetermined value is zero; and
reviving the virtual entry when the predetermined action is not to be performed.