Efficient data movement within file system volumes

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to efficiently managing data storage and efficiently storing data. In one scenario, a computer system receives a write request addressed to one portion of data storage within a data store. The computer system redirects the received write request to another portion of data storage which includes storage containers, each of which is a logically specified portion of the data store. The computer system determines which storage container the write request is to write to, and identifies a storage container that is to be de-staged from the second portion of data storage to the first portion of data storage. The computer system then de-stages the identified storage containers to the first portion of data storage, the data of the de-staged container being stored on the first portion of data storage in the same order in which the data was stored in the identified storage container prior to de-staging.

We claim: 
     
         1 . At a computer system including at least one processor, a computer-implemented method for efficiently managing data storage, the method comprising:
 receiving a write request addressed to a first data storage device within a data store system that presents a plurality of data storage devices as a single logical data store;   redirecting the received write request to a second data storage device within the data store system, the second data storage device including one or more storage containers, each storage container comprising a logically specified portion of the data store system;   determining which storage container the received write request is to write to on the second data storage device;   identifying a storage container that is to be de-staged from the second data storage device to the first data storage device; and   de-staging the identified storage container to the first data storage device, wherein the data of the de-staged container is stored on the first data storage device in the same order in which the data was stored in the identified storage container prior to the de-staging.