Hybrid garbage collection

1. A computer-implemented method for hybrid garbage collection of objects in a file system, the method comprising:

associating a reference counter with an object in the file system;

associating an expiration time with the object, the expiration time being a period of time for which the object is kept in the file system after the reference counter associated with the object becomes zero;

associating a version identifier with the object;

keeping the object in the file system while the reference counter of the object is non-zero; and

wherein in response to determining that the reference counter of the object is zero, keeping the object in the file system up to the expiration time associated with the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to a new reference referring to the object being added, increasing by one the reference counter associated with the object.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that a second reference counter associated with an existing reference referring to the object is zero; and

in response to the determination:

decreasing by one the reference counter of the object; and

setting the expiration time associated with the object to the latest of the expiration time of the object and an expiration time of the reference.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the reference counter associated with the object is zero and a new reference referring the object is added, a new reference counter associated with the new reference being non-zero; and

in response to the determination:

increasing by one the reference counter associated with the object; and

setting the expiration time associated with the object to the latest of the expiration time of the object and an expiration time of the new reference.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the version identifier is monotonically increased with a change of the file system, the change of the file system corresponding to adding at least one new object to the file system.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

assigning the same version identifier to the at least one new object and all objects added to the file system due to the addition of the at least one new object.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

keeping the object in the file system while the version identifier associated with the object is larger than a predefined maximum version.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

providing a chain of reference objects to subsequently refer versions of the object, wherein

a second reference object from the chain refers to a first version of the object;

a last reference object in the chain refers to a second-to-last version of the object;

a reference counter associated with a first reference object from the chain is set to one;

a reference counter associated with the last reference object from the chain is set to one; and

a reference counter associated with a reference object from the chain between the first reference object and the last reference object is equal to zero.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to adding a new version of the object to the file system:

determining an expiration time associated with the last reference object in the chain;

setting the reference counter associated with the last reference object in the chain to zero; and

adding a new reference object to an end of the chain, the new reference object referring to the new version of the object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the expiration time associated with the last reference object in the chain is calculated based on a time period between addition of a last version of the object and the new version of the object.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for hybrid garbage collection of objects in a file system, the method comprising:

associating a reference counter with an object in the file system;

associating an expiration time with the object, the expiration time being a period of time for which the object is kept in the file system after the reference counter associated with the object becomes zero;

associating a version identifier with the object;

keeping the object in the file system while the reference counter of the object is non-zero; and

wherein in response to determining that the reference counter of the object is zero, keeping the object in the file system up to the expiration time associated with the object.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising, in response to a new reference referring to the object being added, increasing by one the reference counter associated with the object.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining that a second reference counter associated with an existing reference referring to the object is zero; and

in response to the determination:

decreasing by one the reference counter of the object; and

setting the expiration time associated with the object to the latest of the expiration time of the object and an expiration time of the reference.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining that the reference counter associated with the object is zero and a new reference referring the object is added, a new reference counter associated with the new reference being non-zero; and

in response to the determination:

increasing by one the reference counter associated with the object; and

setting the expiration time associated with the object to the latest of the expiration time of the object and an expiration time of the new reference.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the version identifier is monotonically increased with a change of the file system, the change of the file system being associated with adding at least one new object to the file system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

assigning the same version identifier to the at least one new object and all objects added to the file system due to the addition of the at least one new object.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

keeping the object in the file system while the version identifier associated with the object is larger than a predefined maximum version.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing a chain of reference objects for subsequent reference versions of the object, wherein

a second reference object from the chain refers to a first version of the object;

a last reference object in the chain refers to a second-to-last version of the object;

a reference counter associated with a first reference object from the chain is set to one;

a reference counter associated with the last reference object from the chain is set to one; and

a reference counter associated with a reference object from the chain between the first reference object and the last reference object is equal to zero.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising, in response to adding a new version of the object to the file system:

determining an expiration time associated with the last reference object in the chain;

setting the reference counter associated with the last reference object in the chain to zero; and

adding a new reference object to an end of the chain, the new reference object referring to a previous newest version of the object.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the expiration time associated with the last reference object in the chain is calculated based on a time period between adding a last version of the object and the new version of the object.