Patent attributes
A data storage system includes a head node and mass storage devices. The head node is configured to flush data stored in a storage of the head node to a set of the mass storage devices of the data storage system. A head node may flush both current version data and point-in-time version data to the set of mass storage devices. Also, the data storage system maintains an index that indicates storage locations of data for particular portions of a volume before and after the data is flushed to the set of mass storage devices. In some embodiments an index includes a current version reference for a volume or portion of a volume and one or more point-in-time snapshot references.