What storage paradigm does FlexClone use to minimize space while providing writable copies?

What storage paradigm does FlexClone use to minimize space while providing writable copies?

• A. Copy-on-write semantics
• B. Full data duplication at clone time
• C. Immediate data remapping
• D. Sparse replications

Answer: (A)

FlexClone uses copy-on-write semantics to create writable copies while using minimal space. When a clone is created, the clone and the original share the same data blocks; no data is copied upfront. If the clone is written to, only the modified blocks are actually allocated and stored for the clone, leaving the original data untouched. This means the clone grows in space only as changes are made, making it fast to create and highly space-efficient. The other options describe approaches that would duplicate data or use different, nonstandard terms, which doesn’t fit how FlexClone achieves writable, space-saving clones.

FlexClone uses copy-on-write semantics to create writable copies while using minimal space. When a clone is created, the clone and the original share the same data blocks; no data is copied upfront. If the clone is written to, only the modified blocks are actually allocated and stored for the clone, leaving the original data untouched. This means the clone grows in space only as changes are made, making it fast to create and highly space-efficient. The other options describe approaches that would duplicate data or use different, nonstandard terms, which doesn’t fit how FlexClone achieves writable, space-saving clones.