A system, method and computer readable medium for providing a file system snapshot
with ditto address feature is disclosed. The method includes generating a file
system snapshot wherein the snapshot is substantially empty. When metadata associated
with a source file included in the snapshot is modified, the inode corresponding
to the source file is copied to a shadow inode in the snapshot. When information
is appended to a data block associated with a source file included in the snapshot,
the inode corresponding to the source file is also copied to a shadow inode in
the snapshot. When information in a data block associated with a source file included
in the snapshot is overwritten or deleted, the inode corresponding to the source
file is copied to a shadow inode in the snapshot and the original data block corresponding
to the source file is copied to the snapshot.