Various methods and systems for updating a copy-on-write snapshot based on
a dirty region log are disclosed. For example, a method involves
maintaining a dirty region log and updating a copy-on-write snapshot
change tracking map, based on information in the dirty region log. In
some embodiments, the copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map is
updated in response to an indication of a dirty region log cleaning
cycle. The dirty region log cleaning cycle is inhibited until after the
copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map has been updated. The method
can be used to update multiple copy-on-write snapshot change tracking
maps, each of which is associated with a respective one of several
copy-on-write snapshots, based on information in the dirty region log.
Such a method can be performed by a virtualizing network device.