Methods, systems, and apparatus for optimizing a cache memory device of a storage system are described. In one embodiment, a first base segment tree representing a first full backup including data and metadata describing the data is cached in a cache memory device. Subsequently, a plurality of incremental segment trees representing incremental backups to the first full backup are cached in the cache memory device. Each of incremental segment trees corresponding to the changes to the first full backup, without modifying the first base segment tree in response to the changes. At least two of the incremental segment trees are merged into an updated incremental segment tree to reduce a storage space of the cache memory device to store the incremental segment trees. The updated incremental segment tree comprises data and metadata represented by two or more incremental segment trees.