System and method for sequentially staging received data to a write cache in advance of storing the received data
First Claim
1. A data storage system including:
- a data storage device to store data as data blocks, wherein each data block is associated with a sector address;
a write cache included within the data storage device, wherein the write cache includes a plurality of cache lines and, wherein each of the cache lines includes a plurality of data blocks, line meta-data to identify each data blocks sector address, and a sequential number indicating the order of the data blocks within their respective cache line relative to the data blocks in other cache line; and
a staging area within the write cache, to stage write data, wherein staging write data includes;
receiving a plurality of data blocks to be written to the system;
storing the data blocks in one of the cache lines;
generating meta-data for the cache line, the meta-data including a sequence number for the cache line and the addresses for the data blocks; and
storing the meta-data into the cache line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a method and system for staging write data to improve a storage system'"'"'s performance. The method includes providing a write cache on the medium. The write cache includes a plurality of cache lines. Each of the cache lines includes a plurality of data blocks, line meta-data to identify each data blocks sector address, and a sequential number indicating the order of the data blocks within their respective cache line relative to the other data blocks in the cache line. In addition, the method includes staging write data in the write cache as sequentially written data to improve performance of the system. The staging includes receiving a plurality of data blocks to be written to the system. Moreover, the staging includes storing the data blocks in one of the cache lines.
148 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A data storage system including:
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a data storage device to store data as data blocks, wherein each data block is associated with a sector address; a write cache included within the data storage device, wherein the write cache includes a plurality of cache lines and, wherein each of the cache lines includes a plurality of data blocks, line meta-data to identify each data blocks sector address, and a sequential number indicating the order of the data blocks within their respective cache line relative to the data blocks in other cache line; and a staging area within the write cache, to stage write data, wherein staging write data includes; receiving a plurality of data blocks to be written to the system; storing the data blocks in one of the cache lines; generating meta-data for the cache line, the meta-data including a sequence number for the cache line and the addresses for the data blocks; and storing the meta-data into the cache line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for improving the performance of a storage system having a medium for storing data as data blocks, each data block associated with a sector address, comprising:
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providing a write cache on the medium, the write cache includes a plurality of cache lines and, wherein each of the cache lines includes a plurality of data blocks, line meta-data to identify each data blocks sector addresses, and a sequential number indicating the order of the data blocks within their respective cache line relative to the other data blocks in cache lines; and staging write data in the write cache as sequentially written data to improve performance of the system, wherein staging write data includes; receiving a plurality of data blocks to be written to the system; storing the data blocks in one of the cache lines; generating meta-data for the cache line, the meta-data including a sequence number for the cache line and the addresses for the data blocks; and storing the meta-data in the cache line. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-program product, including:
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a computer program storage device including a write cache, wherein the write cache includes a plurality of cache lines and, wherein each of the cache lines includes a plurality of data blocks, line meta-data to identify each data blocks sector address, and a sequential number indicating the order of the data blocks within their respective cache; and computer-readable instructions on the computer program storage device for causing a computer to undertake method acts for staging write data in the write cache as sequentially written data, the method acts including; receiving a plurality of data blocks to be written to the system; storing the data blocks in one of the cache lines; generating meta-data for the cache line, the meta-data including a sequence number for the cache line and the addresses for the data blocks; and storing the meta-data into the cache line. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification