Patent ID: 6349359
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for writing new data in a computing system having a system memory and a storage device having a plurality of prewrite slots for pre-storage of data and parity information, the method comprising the steps of:providing a scoreboard memory structure in the system memory and operatively coupled to the plurality of prewrite slots to monitor the state of the prewrite slots; in response to a request to store data in the storage device, selecting a prewrite slot from the plurality of prewrite slots based on the contents of the scoreboard memory structure; using the scoreboard memory structure, detecting overlapping prewrites that mandate invalidation of the selected prewrite slot; and invalidating the overlapped prewrite slot in the storage device by conditionally invalidating the corresponding prewrite slot in the scoreboard memory structure without accessing the prewrite slot of the storage device.