Patent ID: 7337262
Filing Date: 2008-02-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a processor to perform operations to implement an adaptive read ahead method of a sequential media readable via a variable data block size storage device, the operations comprising: executing a read request of the sequential media in response to an electrical communication of the read request from a host, wherein the read request is executed with a read request data block size equal to a maximum recorded data block size parameter of the variable data block size storage device; and subsequent to the execution of the read request of the sequential media, setting an adaptive read ahead data block size variable to equal a recorded data block size of data recorded on the sequential media that is responsive to the execution of the read request; and subsequent to the execution of the read request of the sequential media, executing a read ahead request of the sequential media with a read ahead data block size equal to the adaptive read ahead data block size variable; and subsequent to the execution of the read ahead request of the sequential media, conditionally setting the adaptive read ahead data block size variable to equal a recorded data block size of data recorded on the sequential media that is responsive to the execution of the read ahead request, wherein conditionally setting the adaptive read ahead data block size variable to equal the recorded data block size of data recorded on the sequential media that is responsive to the execution of the read ahead request includes: retaining the setting of the adaptive read ahead data block size variable equal to the recorded data block size of data recorded on the sequential media that is responsive to the execution of the read request in response to determining the recorded data block size of data recorded on the sequential media that is responsive to the execution of the read ahead request is less than the setting of the adaptive read ahead data block size variable.