Patent ID: 6539456
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer system comprising a CPU, a boot disk storing a boot program used by the computer system to boot, and a nonvolatile memory disk cache receiving all or a portion of the boot program from the boot disk and storing it for access by the CPU so that the computer system can boot in whole or in part from the disk cache, wherein the computer system further includes an IDE controller for controlling the boot disk, wherein the cache has lines, wherein the lines of the cache are mapped to linear sectors read in a boot sequence, wherein the cache lines are initially marked invalid, wherein the cache is loaded with data from sectors read during an initial boot sequence, wherein during boots of the system subsequent to the initial boot sequence sector data in the cache is used instead of the corresponding sector data from the boot disk if the sector data in the cache is valid, and wherein if data is written to a sector read during the initial boot sequence, the cache line corresponding to the sector is marked invalid.