Patent ID: 7788299

Claim:
A data storage arrangement comprising: a host computer; a storage system in communication with said host computer, said storage system comprising at least one magnetic disc drive containing at least one file wherein said at least one file comprises a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records containing at least both user data and meta data, said meta data comprising data fields for and about an associated record of said records, and wherein said communication is by streaming protocol; a table, separate from said file, associated with said at least one file wherein said table is adapted to contain information related to at least one of said records, wherein said table is selected from a group of tables essentially consisting of: a type I, type II or type III table, wherein the type-1 table comprises a listing having number of repetitions of record size versus said record size in a contiguous order starting from a first record to a last record of said records associated with said at least one file, wherein the type-2 table comprises a listing of record sizes in a running sum associated with said at least one file in order from a first of said records to a last of said records and wherein said listing also has a counter corresponding to each successive record, wherein the type-3 table comprises a listing of progressively summed record sizes associated with said at least one file in order from a first of said records to a last of said records; and an operating system level data directory having knowledge of said at least one file and where said table is located in said storage system.