Patent ID: 7243190

Claim:
A method to rebuild an NVS image using cache data, comprising the steps of: providing an information storage and retrieval system capable of communicating with one or more host computers, wherein said information storage and retrieval system includes two or more clusters, wherein each of said two or more clusters comprises a processor, a device comprising a data cache and non-volatile storage, wherein said data cache comprises a first information storage portion used as a data cache in normal operation and a second information storage portion used to rebuild a remote NVS image, and a backup power source for said processor and said data cache; providing two or more fire hose dump disks, wherein a different one of said two or more fire hose dump disks is interconnected to each of said two or more data caches; receiving information by a first one of said two or more clusters, wherein said first cluster includes a first processor, a first data cache, a first non-volatile storage device, and a first backup power source; writing said information to said first data cache and to a second non-volatile storage device disposed in a second cluster; providing back-up power to said first processor and said first data cache upon cessation of the supply of utility power to said first cluster; determining by said first controller if said information written to said second non-volatile storage device is accessible; operative if said information written to said second non-volatile storage device is accessible by said first controller, copying the image of said second non-volatile storage device to the fire hose dump disk interconnected to said first data cache; operative if said information written to said second non-volatile storage device is not accessible by said first controller; creating a virtual NVS image using said information disposed in said first data cache; and copying said virtual NVS image to the fire hose dump disk interconnected to said first data cache.