Patent ID: 7472138

Claim:
A method in a data processing system for recovering data in a file system in data storage of the data processing system, said method comprising: the data processing system detecting a request to modify a data block in said file system in the data storage; in response to detecting said request to modify said data block, the data processing system comparing a log size of a log in the data storage that stores metadata describing data blocks in said file system to a maximum log size, wherein said log includes a plurality of entries ordered by a time each entry among said plurality of entries is written to said log; in response to determining said log size meets or exceeds said maximum log size, the data processing system writing metadata describing said data block in said file system over an earliest written entry among said plurality of entries in said log; in response to detecting an error during said writing of said metadata, the data processing system incrementing an error counter; in response to a request to recover said data in said file system, the data processing system reading said metadata only if said error counter is less than or equal to a predetermined value; and in response to determining said error counter exceeds said predetermined value, the data processing system: indicating said log should not be replayed; formatting said log; and handing over said file system to a file system check program to complete recovery of said file system.