Patent ID: 7401252

Claim:
A method to convert data payloads from a first sector format to a second sector format while preserving data integrity during a power loss, comprising the steps of: providing an information storage and retrieval system which includes information comprising a plurality of first sectors written in a first sector format; a device controller; a data storage device, wherein said data storage device comprises an information storage medium comprising a plurality of second sectors each comprising a second sector format; a sector format conversion device comprising a data queue, a buffer, nonvolatile memory, and microcode, wherein said microcode includes a plurality of flags, wherein said plurality of flags comprises a plurality of Inflight Indicators; a communication link interconnecting said sector format conversion device and said device controller; wherein said sector format conversion devices is interconnected with said data storage device; setting a power failure warning time interval; forming a plurality of DMA data payloads each comprising a plurality of first sectors, wherein each of said plurality of DMA data payloads comprises a beginning logical block address and an ending logical block address; sending to said sector format conversion device one or more of said DMA data payloads; sending DMA metadata to said sector format conversion device, wherein (i)th DMA metadata comprises the beginning and ending logical block addresses for an (i)th DMA data payload; storing said (i)th DMA metadata in said sector format conversion device; overlaying by said sector format conversion device the (i)th DMA data payload onto part or all of a plurality of second sectors to form the (i)th converted DMA data payload; wherein each Inflight Indicator comprises either a first value or a second value, and wherein an (i)th Inflight Indicator is associated with an (i)th converted DMA data payload; enqueuing said (i)th converted DMA data payload in said data queue; transmitting said (i)th converted DMA data payload to said data storage device; setting the (i)th Inflight Indicator to a second value when transmitting said (i)th converted DMA data payload to said data storage device; writing said (i)th converted DMA data payload to said information storage medium; generating the (i)th Write Complete Signal by said data storage device after writing said (i)th converted DMA data payload to said information storage medium; resetting the (i)th Inflight Indicator to said first value upon receiving the (i)th Write Complete Signal.