Patent ID: 8140785

Claim:
A method, comprising: generating a data structure indicating data units in a volume whose metadata is to be updated; initiating an operation to update the metadata for the data units indicated in the data structure, wherein updating the metadata comprises modifying a field in the metadata for the data units indicated in the data structure; indicating in the data structure that the metadata for one of the data units has been updated in response to updating the metadata for the data unit; receiving an Input/Output (I/O) request to one of the data units in the volume while the metadata for the data units indicated in the data structure is being updated; determining, in response to the I/O request, from the data structure whether the metadata for the requested data unit was updated; updating the metadata for the requested data unit in response to determining that the metadata for the requested data unit has not been updated; and executing the I/O request against the requested data unit.