Patent ID: 8103845

Claim:
A data storage device which operates in conjunction with either a first driver software or a second driver software comprising: (i) an interface for communicating with a host capable of running the first driver software and the second driver software, (ii) a hard disk, (iii) a non-volatile solid state memory device, and (iv) a controller in communication with the interface, with the hard disk and with the non-volatile solid state memory device, the controller being arranged: (a) upon receiving a write command from the host running the first driver software, to write data received from the host which is specified by the write command, into both the hard disk and the non-volatile solid state memory device, the data being duplicated in both the hard disk and the non-volatile solid state memory device, (b) upon receiving a read command from the host running the first driver software, to obtain data from the hard disk, and to transmit the data out of the data storage device through the interface, and (c) upon receiving a read command from the host running the second driver software, to obtain data from the non-volatile solid state memory device, and to transmit the data out of the data storage device through the interface, wherein the controller is arranged, upon receiving the write command from the host running the first driver software, to send a first command to both the hard disk and the non-volatile solid state memory device, the first command being for instructing both the hard disk and the non-volatile solid state memory device to store the data specified by the write command, and, upon receiving the read command from the host running the second driver software, to send a second command to the non-volatile solid state memory device, the second command being for transmitting data from the non-volatile solid state memory device.