Patent ID: 8615678

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting a failure of a highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system included within a storage network, wherein the highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system includes cache data; and upon detection of the failure of the highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system: replicating the cache data onto a non-volatile, solid-state, flash-based cache memory system included within the storage network; redirecting at least one data request concerning the highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system to the non-volatile, solid-state, flash-based cache memory system; generating a backup copy of the cache data included on the highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system; suspending IO operations of the storage network during generation of the backup copy of the cache data included on the highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system; and maintaining at least one map database configured to define a location of one or more data extents within the non-volatile, solid-state, flash-based cache memory system and the highly available, volatile, solid-state, cache memory system.