Method for extraction of a variable length record from fixed length sectors on a disk drive
US5860088A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 6, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 12, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0689
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method enables a host processor, which employs variable length (VL) records, to transparently communicate with disk storage which employs fixed length (FL) sectors for storage of the VL records. The method comprises the steps of: a) deriving a first control data structure for an update VL record, the first control data structure including information describing segments of the update VL record; b) determining an FL sector wherein an old VL record commences that corresponds to the update VL record; c) if the old VL record commences at other than a sector break of the FL sector, deriving a second control data structure for a portion of a prior VL record that immediately precedes the old VL record and a third control data structure for the old VL record; d) substituting in the third control data structure, information regarding update segments of the update VL record from the first control data structure; and recording in the FL sector determined in c), data indicated by the second control data structure and at least a portion of the update VL record, through use of the third control structure as altered in d).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.