Sperry Corporation

Larry J Kelson

Robert E Swenson

Merlin L Hanson

In a cache/disk sybsystem employing the post-store technique, each file is assigned a file number. The file number is an address in a directory on a disk, this address containing pointers to the physical disk space assigned to that file. During normal operation of the subsystem a device number and address are utilized to transfer written-to segments of data from a cache store to a disk. If a failure occurs which prevents the cache-to-disk transfer of a segment of data, a storage control unit forms a status word and a sense message. The sense message includes the file number and information defining the fault. A host processor is then notified that the status word is available. The host processor obtains the status word and indexes into a status action branch table. The branch table entry directs the host processor to issue a Sense I/O command to obtain from the storage control unit the sense message identifying the fault. The executive program of the host processor may subsequently utilize the sense message, which also includes the file number, to assign new disk space at which the segment of data may be recorded. The segment of data which could not be written to the disk is first read into the host processor. The host processor then issues a command to write the segment of data into the newly assigned disk space.

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Shoreview, MN, United States of America

Larry J Kelson