VMware, Inc.
Content based cache failover

Abstract:

Methods and systems are disclosed for populating a fail-over cache. When host computer systems in a system each have a content based read cache, the methods and system provide several functions applied in different orders for determining blocks that are to be included in the fail-over cache. Each function attempts a different strategy for combining the contents of the caches of each host computer system into the fail-over cache. If any strategy is successful, then the fail-over cache is placed into service. If all of the strategies fail, then an eviction strategy is employed in which blocks are evicted from each cache until the combination of caches meets a requirement of the fail-over cache, which, in one embodiment, is the size of the fail-over cache.