Abstract: A controller for a data storage device that includes a cache memory and a non-volatile solid state memory is configured to fetch data from the non-volatile solid state memory in response to a read command, conditionally fetch additional data from the non-volatile solid state memory in response to the read command, and then store some or all of the fetched data in the cache memory. The condition for additional data fetch is met when it is determined that a sequence of N (where N is two or more) most recent read commands is requesting data from a successively increasing and consecutive address range. The additional data fetch speeds up subsequent reads, especially when the requested data sizes are relatively small. When the requested data sizes are larger, improvements in read speeds can be achieved if the time between the large reads are well spaced.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory location in a disk drive is utilized to store data residing in a write-cache upon receiving a flush-cache command from a host computer. If a subsequent flush-cache command is not issued within a predetermined time period, any data residing in the write-cache and stored in the non-volatile memory location that has not yet been written to its correct location on disk will be written to its correct location on disk.