Abstract: A method and apparatus for quiescing a system storage device wherein cache lines associated with a system storage device to be quiesced are flushed using a stripe lock mechanism to find and flush cache data associated with the given system storage device. Dirty cache lines are associated with a stripe lock, and that stripe lock will be in the active state or the clearing state. The stripe locks are also maintained on a linked list per a system storage device. In the normal life cycle of a stripe lock, if the partner controller requests a lock over part of the extent of an active lock, the active lock will go to the clearing state. Data in the extent of the now clearing lock is flushed. For performing a quiesce, stripe locks for the given system storage device are set to clearing on a plurality of controllers, thus causing the flush. The quiesce mechanism then only needs to wait until stripe locks have been cleared for the system storage device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quiescing a system storage device wherein cache lines associated with a system storage device to be quiesced are flushed using a stripe lock mechanism to find and flush cache data associated with the given system storage device. Dirty cache lines are associated with a stripe lock, and that stripe lock will be in the active state or the clearing state. The stripe locks are also maintained on a linked list per a system storage device. In the normal life cycle of a stripe lock, if the partner controller requests a lock over part of the extent of an active lock, the active lock will go to the clearing state. Data in the extent of the now clearing lock is flushed. For performing a quiesce, stripe locks for the given system storage device are set to clearing on a plurality of controllers, thus causing the flush. The quiesce mechanism then only needs to wait until stripe locks have been cleared for the system storage device.