Metadata loading in storage systems

An apparatus comprising:

• a storage system comprising a plurality of storage devices, an associated storage controller, and an associated cache, the plurality of storage devices storing data pages and metadata associated with the stored data pages;
• the storage controller being configured to, during a restart process in which the metadata is loaded from at least one of the storage devices into the cache:
• generate an input/output (IO) thread in response to a receipt of an IO request, the IO thread configured to service the IO request;
• identify at least one metadata page of the metadata that is used to service the IO request;
• and
• generate a loading thread in association with the IO thread, the loading thread configured to cause the storage controller to perform prioritized loading of the identified at least one page of the metadata into the cache, the loading thread being detachable from the IO thread such that, in response to an expiration of the IO thread, the loading thread continues to cause the storage controller to perform the prioritized loading of the at least one page of the metadata into the cache until the loading of the at least one page of the metadata into the cache is complete,
• wherein the storage controller comprises at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.