Techniques for Achieving Crash Consistency when Performing Write-Behind Caching Using a Flash Storage-Based Cache

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer software executable by a processor, the computer software embodying a method for achieving crash consistency when caching write requests using a flash storage-based cache, the method comprising:

• receiving a write request from a VM that comprises data to be written to a virtual disk;
• caching the data in the flash storage-based cache;
• logging a transaction entry for the write request in the flash storage-based cache, the transaction entry including information usable for flushing the data from the flash storage-based cache to a storage device storing the virtual disk;
• and
• communicating an acknowledgment to the VM indicating that the write request has been successfully processed.

A system for achieving crash consistency when caching write requests using a flash storage-based cache, the system comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• receive a write request from a VM that comprises data to be written to a virtual disk;
• cache the data in the flash storage-based cache;
• log a transaction entry for the write request in the flash storage-based cache, the transaction entry including information usable for flushing the data from the flash storage-based cache to a storage device storing the virtual disk;
• and
• communicate an acknowledgment to the VM indicating that the write request has been successfully processed.