System and method for recovering from an unexpected shutdown in a write-back caching environment

A system for recovering from an unexpected shutdown in a write-back caching environment, comprising:

• a target storage device;
• a caching device utilized to cache data for the target storage device;
• a logical block address (LBA) mapping table on the caching device, wherein the LBA mapping table maps logical block addresses of a target storage device to logical block addresses of the caching device;
• a LBA mapping table change log stored the caching device, wherein the LBA mapping table change log includes changes to the LBA mapping table on the caching device since the LBA mapping table was last written to the caching device;
• and
• a header stored on the caching device, wherein the header includes an indicia indicating whether a clean shutdown occurred,
• wherein a recovered LBA mapping table is generated based on the LBA mapping table stored on the caching device and the LBA mapping table change log in response to detecting an unexpected shutdown.

A method for recovering from an unexpected shutdown in a write-back caching environment, comprising:

• storing a logical block address (LBA) mapping table on a caching device, wherein the LBA mapping table maps logical block addresses of a target storage device to logical block addresses of the caching device;
• maintaining a LBA mapping table change log on the caching device, wherein the LBA mapping table change log includes changes to the LBA mapping table on the caching device since the LBA mapping table was last written to the caching device;
• detecting an unexpected shutdown using a header stored on a caching device, wherein the header includes an indicia indicating whether a clean shutdown occurred;
• loading code from a boot sector of a designated boot device into system memory, wherein the code loads an Option-ROM BIOS having caching software into system memory;
• and
• generating a recovered LBA mapping table based on the LBA mapping table stored on the caching device and the LBA mapping table change log.