Apparatus and method to initialize information disposed in an information storage and retrieval system

An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to initialize information disposed in an information storage and retrieval system comprising a data cache and one or more information storage media comprising a plurality of addresses, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• receiving an initialization command, wherein said initialization command comprises a range of addresses, wherein said plurality of addresses includes said range of addresses;
• forming and saving state information;
• generating and saving a plurality of indicators;
• setting each indicator in said plurality of indicator to indicate special handling;
• providing an ending status signal;
• wherein said receiving step, said forming step, said generating step, said setting step, and said providing step are performed substantially synchronously.

A computer readable medium having computer readable program code usable with a programmable computer processor embodied therein to erase information disposed in an information storage and retrieval system comprising a data cache and one or more information storage media comprising a plurality of addresses, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive an initialization command, wherein said initialization command comprises a range of addresses and an initialization pattern, wherein said plurality of addresses includes said range of addresses;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form and save state information, wherein said state information comprises said initialization pattern;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to generate and save a plurality of indicators, wherein said plurality of indicators includes an indicator for each track comprising said range of addresses;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to set each indicator in said plurality of indicators to indicate special handling;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to provide an ending status signal;
• wherein said receiving step, said forming step, said generating step, said setting step, and said providing step are performed substantially synchronously.