Applying storage device commit-cached-data-to-media functionality to improve data security in systems that allow storage devices to cache writes

A storage system including a host entity and a physical storage device (PSD) to write data from the host entity to the PSD, the storage system comprising a PSD mechanism for committing cached data from a cache memory of the PSD to storage media of the PSD and performing the following steps:

• the host entity issuing a write IO request to the PSD being in write-back caching mode to write associated data from a host memory to the PSD, wherein the PSD comprises the storage media, which is non-volatile storage media, and the cache memory, which is a volatile cache memory and used for containing the cached data sent from the host memory;
• the host entity receiving a successful IO completion response associated with the write IO request from the PSD and recording an entry of the write IO request to a selected list;
• the host entity issuing a synchronized cache IO request to the PSD;
• the PSD responding a successful IO completion response of the synchronized cache IO request to the host entity;
• when the host entity receives the successful IO completion response of the synchronized cache IO request from the PSD, the host entity extracting from the selected list the entry of the write IO request issued before the issuance of the synchronized cache IO request;
• and
• after the reception of the synchronized cache IO request completion response from the PSD, the host entity engaging completion processing of write IO request corresponding to the entry of the write IO request extracted.

A computer system comprising a storage system connected thereto, the storage system including a host entity and a physical storage device (PSD) to write data from the host entity to the PSD, the computer system comprising a PSD mechanism for committing cached data from a cache memory of the PSD to storage media of the PSD and performing the following steps:

• the host entity issuing a write IO request to the PSD being in write-back caching mode to write associated data from a host memory to the PSD, wherein the PSD comprises the storage media, which non-volatile storage media, and the cache memory, which is a volatile cache memory and used for containing the cached data sent from the host memory;
• the host entity receiving at least one successful IO completion response associated with the write IO request from the PSD and recording an entry of the write IO request to a selected list;
• the host entity issuing a synchronized cache IO request to the PSD;
• the PSD responding a successful IO completion response of the synchronized cache IO request to the host entity;
• when the host entity receives a successful IO completion response of the synchronized cache IO request from the PSD, the host entity extracting from the selected list the entry of the write IO request issued before the issuance of the synchronized cache IO request;
• and
• after the reception of the synchronized cache IO request completion response from the PSD, the host entity engaging completion processing of write IO request corresponding to the entry of the write IO request extracted.