Multiple session accessiblity via a CD-ROM interface

A method comprising:

• at a removable data storage device with a non-optical re-writable storage area that stores a first session representation based on first information, wherein the first information is received from a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) during a first temporal session:
• receiving second information from the CD-ROM during a second temporal session that is distinct from the first session temporal session, wherein the second temporal session is separated in time from the first temporal session by an interim time period during which no information is read from the CD-ROM and no data is written to the non-optical re-writable storage area;
• storing a second session representation based on the second information at the non-optical re-writable storage area during the second temporal session;
• updating the first session representation by linking the first session representation and the second session representation by writing a first linking pointer to form a linked sequence of session representations, wherein the linking includes:
• receiving a first hash value associated with the second information at the data storage device from an update application;
• verifying that the second session representation has been written correctly by comparing the first hash value to a second hash value associated with the second session representation;
• and
• in response to verifying that the second session representation has been written correctly, writing the first linking pointer by updating a pointer associated with the first session representation to point to the second session representation;
• and
• storing metadata indicating names and locations of files included in at least one of the first session representation and the second session representation in a shadow directory at the non-optical re-writable storage area.

A removable mass storage device comprising:

• a non-optical re-writable storage area that is contiguous;
• and
• a controller, the controller adapted to:
• receive first information from a compact disc recordable (CDR) source during a first temporal session;
• store the first information as a first CDR session representation in the non-optical re-writable storage area;
• receive second information from the CDR source during a second temporal session that is separated in time from the first temporal session by an interim time period during which no information is read from the CDR source and no data is written to the non-optical re-writable storage area, wherein the second information is distinct from the first information;
• after storing the first information, store the second information as a second CDR session representation in the non-optical re-writable storage area;
• and
• update the first CDR session representation by writing a first linking pointer from the first CDR session representation to the second CDR session representation after the second CDR session representation is written to the non-optical re-writable storage area, wherein the updating further includes:
• receiving a first hash value associated with the second information from an update application;
• verifying that the second CDR session representation has been written correctly by comparing the first hash value to a second hash value associated with the second CDR session representation;
• and
• in response to verifying that the second CDR session representation has been written correctly, writing the first linking pointer by updating a pointer associated with the first CDR session representation to point to the second CDR session representation.

A data storage device comprising:

• a non-optical re-writable storage area that is a portion of a flash memory, the non-optical re-writable storage area adapted to store multiple session representations, each session representation associated with a corresponding information portion received during a corresponding distinct session;
• and
• a controller adapted to:
• receive first information from a compact disc recordable (CDR) source during a first temporal session;
• store the first information as a first CDR session representation of the multiple session representations in the non-optical re-writable storage area;
• receive second information from the CDR source during a second temporal session that is separated in time from the first temporal session by an interim time period during which no information is read from the CDR source and no data is written to the non-optical re-writable storage area,
• wherein the second information is distinct from the first information;
• after storing the first information, store the second information as a second CDR session representation of the multiple session representations in the non-optical re-writable storage area;
• and
• update the first CDR session representation by writing a first linking pointer from the first CDR session representation to the second CDR session representation after the the second CDR session representation is written to the non-optical re-writable storage area, wherein the update further includes:
• receiving a first hash value associated with the second information at the data storage device from an update application;
• verifying that the second CDR session representation has been written correctly by comparing the first hash value to a second hash value associated with the second CDR session representation;
• and
• in response to verifying that the second CDR session representation has been written correctly, writing the first linking pointer by updating a pointer associated with the first CDR session representation to point to the second CDR session representation.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code comprising instructions for:

• receiving first information from a compact disc recordable (CDR) source during a first temporal session;
• storing the first information as a CDR session representation on a memory;
• receiving second information from the CDR source during a second temporal session that is separated in time from the first temporal session by an interim time period during which no information is read from the CDR source and no data is written to a non-optical re-writable storage area, wherein the second information is distinct from the first information;
• and
• after storing the first information, storing the second information as a second CDR session representation in the memory;
• and
• updating the first CDR session by writing a first linking pointer from the first CDR session representation to the second CDR session representation after the second CDR session representation is written to the non-optical re-writable storage area, wherein the updating further includes:
• receiving a first hash value associated with the second information at the memory from an update application;
• verifying that the second CDR session representation has been written correctly by comparing the first hash value to a second hash value associated with the second CDR session representation;
• and
• in response to verifying that the second CDR session representation has been written correctly, writing the first linking pointer by updating a pointer associated with the first CDR session representation to point to the second CDR session representation.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for authorizing access to a network, the computer-readable code comprising instructions for:

• receiving first information to be stored on a data storage device;
• storing a first session representation in a first portion of a non-optical re-writable storage area of the data memory storage device during a first temporal session, wherein the first session representation comprises the received first information, and wherein the non-optical re-writable storage area is contiguous;
• storing a second session representation in a second portion of the non-optical re-writable storage area during a second temporal session that is distinct from the first temporal session, wherein the second session representation comprises the second information;
• generating metadata representative of the first session representation and of the second session representation;
• and
• updating the first session representation by writing a first linking pointer from the first session representation to the second session representation after the first session representation and the second session representation are written to the non-optical re-writable storage area, wherein the updating further includes:
• receiving a first hash value associated with the second information at the data storage device from an update application;
• verifying that the second session representation has been written correctly by comparing the first hash value to a second hash value associated with the second session representation;
• and
• in response to verifying that the second session representation has been written correctly, writing the first linking pointer by updating a pointer associated with the first session representation to point to the second session representation.