This invention provides a negative cache management system and method for controlling
valid and invalid memory component identifiers, and, thereby, accelerates performance
of relatively high speed memory components, including hardware and software systems,
that operate with storage devices. This invention includes (a) logic to check the
cache to determine if a received memory component identifier is invalid, (b) logic
to add the invalid memory component identifier to the cache, such as adding a file
identifier to the cache when a search in a directory for a file name is unsuccessful,
(c) logic to monitor new memory component identifiers being created and to remove
an entry from the invalid list if that file identifier later becomes valid, (d)
logic to monitor memory component identifiers being deleted or moved and to add
an entry from the invalid list if that file identifier becomes invalid, (e) logic
to manage the most frequently used invalid memory component identifiers, and (f)
logic to manage the most recently used invalid memory component identifiers.
