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Abstract

An apparatus and method for creating and maintaining a cyclic or circular buffer are implemented using logical blocks corresponding to the physical blocks of the buffer. The logical blocks are mapped to the physical blocks of the cyclic buffer, and are used to create an index table for the buffer. Each entry in the index table corresponds to one or more blocks in the buffer, and has a logical block number respectively associated with a buffer block. When information from the buffer is accessed, the index table is consulted to determine if the requested information is stored in the buffer. If the information is stored in the buffer, the logical block number corresponding to the information is retrieved from the entry and translated into a corresponding physical block number. Using logical block numbers allows simple determination of whether the buffer block is valid, and how new or fresh the buffer block is without requiring a generation or cycle number.

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First Claim