Method and apparatus for flushing cached writeback data to a storage
array. Sets of writeback data are accumulated in a cache memory in an
array with a view toward maintaining a substantially uniform distribution
of the data across different locations of the storage array. The arrayed
sets of data are thereafter transferred from the cache memory to the
storage array substantially at a rate at which additional sets of
writeback data are provided to the cache memory by a host. Each set of
writeback data preferably comprises a plurality of contiguous data
blocks, and are preferably written (flushed) to the storage in
conjunction with the operation of a separate access command within a
selected proximity range of the data with respect to the storage array. A
stripe data descriptor (SDD) is preferably maintained for each set of
writeback data in the array.