A method for caching a block, which includes receiving a request to store the block in a cache and determining whether the cache is able to expand. If the cache is not able to expand, then determining whether evictable blocks are present in the cache and, if evictable blocks are present in the cache determining whether a total size of the evictable blocks is greater than or equal to a size of the block, evicting a sufficient number of the evictable blocks from the cache and storing the block in the cache, if the total size of the evictable blocks is greater than or equal to the size of the block, and activating a cache throttle, if the total size of the evictable blocks is less than the size of the block.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/733,403 filed on Nov. 4, 2005, entitled "Adaptive Replacement Cache and Compressed Victim Cache" in the names of Jeffrey S. Bonwick, William H. Moore, Mark J. Maybee, and Matthew A. Ahrens.
