A
system and method for
interfacing index based and
iterator based
file management routines. In general, the disclosed
system maintains an
iterator cache having multiple iterators. Each active
iterator is associated with a most recently used
directory entry. Upon receiving an index based request, the iterator closest to the index based request is identified. If the index based request is closer to the top of the
directory than it is to the closest active iterator, the
directory entries are sequentially examined beginning at the top of the directory with the first entry. Otherwise, the
system determines whether the index based request is located above or below the closest iterator. If the index based request is above the closest iterator, the system steps backward beginning with the
directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the
directory entry associated with the index based request is located. If the closest iterator is located below the closest iterator, the system steps forward through the directory entries beginning with the
directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the requested directory entry is located.