A method, apparatus, and computer program product for initializing a plurality of extents in a computing storage environment is provided. A plurality of states for each of the plurality of extents is defined to include either an initialized state or a modified state. The plurality of extents is initialized at an advance time, designating the plurality of extents as having the initialized state. Upon a first occurrence of a destage operation of a first extent of the plurality of extents, the first extent is designated as having the modified state.