Buffer Memory Page Segmentation for Storage Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing buffer memory management systems in storage devices often have limited capacity and high costs, leading to latency issues when dealing with speed differences between devices, and conventional methods do not efficiently manage data transfer between buffer memory and flash memory.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with a buffer memory that includes multiple pages and channels, where a processor transmits and programs data in parallel to flash chips using a least recently used (LRU) scheme, managing buffer queues to optimize data transfer and erase pages when necessary, thereby improving data access speed and reducing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the size of buffer memory is increased to compensate for speed differences between host and storage device, then latency is reduced, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer memory is divided into multiple pages that can be independently managed and transferred. Instead of treating the buffer as a single large block, the system segments it into smaller units (pages) that can be selectively transmitted to flash memory, allowing efficient utilization of limited buffer space and reducing the need for large total capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer management system dynamically adjusts which pages are transmitted to flash memory based on current buffer occupancy levels and flash memory readiness. The processor selectively transmits pages when buffer occupancy meets specific criteria, creating a dynamic adaptation mechanism that maximizes performance with limited buffer capacity rather than relying on static large capacity.
2Speed
If data is transmitted from buffer memory to flash memory in sequence, then data integrity is maintained, but data access speed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer memory is divided into multiple pages that can be independently managed and transferred. Instead of treating the buffer as a single large block, the system segments it into smaller units (pages) that can be selectively transmitted to flash memory, allowing efficient utilization of limited buffer space and reducing the need for large total capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer management system dynamically adjusts which pages are transmitted to flash memory based on current buffer occupancy levels and flash memory readiness. The processor selectively transmits pages when buffer occupancy meets specific criteria, creating a dynamic adaptation mechanism that maximizes performance with limited buffer capacity rather than relying on static large capacity.
3Reliability
If a small buffer memory is used to reduce cost, then buffer hit probability decreases, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively transmits pages from buffer memory to flash memory when buffer occupancy reaches predetermined thresholds, before the buffer becomes full. This preliminary action prevents buffer overflow and ensures that data is transferred in advance, maintaining high buffer hit probability even with limited capacity while avoiding latency caused by waiting for flash memory readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer management system continuously monitors buffer occupancy levels and uses this feedback to determine when to transmit pages to flash memory. By implementing threshold-based triggering mechanisms, the system adapts its transmission behavior based on real-time buffer state, optimizing the balance between buffer hit probability and latency without requiring large buffer capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device including a processor to transmit N pages of data from one or more pages in a buffer memory where N is a natural number. The storage device also includes a flash memory to program in parallel the N pages of data to N flash chips. The N pages may be transmitted via one or more channels.