Non-Volatile Cache Error Recovery for Primary Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional data storage systems face challenges in efficiently managing and recovering from storage errors in primary storage media, as they often require direct access to slower primary storage, leading to reduced performance and potential data loss.

Innovation Solution

The system utilizes a non-volatile cache to store mirrored data, allowing it to serve as an alternate source for data access and recovery, thereby reducing the need for direct primary storage access and enhancing data integrity by using cached data in case of errors or defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If direct access to primary storage is used for data recovery, then data integrity can be maintained, but system performance deteriorates due to slower access speeds

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoiddata access speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-stores mirrored data in non-volatile cache memory before it is needed for recovery. When storage errors are detected in primary storage, the cached copies are immediately available for data recovery operations, eliminating the need to access the slower primary storage and thus maintaining both data integrity and high access speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If non-volatile cache is used for data storage, then data access speed improves, but the complexity of error management increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access speedVSAvoiderror management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates and maintains mirrored copies of data in non-volatile cache memory. These copies serve as redundant backups that can be used for error recovery. The mirroring approach simplifies error management by providing ready-to-use backup data without requiring complex recovery algorithms or procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If primary storage capacity is increased to reduce errors, then data reliability improves, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage error reductionVSAvoidstorage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The non-volatile cache memory acts as an intermediary layer between the host system and primary storage. It provides a high-speed buffer that also serves as a backup storage location, reducing the need for additional primary storage capacity dedicated to error recovery and redundancy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9798623B2Using cache to manage errors in primary storage

Publication Date: 2017.10.24 SEAGATE TECH LLC

AI summary

An occurrence of at least one storage error is determined in an addressable portion of a primary storage storing a block of data. In response to determining the occurrence of the at least one storage error, it is determined whether the block of data is available in cache storage. In response to determining the block of data is cached, the cached block of data is used rather than the block of data from the addressable portion of the primary storage.