Controller Unaligned Write Handling via Parallel Pre-Pad Fetching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-volatile memory systems face challenges in efficiently handling unaligned write commands, leading to reduced write performance due to the need for pre-pad and post-pad data handling, which increases latency and reduces die utilization.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with a controller that converts unaligned host write commands into aligned commands, accumulates them to a threshold size, and performs parallel fetching of pre-pad and post-pad data to generate aligned data for programming, thereby improving write performance and die utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If unaligned write commands are handled directly, then write operations can be performed immediately, but write performance decreases due to increased latency and reduced die utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by converting unaligned write commands into aligned write commands before execution, and by pre-fetching pre-pad and post-pad data in parallel. This preparation work is done in advance to eliminate delays during the actual write operation, thereby reducing latency and improving write performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller segments the handling of unaligned write commands by separating the data transfer into multiple aligned write operations. Each segmented operation is processed independently with proper padding, allowing for more efficient utilization of memory die resources while maintaining correct data integrity.
2Productivity
If unaligned write commands are processed individually, then command handling is simple, but die utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The controller merges multiple unaligned write commands into aligned write operations by accumulating data until a threshold size is reached. This combining approach increases die utilization by ensuring that memory dies are fully utilized during programming operations, while the complexity is managed through systematic aggregation logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes the parameters of write commands by adjusting data alignment and aggregation thresholds. By dynamically modifying command parameters such as transfer size and alignment requirements, the system optimizes die utilization without requiring fundamentally complex processing architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of a storage device including a memory and a controller are provided. The controller may convert unaligned write commands into aligned write commands and generate unaligned information associated with the unaligned write commands. In some aspects, the unaligned information indicates offset information for each unaligned write command. The controller may accumulate a threshold size of aligned write command transfer sizes in an aggregation command queue and fetch pre-pad or post-pad data for each unaligned write command in parallel based on the aggregation command queue having accumulated the threshold size of aligned write command transfer sizes. The controller may transfer host data for each unaligned write command to a data buffer at a corresponding offset within the data buffer based on the unaligned information. The controller may generate aligned data using the pre-pad or post-pad data combined with the host data and program the aligned data into a memory die.