Counters for Asynchronous Storage Busy Time Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional timer-based approaches for measuring the total busy time of memory sub-systems, such as solid-state drives, impact performance due to the computing time required to create, start, and stop timers, leading to inefficiencies in tracking busy time.
Innovation Solution
The use of counters incremented by the memory sub-system for each operation, combined with timing factors, allows for asynchronous calculation of total busy time, reducing performance impact by leveraging faster counter increments over timer management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If timer-based approaches are used to measure total busy time, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to computing time required for timer management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the timing measurement function from the critical execution path by using simple counters that are incremented asynchronously during idle periods, rather than using timers that must be started and stopped during operations. This separates the measurement function from the performance-critical path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simple counter variables instead of complex timer objects. Counters are computationally inexpensive to increment and can be easily reset, making them ideal for frequent measurements without impacting system performance.
2Measurement precision
If timers are started and stopped for each operation, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to timer management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex timer management logic (start, stop, reset operations) and replaces it with simple counter increments that occur asynchronously during idle periods, dramatically reducing the complexity of time measurement management.
Solution Approach 2:
The counter is automatically incremented during idle periods without requiring active timer management. The system serves itself by tracking time passively through counter increments rather than actively managing timer states.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems configured to increment one or more counters, including read command total, write command total, total blocks written and read, and low read or write queue depth, when a read or write command is received. When a request for a total device busy time is received, a total device busy time is determined and provided using one or more of the counters and one or more corresponding timing factors.