Storage Controller CXL Map Data Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the capacity of flash memory in storage devices increases, the capacity of map data also grows, requiring a high-capacity buffer memory to manage these data effectively, which incurs additional research and development costs.
Innovation Solution
A storage device architecture that utilizes a nonvolatile memory device for user data and a storage controller with a processor that loads map data from an external memory device through a Compute Express Link (CXL) interface, eliminating the need for a high-capacity buffer memory within the storage device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a high-capacity buffer memory is used to manage large amounts of map data, then the storage device can effectively manage increasing flash memory capacity, but the research and development costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the buffer memory function from the storage device and places it in an external memory device. The storage controller loads map data from the external memory device through a CXL interface, eliminating the need for a high-capacity buffer memory within the storage device itself. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining map data management capability while avoiding the cost of high-capacity embedded buffer memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external memory device as an intermediary between the storage device and the host. This external memory device stores map data and provides it to the storage controller when needed, acting as a mediator that enables the storage device to manage large amounts of map data without requiring expensive embedded buffer memory.
2Productivity
If a high-capacity buffer memory is embedded in the storage device, then map data management performance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer memory functionality is extracted from the storage device and relocated to an external memory device. The storage controller maintains the ability to manage map data effectively by loading it from the external memory device through the CXL interface, thus improving map data management performance without increasing storage device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The external memory device serves multiple functions: it acts as both the host's memory and as the buffer memory for the storage device. This multi-functionality enables map data management performance improvement without adding dedicated components to the storage device, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device includes a nonvolatile memory device that stores user data, and a storage controller that controls the nonvolatile memory device under control of a host device. The storage controller includes a storage interface circuit that communicates with the host device through a compute express link (CXL) interface, a NAND interface circuit that communicates with the nonvolatile memory device, and a processor that loads map data from an external memory device through the storage interface circuit and controls the nonvolatile memory device through the NAND interface circuit based on the map data.