Storage System with Detachable Memory Modules and Address Conversion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Nanoscaled non-volatile semiconductor memories experience reduced reliability due to shortened overwriting life, affecting the storage system's overall performance.

Innovation Solution

A storage system with detachable semiconductor memory modules and a controller that maintains an address conversion table to map logical addresses to physical addresses, allowing for data transfer and updating of mappings when a module needs to be detached, ensuring data reliability and system integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If non-volatile semiconductor memories are nanoscaled to increase storage capacity, then storage capacity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to shortened overwriting life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidoverwriting life

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system is divided into multiple detachable semiconductor memory modules, each independently managed. This segmentation allows the system to replace individual modules with shortened overwriting life without affecting the entire storage system, effectively mitigating the reliability issue while maintaining high storage capacity through modular expansion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the operational parameters of memory modules by tracking their overwriting counts and detecting when they reach predetermined thresholds. Modules are then retired from active service and replaced, allowing the system to adapt to the shortened overwriting life of nanoscaled memories while maintaining overall reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If semiconductor memory modules are made detachable to extend system operational lifespan, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to need for address conversion table management

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem operational lifespanVSAvoidaddress conversion table management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller pre-establishes and maintains an address conversion table that maps logical addresses to physical addresses across all semiconductor memory modules. This preliminary action ensures that when modules are detached or replaced, the system can immediately redirect address mappings without complex real-time calculations, simplifying the management of detachable modules

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The address conversion table acts as an intermediary layer between the host system and the physical memory modules. It abstracts the complexity of module detachment and replacement from the host, providing a stable logical address interface while handling the complex physical address remapping internally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Stability of the object's composition

If address conversion table is updated to track mappings for detachable modules, then data integrity is improved, but loss of information increases during the transition period when modules are removed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoiddata accessibility during module removal

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The controller detects when a semiconductor memory module reaches its overwriting life threshold and retires it from active service before physical removal. The address conversion table is updated in advance to redirect logical addresses away from the retiring module, ensuring data integrity is maintained and preventing information loss during the transition period

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provisions replacement semiconductor memory modules in advance and pre-configures the address conversion table to accommodate module replacement. This beforehand cushioning ensures that when a module is removed, the system can immediately activate the replacement module with proper address mappings, preventing any loss of data accessibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS10417124B2Storage system that tracks mapping to a memory module to be detached therefrom

Publication Date: 2019.09.17 KIOXIA CORP

AI summary

A storage system connectable to a host includes a plurality of interface units, a plurality of semiconductor memory modules, each being detachably coupled with one of the interface units, and a controller configured to maintain an address conversion table indicating mappings between logical addresses and physical addresses of memory locations in the semiconductor memory modules. When the controller determines that a first semiconductor memory module needs to be detached, the controller converts physical addresses of the first semiconductor memory module into corresponding logical addresses using the address conversion table and copies valid data stored in the corresponding logical addresses to another semiconductor memory module and update the address conversion table to indicate new mappings for the corresponding logical addresses of the valid data.