Data Storage Device Exception Analysis Firmware Trace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current analytics for Data Storage Devices (DSDs) lack insight into events leading up to exceptions, as existing firmware analysis methods are limited by short time windows and excessive data collection, making it difficult to detect and prevent faults effectively.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an exception analysis unit that collects and analyzes logs with lists or data structures indicating the order of code or firmware execution, allowing for the identification of sequences related to exceptions and optimizing performance by retaining state information for complex tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If firmware traces are used for failure analysis, then insight into events leading to exceptions is improved, but data collection volume increases significantly and time window coverage remains limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively collecting detailed firmware trace information only for specific tasks that encounter exceptions, rather than uniformly collecting data for all tasks. The system identifies exceptional tasks and retrieves their associated firmware traces, creating a localized approach to data collection that focuses resources on problematic areas while ignoring normal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by collecting firmware trace data for only a subset of tasks—specifically those that experience exceptions—rather than for all tasks. This partial collection approach provides sufficient information for failure analysis while avoiding the excessive data generation that would result from universal trace collection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If firmware complexity increases to add features and local processing, then functionality is improved, but fault detection and exception prevention become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by creating a closed-loop system where exception information from the field is fed back to the failure analysis system. The system collects exception data, retrieves associated firmware traces, analyzes the sequences of events leading to exceptions, and uses these insights to improve future firmware versions. This feedback mechanism enables systematic fault detection and prevention despite increasing firmware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-collecting and storing firmware trace data alongside exception logs in the data storage device. This preparatory data collection ensures that when exceptions occur, the necessary contextual information is already available for immediate analysis, rather than requiring retrospective data collection that would be more difficult in complex firmware environments.
3Quantity of substance
If statistics counters are used to record exceptions, then data storage efficiency is improved, but insight into event sequences is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing exception recording into two distinct components: (1) statistics counters that efficiently track the frequency of exception types, and (2) detailed firmware trace data that captures the sequence of events leading to exceptions. This segmentation allows the system to maintain storage efficiency through counters while preserving diagnostic value through selective trace collection for exceptional tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
A Data Storage Device (DSD) includes a memory for storing data, and a controller configured to execute firmware or code to perform a task. While performing the task, the controller is further configured to assign unique identifiers to respective firmware or code portions that are executed to perform the task, and create a list or data structure including the unique identifier assigned to the firmware or code portion that created the task. A unique identifier is added to the list or data structure for each firmware or code portion executed for the task. The list or data structure indicates the order in which the firmware or code portions are executed.