Dual Disk Caching via Access Count Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
The limited capacity and high cost of solid-state drives (SSDs) in consumer electronics lead to inefficient data access and prolonged resume times from sleep mode in dual-disk systems, where HDDs are primarily used for main data access and SSDs serve as a cache with limited utilization.
Innovation Solution
A caching method and system that categorizes data access in dual-disk systems, prioritizing caching of background processes to the SSD while discarding foreground applications, utilizing a monitoring, identification, and cache module to accumulate access counts and transfer data to the SSD only when access counts exceed a threshold, thereby improving data access efficiency and reducing resume times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If SSD capacity is increased to improve data access efficiency, then data access speed is improved, but cost increases and volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating data types into foreground applications and background processes, then applying different caching strategies to each. Frequently accessed background processes are cached in the limited SSD space, while foreground applications remain on the larger HDD, optimizing the use of each storage medium's characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of data selection for caching by introducing access count thresholds and data type categorization. Instead of caching all data or using simple LRU algorithms, the system monitors access patterns and selectively caches background processes that exceed access thresholds, thereby improving data access speed without requiring increased SSD capacity.
2Loss of time
If SSD capacity is increased to shorten resume time from sleep mode, then resume time is shortened, but cost increases and volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-caching background processes that are likely to be needed during system resume from sleep mode. The system identifies and caches these processes in advance in the SSD, so when the system wakes up, the critical background processes are already available in fast storage, significantly reducing resume time without requiring full SSD capacity expansion.
3Speed
If all data is cached to SSD to improve data access efficiency, then data access speed is improved, but SSD capacity is exhausted quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing data into distinct categories: foreground applications and background processes. This segmentation allows the system to apply different caching policies to each category, caching only the frequently accessed background processes in the limited SSD space while leaving foreground applications on the HDD, thus preventing SSD capacity exhaustion while maintaining improved data access speed for critical operations.
4Quantity of substance
If background processes are prioritized for caching to efficiently utilize limited SSD capacity, then SSD capacity utilization is optimized, but data access speed for foreground applications may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the operating system's file system and memory management - that mediates between the cached background processes in SSD and the foreground applications on HDD. This intermediary layer ensures that foreground applications can still access their data from the HDD without being blocked by the caching strategy, while background processes benefit from the fast SSD access, thus maintaining overall system performance while optimizing SSD capacity utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A caching method and a caching system using dual disks, adapted to an electronic apparatus having a first storage unit and a second storage unit, are provided, in which an access speed of the second storage unit is higher than that of the first storage unit. In the method, a data access to the first storage unit is monitored, a data category of the data in an access address of the data access is identified and whether the data category belongs to a cache category is determined. If the data category belongs to the cache category, an access count of the data in the access address being accessed is accumulated and whether the accumulated access count is over a threshold is determined. If the access count is over the threshold, the data in the access address is cached to the second storage unit.