Memory Control Component Using ECC for Metadata Capacity Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory systems face challenges in efficiently storing metadata without compromising application data storage capacity and requiring additional hardware resources, as metadata storage often consumes a portion of the application data storage capacity and necessitates extra memory.
Innovation Solution
A memory control component that encodes over-capacity data into an error correction code (ECC) and stores it with application data blocks, allowing for inferential recovery during read-back, effectively expanding the storage capacity of dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) by using Reed-Solomon encoding and decoding techniques, which enable error detection and correction without additional memory consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If metadata is stored in conventional memory systems, then metadata storage function is achieved, but application data storage capacity is reduced and additional hardware resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges metadata storage with application data storage by encoding metadata as over-capacity data using Reed-Solomon ECC codes. The metadata is combined with application data blocks into a single stored unit, eliminating the need for separate metadata storage hardware while preserving full application data capacity. This is achieved through the encoding process that integrates metadata bits into the ECC structure without consuming additional memory resources.
2Quantity of substance
If additional memory is allocated for metadata storage, then metadata storage capacity is improved, but device complexity and hardware resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing ECC hardware multi-functional by enabling it to store both application data and metadata. The Reed-Solomon encoder and decoder are configured to handle over-capacity data that includes metadata, allowing the same hardware components to serve dual purposes: traditional error correction for application data and metadata storage. This eliminates the need for dedicated metadata storage hardware and reduces overall device complexity.
3Quantity of substance
If over-capacity data is encoded using Reed-Solomon ECC, then effective storage capacity is expanded, but encoding and decoding complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the Reed-Solomon ECC code to accommodate over-capacity data including metadata. By configuring the RS encoder with specific parameters that allow metadata bits to be integrated into the code structure, the system achieves expanded effective storage capacity. The decoder is similarly configured to handle the modified code structure, enabling recovery of both application data and metadata through standard ECC operations without requiring fundamentally new algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A decoding engine within an integrated-circuit (IC) component iteratively executes error detection/correction operations with respect to a sequence of input data volumes to generate a corresponding sequence of error syndrome values, the input data volumes each including a first block of data and corresponding error correction code retrieved from one or more external memory components together with a respective one of a plurality of q-bit data patterns. Selector circuitry within the decoding engine selects one of the plurality of q-bit data patterns to be an output q-bit value according to error-count differentiation indicated by the error syndrome values.