Multi-Stream Fast Release Buffer for SSD Write Amplification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solid-state storage drives (SSDs) face performance degradation and reduced effective lifetime due to frequent writes causing data fragmentation and 'write amplification', which leads to overhead in garbage collection and decreased read/write performance.
Innovation Solution
A programmable data write management system utilizing a multi-stream fast release buffer (FRB) that organizes host data into codewords for efficient storage in non-volatile memory, minimizing the involvement of the controller processor in write operations and reducing garbage collection overhead by interleaving data across multiple memory devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If garbage collection is performed to reclaim free space, then storage space is freed for writing new data, but read and write performance decreases due to overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by maintaining a fast release buffer that pre-allocates and caches free storage spaces before they are needed. When write operations occur, the system can immediately use pre-prepared buffer spaces without triggering garbage collection, thus freeing storage space in advance while maintaining performance during actual write operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The fast release buffer acts as an intermediary between the host and the non-volatile memory. It absorbs write operations by caching data in volatile memory, preventing direct write amplification to the non-volatile memory and reducing the frequency of garbage collection operations, thereby maintaining performance while managing storage space.
2Productivity
If frequent writes are performed to the SSD, then data is stored quickly, but data fragmentation occurs and effective lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-allocating contiguous storage spaces in the fast release buffer before write operations. This allows frequent writes to occur in sequential order within the buffer without causing fragmentation in the non-volatile memory, thereby maintaining write speed while preserving reliability through reduced write amplification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a volatile memory copy (fast release buffer) of frequently written data. Host writes are directed to this copy rather than directly to non-volatile memory, allowing rapid writes without immediately impacting the physical media. This reduces write amplification and extends the effective lifetime of the SSD.
3Ease of operation
If a single host data write request is processed, then data is stored, but multiple internal SSD read and writes occur resulting in write amplification
Solution Approach 1:
The fast release buffer serves as an intermediary that absorbs host write requests. Instead of each host write triggering multiple internal read-write cycles in the non-volatile memory, the buffer captures writes in volatile memory and batches them, reducing write amplification while maintaining ease of operation for the host.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple small host write operations into consolidated buffer operations. By accumulating writes in the fast release buffer and processing them as unified batches, the system reduces the number of separate internal SSD operations required, thereby improving effective write throughput while maintaining simple host interface operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of writing multi-stream host data to a storage device comprising a CPU, a multi-stream fast release buffer (FRB), and a non-volatile memory (NVM), includes: receiving a command to write the multi-stream host data to the NVM, the multi-stream host data being associated with a logical block number (LBN) and a new stream ID, recording a status of the active stream ID and retrieving a status of the new stream ID to determine a physical address in the NVM for storing one or more codewords (CWs) corresponding to the multi-stream host data, allocating space in a buffer of the FRB for storage of the multi-stream host data, organizing the multi-stream host data into the one or more CWs, and storing the one or more CWs into the allocated space in the buffer, transferring the one or more CWs from the buffer to the physical address in the NVM.