Flash Storage Recording Control to Prevent Data Fragmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data fragmentation in solid-state drives (SSDs) leads to frequent garbage collection, which decreases operating speed, as failed data recording on a page forces data to be recorded across multiple blocks, necessitating invalid data relocation and free page creation.
Innovation Solution
A data-recording system that includes a storage control device which issues notifications of successful or failed data recording in set areas, allowing for re-attempting recording in another area if failure occurs, thereby preventing data fragmentation and reducing garbage collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is recorded on another page when recording on a specific page fails, then the data can be recorded, but data fragmentation occurs and garbage collection is executed more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data recording process into two distinct phases: a test phase where recording attempts are made without committing data, and a commit phase where successful recordings are finalized. This segmentation allows the system to identify and handle recording failures before they cause data fragmentation, thereby maintaining operating speed while ensuring data reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary recording attempts in a test phase before actual data commitment. By conducting these test recordings first, the system can identify suitable pages for data storage without causing fragmentation, and only commit data to pages that have been verified as appropriate through the preliminary test phase.
2Ease of operation
If data is recorded in a fragmented state across multiple blocks, then recording can proceed, but garbage collection frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the recording evaluation process from the data commitment process. By segmenting these operations, the system can evaluate multiple potential recording locations without actually fragmenting data across blocks, thus reducing garbage collection needs while maintaining recording flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary test phase that acts as a mediator between the recording instruction and actual data commitment. This intermediary phase allows the system to explore multiple recording options and select the optimal location without immediately committing data, thereby avoiding fragmentation and reducing garbage collection frequency.
3Reliability
If all pages of a block must be made free when invalid data is recorded, then data integrity is maintained, but garbage collection is triggered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary validation of recording pages during the test phase before data is committed. By validating pages in advance, the system ensures that only pages suitable for data storage are selected, preventing the need for subsequent garbage collection to maintain data integrity, thus preserving storage speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the results of test recordings inform the data commitment decision. The system uses feedback from the test phase to identify successful recording locations, and only commits data to these verified locations, thereby maintaining data integrity without triggering unnecessary garbage collection operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A data-recording system comprises a storage and a storage control device. The storage has flash memory having a plurality of blocks, each of which is a unit for erasing data. Each of the blocks includes a plurality of pages, each of which is a unit for recording data. In a case where to-be-recorded data can be successively recorded in a set area, the storage control device issues a notification of the completion of recording in the set area for a unit of the number of recording instructions required to record the to-be-recorded data in the set area. In a case where to-be-recorded data cannot be successively recorded in the set area, the storage control device issues a notification of an error in recording in the set area for a unit of the number of recording instructions required to record the to-be-recorded data in the set area.