Flash Storage Logical Block Size Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flash memory devices face performance delays due to the need to buffer remnant data until it reaches the capacity of a page, causing inefficiencies in data writing operations as they cannot erase data from individual pages quickly, leading to prolonged erasure times and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A method where the host sends a read capacity command to determine the logical block size, allowing it to send write data in multiples of this size directly to the flash storage device, eliminating the need for buffering remnant data and reducing delays by ensuring data is written in full blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the controller buffers remnant data until it reaches the capacity of a page, then data can be written to the flash memory, but execution delay is caused and performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of data writing unit from page-based to block-based. By defining a logical block size that is a multiple of the page size, the system allows direct writing of complete blocks without buffering remnant data, thereby eliminating buffering delay and improving writing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the data writing process into two independent operations: erasing complete blocks and writing complete blocks. This segmentation allows the controller to handle data in larger units (blocks) rather than smaller units (pages), reducing the frequency of write operations and eliminating the need for buffering remnant data.
2Productivity
If the flash memory erases data from all pages of a block, then data can be rewritten to the block, but the erasure process takes a long period of time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the erasure parameter from page-level to block-level. By erasing complete blocks rather than individual pages, the system reduces the number of erasure operations needed and eliminates the time-consuming buffering process, thereby improving erasure speed.
3Quantity of substance
If the controller fills as much data as possible to a specific page, then space is optimized, but buffering operation causes delay and adds burden to the controller
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the data structure into blocks that are multiples of page size. This allows the controller to work with complete blocks directly, eliminating the need for buffering remnant data and reducing the controller's processing burden while maintaining optimized space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a flash storage device. In one embodiment, the flash storage device comprises a flash memory and a controller. The flash memory comprises a plurality of storage units for data storage, wherein the total capacity of each of the storage units is equal to a storage unit capacity. When the flash storage device receives a read capacity command from a host, the controller determines the size of a logical block to be a specific multiple of the storage unit capacity, and sends information about the logical block size to the host in response to the read capacity command, wherein the specific multiple is a natural number. After the host receives the information from the flash storage device, the host retrieves the logical block size from the information, and sends only write data with an amount equal to a multiple of the logical block size to the flash storage device.