Map Data Management in Memory Systems via Host Cache
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing memory systems face inefficiencies due to the burden of managing increasing map data, which leads to degraded operational performance as the controller's limited space for loading map data results in partial loading, re-storing, and re-reading operations, necessitating a method to minimize the updating of map data stored in the host.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves transferring map data to the host memory for use as a cache for address translation, allowing the host to convert logical addresses to physical addresses, thereby reducing the operational burden on the controller and minimizing synchronization processes by maintaining the original storage location of data during garbage collection operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If map data is stored in the controller's limited space, then the controller can manage address translation, but the controller's limited space results in partial loading, re-storing, and re-reading operations that degrade operational performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the storage dimension by utilizing host memory in addition to controller memory. Map data is stored in both the controller's memory and the host's memory, creating a distributed storage architecture that eliminates the bottleneck of limited controller space and reduces the frequency of re-storing and re-reading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of map data in the host memory. The host stores a copy of the map data that the controller uses for address translation, allowing the controller to access map data without frequent re-storing operations, thereby improving operational performance and reducing time loss.
2Reliability
If the controller manages all map data updates, then data consistency is maintained, but the operational burden on the controller increases and synchronization processes are frequent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the burden of map data management from the controller and transfers it to the host. The host is responsible for storing and managing map data updates, while the controller only needs to access the current version of map data from the host, significantly reducing the controller's operational burden while maintaining data consistency through the host's management.
Solution Approach 2:
The host acts as an intermediary between the storage system and the map data. Instead of the controller directly managing all map data updates, the host serves as an intermediate layer that receives, stores, and manages map data updates, then provides them to the controller when needed, reducing the controller's operational complexity.
3Productivity
If garbage collection moves valid data to temporary blocks, then space is reclaimed, but data must be moved from original locations causing map data updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying to preserve the original data location information in the host's map data. When the controller performs garbage collection and moves data to temporary blocks, it updates its internal mapping, but the host maintains a copy of the original location mapping. This allows the controller to reclaim space through garbage collection while the host's copied map data remains unchanged, preventing frequent map data updates at the host level.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a memory system including a memory device including a plurality of memory blocks; and a controller suitable for performing a garbage collection operation by: moving, when a first victim block related to map data stored in an external device is included in a plurality of victim blocks selected from the plurality of memory blocks, one or more pieces of valid data from the first victim block to a temporary block, which is a free block among the plurality of memory blocks, erasing the first victim block to set the first victim block as a first target block, and moving first valid data, which correspond to the map data stored in the external device among the valid data, from the temporary block to an original location within the first target block, wherein the first valid data is originally stored in the original location before the garbage collection operation.