Memory Controller Buffer Cluster Assignment for Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In memory systems, the latency and performance are degraded due to the waiting time for assigning subsequent requests into a buffer, as the host interface assigns requests based on buffer capacity, leading to increased latency and reduced overall system performance.
Innovation Solution
A controller and memory system that automatically assigns requests to clusters within a buffer using a descriptor report, allowing the core to detect and manage automatic assignment requests, thereby reducing latency by processing requests independently of buffer availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the host interface assigns requests based on buffer capacity, then the buffer management is simple, but the latency increases and performance degrades due to waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-assigning requests to clusters in the buffer before the buffer is actually ready to process them. The host interface assigns requests to buffer clusters in advance, and the buffer manager stores mapping information between requests and clusters. This allows the system to eliminate waiting time because the assignment is already done before the buffer needs the requests, resolving the contradiction between reduced latency and increased management complexity.
2Productivity
If the controller waits for previous requests to be completed before assigning subsequent requests, then the buffer management is straightforward, but the overall system performance and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The host interface performs preliminary assignment of subsequent requests to buffer clusters before previous requests are completed. The buffer manager stores mapping information that links requests to their assigned clusters. This enables overlapping of request processing, where multiple requests are assigned and processed in parallel, thereby improving system productivity without requiring complex dynamic management during execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer is divided into multiple clusters, and each request is assigned to a specific cluster. This segmentation allows independent processing of multiple requests in different clusters simultaneously. The buffer manager maintains separate mapping information for each cluster-request pair, enabling parallel processing and improving overall system performance while keeping the management structure organized and manageable.
3Loss of time
If automatic assignment is implemented, then the latency is reduced by processing requests independently, but the complexity of the assignment management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer manager automatically performs the assignment of requests to clusters based on pre-stored mapping information, without requiring manual intervention or complex dynamic decision-making. The system uses predetermined mapping tables that directly link requests to clusters, enabling automatic assignment that reduces waiting time while keeping the management logic simple and rule-based rather than complex and adaptive.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller includes a core transferring a plurality of requests; a buffer including a plurality of clusters; a buffer manager assigning the plurality of requests respectively into the plurality of clusters, and storing storage information of the buffer and cluster information regarding each of the plurality of clusters, into which the assigned requests are respectively assigned; and a descriptor updating a descriptor report such that the cluster information regarding each of the plurality of clusters and the assigned requests correspond to each other, respectively. The buffer manager is capable of assigning automatically a request provided from a host into the buffer without a control of the core.