Memory Controller Descriptor Index for Bad Block Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In memory systems, duplicate registration of bad blocks can occur due to failures during operations, leading to inefficiencies and potential data loss, as existing systems lack effective mechanisms to manage and allocate alternative memory blocks.
Innovation Solution
A memory system with a controller that generates and manages descriptors and corresponding indexes for semiconductor memory blocks, allowing for the identification and re-allocation of new memory blocks when failures occur, thereby preventing duplicate registration of bad blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a failure occurs during internal operations of memory blocks, then the failed block needs to be registered as a bad block, but duplicate registration of the same bad block can occur leading to inefficiencies and potential data loss
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements a feedback mechanism by checking whether a failed memory block has already been registered as a bad block before registering it again. The controller receives feedback from the failure detection process, verifies the registration status through descriptor index search, and only proceeds with registration if the block is not already registered, thereby preventing duplicate registrations while maintaining data integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing descriptor indexes for all memory blocks before failures occur. When a failure happens, the controller can immediately search the pre-existing descriptor indexes to check if the failed block is already registered as a bad block, eliminating the need for time-consuming verification processes and preventing duplicate registrations efficiently
2Reliability
If duplicate registration of bad blocks occurs, then system reliability deteriorates, but implementing prevention mechanisms increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The descriptor index serves as an intermediary data structure that mediates between the failure detection process and the bad block registration process. The controller uses the descriptor index to check whether a failed block is already registered before proceeding with registration, providing a simple and elegant solution that prevents duplicate registrations without significantly increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and maintains descriptor indexes as copies of memory block information, including their registration status. This copying approach allows the controller to efficiently check the registration status of failed blocks without modifying the original memory block data, providing a low-overhead mechanism for preventing duplicate bad block registrations
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein may be a memory system and a method of operating the memory system. The memory system may include: a memory device comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices each including a plurality of memory blocks; and a controller configured to generate at least one or more descriptors in response to a request from a host, and control internal operations of the plurality of semiconductor devices based on the respective at least one or more descriptors. The controller may generate and manage at least one or more descriptor indexes respectively corresponding to the at least one or more descriptors. When a failure occurs during the internal operations of the plurality of semiconductor devices, at least one descriptor corresponding to a memory block in which the failure has occurred is searched for using the at least one or more descriptor indexes.