Memory Controller Fast Purge via Encryption Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional purge operations in managed memory devices are lengthy and insecure, as they rely on physical erase operations to remove data from unmapped memory spaces, which can be accessed by hosts if not properly encrypted.
Innovation Solution
Implementing encryption and decryption mechanisms within the memory control unit to securely remove data from unmapped regions by encrypting write data, omitting decryption for purged regions, and transferring encrypted or dummy data to prevent host access, thereby eliminating the need for lengthy erase operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical erase operations are used to remove data from unmapped memory spaces, then data security is improved, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the purge operation mechanism that uses encryption keys instead of physical erase operations. The memory control unit encrypts data during write operations and uses encryption/decryption during purge operations to logically remove data, avoiding the time-consuming physical erase process while maintaining security through key management and encrypted data handling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical physical erase operation with an encryption-based logical purge mechanism. Instead of physically erasing memory cells, the system uses encryption keys to prevent data access and decryption, substituting a faster software-based cryptographic mechanism for the slower hardware-based physical erase process
2Reliability
If encryption mechanisms are implemented in memory control unit, then data security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory control unit is designed to perform multiple functions including data encryption, decryption, and purge operations using a unified cryptographic mechanism. The same encryption key management system serves both data protection during storage and data removal during purge operations, consolidating multiple security functions into a single integrated mechanism rather than requiring separate dedicated hardware for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A memory device includes a memory array including memory cells, a communication interface to a host device, and a memory control unit operatively coupled to the memory array and the communication interface. The memory control unit is configured to encrypt write data received via the communication interface to produce encrypted data, program a portion of the memory cells of the memory array with the encrypted data, read the encrypted data from the portion of the memory cells in response to a memory read request, decrypt the read encrypted data to produce read decrypted data only for portions of the read encrypted data not stored in purged regions of the memory array.