Memory Controller Policy Export for SSD Command Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data storage systems, such as Solid State Drives (SSDs), face inefficiencies in managing memory access commands across multiple non-volatile memory units, leading to suboptimal performance in terms of throughput, latency, and power consumption due to lack of effective policy management between the host and memory controller.
Innovation Solution
The method involves a memory controller reporting policy rules to the host, which formats memory access commands based on criteria that optimize performance measures like throughput, latency, and power consumption, by specifying parallelism, pipeline, prioritization, redundancy, and power consumption rules, allowing the host to adjust command execution accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the memory controller manages memory access commands independently without host intervention, then device complexity is reduced, but performance optimization capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The memory controller exports policy information to the host, creating a feedback mechanism where the host can adjust command formatting based on controller policies. This allows the host to optimize command sequences for parallelism and throughput while the controller maintains management simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Policy information acts as an intermediary between the memory controller and host. The controller communicates execution policies to the host, enabling the host to format commands optimally without increasing controller complexity.
2Productivity
If the memory controller applies complex parallelism policies internally, then throughput is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts policy information from the memory controller and presents it to the host. This allows the controller to maintain simple internal management while still enabling complex parallelism optimization through host-side command formatting based on exported policies.
3Ease of operation
If the host formats commands without knowledge of controller policies, then ease of operation is maintained, but performance optimization is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The memory controller provides feedback to the host about its policy requirements. The host uses this feedback information to format commands that align with controller policies, achieving performance optimization without compromising operational simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If memory access commands are executed without coordinated policy application, then adaptability is reduced, but device complexity is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
Policy information serves as an intermediary that enables adaptability. The controller exports policy details to the host, allowing the host to adapt command formatting to match controller policies, achieving versatility without adding coordination complexity to the controller.
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage method includes, in a memory controller that accepts memory access commands from a host for execution in one or more memory units, holding a definition of a policy to be applied by the memory controller in the execution of the memory access commands in the memory units. The policy is reported from the memory controller to the host so as to cause the host to format memory access commands based on the reported policy.