Memory Controller Row Hammer Bank Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The row hammer phenomenon in memory systems causes data deterioration due to interference from actively used word lines, leading to premature data loss, and existing solutions like shortening the refresh period result in power consumption and performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A memory system with a controller that calculates row hammer information for each bank based on program-specific command sets, adjusts refresh periods, and schedules banks to minimize vulnerability to the row hammer effect by remapping addresses and adjusting refresh periods based on error correction data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the refresh period is shortened to prevent row hammer phenomenon, then data retention reliability is improved, but power consumption increases and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating refresh operations between vulnerable and non-vulnerable banks. Instead of uniformly refreshing all banks at high frequency, the controller identifies banks susceptible to row hammer attacks and applies extended refresh intervals only to those specific banks, while maintaining normal refresh intervals for other banks. This localized approach ensures data retention reliability for vulnerable banks without unnecessarily increasing power consumption across the entire memory system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the refresh interval adaptive rather than static. The controller dynamically adjusts the refresh interval for each bank based on real-time or historical row hammer vulnerability assessments. When a bank is determined to be vulnerable to row hammer attacks, the refresh interval is extended; when not vulnerable, the normal interval is maintained. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between reliability and power consumption based on actual attack patterns.
2Reliability
If the refresh period is shortened to prevent row hammer phenomenon, then data retention reliability is improved, but system performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating refresh operations between vulnerable and non-vulnerable banks. Instead of uniformly refreshing all banks at high frequency, the controller identifies banks susceptible to row hammer attacks and applies extended refresh intervals only to those specific banks, while maintaining normal refresh intervals for other banks. This localized approach ensures data retention reliability for vulnerable banks without unnecessarily degrading overall system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the refresh interval adaptive rather than static. The controller dynamically adjusts the refresh interval for each bank based on real-time or historical row hammer vulnerability assessments. When a bank is determined to be vulnerable to row hammer attacks, the refresh interval is extended; when not vulnerable, the normal interval is maintained. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between reliability and system performance based on actual attack patterns.
3Use of energy by moving object
If normal refresh operations are performed on all banks, then power consumption is minimized, but vulnerable banks experience data deterioration due to row hammer attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating refresh operations between vulnerable and non-vulnerable banks. Instead of uniformly refreshing all banks at high frequency, the controller identifies banks susceptible to row hammer attacks and applies extended refresh intervals only to those specific banks, while maintaining normal refresh intervals for other banks. This localized approach ensures data retention reliability for vulnerable banks without unnecessarily increasing power consumption across the entire memory system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the memory controller to autonomously identify vulnerable banks and adjust their refresh intervals without external intervention. The controller monitors access patterns, detects potential row hammer vulnerabilities, and automatically extends refresh intervals for affected banks. This self-service mechanism ensures that vulnerable banks receive enhanced protection while the overall system maintains efficient power consumption, as the adjustments are made internally based on observed attack patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A memory system includes: a memory device including a plurality of banks; and a memory controller suitable for: controlling an operation of the memory device, calculating row hammer information for each of the banks for each program having a command set requested from a host, and scheduling the banks based on the row hammer information for each of the banks corresponding to a specific program when the specific program is requested from the host.