Memory Device Trace Collection for Low-Latency Address Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing memory systems face inefficiencies in tracking physical memory addresses, leading to undesirable latencies and resource consumption due to software-based address translation, and the memory device's availability for tracking is often not guaranteed by the host operating system.
Innovation Solution
A hardware-based solution where a memory device collects and stores trace data, including physical memory addresses, in a private volatile memory portion, allowing direct access to the host for improved management decisions, such as cache optimization and prefetching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If software-based address translation is used to track physical memory addresses, then the host operating system can manage memory addresses, but latencies increase and resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hardware-based trace collection unit within the memory device that acts as an intermediary to collect and store physical memory address information directly in volatile memory. This eliminates the need for software-based address translation by the host operating system, thereby reducing latencies while maintaining accurate tracking of physical memory addresses through dedicated hardware circuitry that operates independently of software overhead.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software-based address translation is used, then memory management can be performed, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory device performs self-service by incorporating a trace collection unit that autonomously collects, processes, and stores physical memory address information without requiring host processor intervention. The volatile memory within the memory device serves itself by directly storing trace data in a designated region, eliminating the need for continuous software-based management and thereby reducing host processor resource consumption while maintaining full memory management capability.
3Loss of information
If the host operating system is used to track physical memory addresses, then address information can be collected, but the availability for tracking is not guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-allocating a dedicated region in volatile memory specifically for storing trace data before any memory operations occur. The trace collection unit is pre-configured to continuously capture physical address information and store it in this reserved space, ensuring that trace data is always available and not lost, regardless of the host operating system's state or priority, thereby guaranteeing tracking availability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for collecting trace data via a memory device are disclosed. One method may include receiving, by the memory device, a command from a computing device; identifying, by the memory device, first data associated with the command; storing, by the memory device, the first data in a first portion of volatile memory of the memory device for reading by the computing device; and accessing, by the memory device, a second portion of the volatile memory, wherein the second portion of the volatile memory is configured to store a copy of second data stored in a non-volatile memory of the memory device.