NV Memory File System Consistency Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

When non-volatile memory (NV memory) is used as both main memory and storage, inconsistencies in the file system can occur upon abnormal system termination, leading to potential file management failures.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device is designed with an NV memory, a file system unit, and a memory management unit that secures and allocates areas within the NV memory to reduce file system inconsistencies. This includes a file management information storing unit, an unused area specifying unit, and a file management information adding unit to manage and allocate areas effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If NV memory is used as both main memory and storage without area division, then memory management efficiency is improved, but file system consistency is compromised upon abnormal termination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory management efficiencyVSAvoidfile system consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the NV memory into a file system area and a memory area through a management table that tracks used and unused blocks. This segmentation allows the system to maintain file system consistency by preventing memory allocations from interfering with file system structures, while still enabling efficient memory management within the designated memory area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a management table as an intermediary structure between the file system and memory management functions. This management table acts as a mediator that coordinates block allocations, ensuring that memory operations do not corrupt file system data and that file system operations do not interfere with memory allocations, thereby maintaining consistency during abnormal terminations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Speed

If memory blocks are directly used as main memory without management table, then allocation speed is improved, but file system management becomes complex and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveallocation speedVSAvoidfile system management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the management complexity from the file system by creating a separate management table that handles block tracking independently. This extraction allows the file system to remain simple while enabling efficient memory allocation, as the management table maintains the necessary information about used and unused blocks without requiring complex file system operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10503702B2Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Publication Date: 2019.12.10 FIXSTARS CORPORATION

AI summary

There is provided an information processing device comprising an NV memory that is a non-volatile recording medium, a file system unit that manages one or more files stored in the NV memory, and a memory management unit that secures one or more areas of the NV memory that are ready to be used by the file system unit to store a file, and allocates the secured one or more areas to a running process in response to a request from the running process. According to the information processing device, when the NV memory is used both as a main memory and a storage, inconsistencies in the file system caused by an abnormal termination of the system are reduced.