RPMB Memory Block Allocation for Faster Secure Purge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage devices face performance degradation due to the lack of targeted purge operations for Replay Protected Memory Block (RPMB) data, leading to inefficient and delayed responses when invalid data is physically erased without specifying the target, especially when RPMB data is distributed across multiple memory blocks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a storage device with a storage controller that tracks and manages the number of RPMBs, prioritizes allocation of free blocks with RPMB data, and performs garbage collection to maintain the number of RPMBs below a threshold, thereby minimizing performance degradation during purge operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical erasure of all invalid data is performed without specifying target data, then security requirements are met, but storage device performance deteriorates due to delayed response
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the invalid data into two categories: RPMB data (requiring physical erasure for security) and non-RPMB data (allowing logical invalidation). This segmentation enables selective processing where only RPMB data undergoes time-consuming physical erasure, while other invalid data is handled quickly through logical invalidation, thus maintaining security for critical data while improving overall purge performance
Solution Approach 2:
The storage controller performs preliminary identification of RPMB data among invalid data before executing the purge operation. By pre-identifying which data requires physical erasure versus logical invalidation, the system can optimize the execution sequence and allocate resources efficiently, reducing the overall time required for the purge operation while ensuring security requirements are met
2Adaptability or versatility
If RPMB data is distributed across multiple memory blocks, then data storage flexibility is improved, but purge operation time increases resulting in performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The storage controller merges the purge operations for multiple scattered RPMB data locations into a unified processing workflow. By consolidating the identification and erasure operations across multiple memory blocks into a coordinated process, the system reduces overhead and improves efficiency, thereby decreasing the total purge time while maintaining the flexibility of distributed storage
3Reliability
If all invalid data is purged regardless of type, then security compliance is achieved, but device performance is degraded due to unnecessary operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality levels of purge operations to different types of data: RPMB data receives the high-security physical erasure treatment, while non-RPMB data receives a faster logical invalidation treatment. This local differentiation of operation intensity matches the security requirements of each data type, ensuring compliance for critical data while maximizing efficiency for less sensitive data
Data Source
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AI summary
A storage device for performing a purge operation in response to a replay protected memory block (RPMB) purge command comprises at least one nonvolatile memory device; and a storage controller. The storage controller is configured to control data input and data output of the at least one nonvolatile memory device, track at least one RPMB of the at least one nonvolatile memory device in which RPMB data is stored, and trigger a garbage collection based on a number of the RPMBs reaching a threshold, and the storage controller is further configured to, based on allocating a log block to which write data is to be programmed, give priority to a memory block corresponding to the RPMB among free blocks over a non-RPMB block among the free blocks.