SSD Controller File System Integration for PCIe Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data compression methods in storage systems result in significant data movement, increased latency, decreased performance, and traffic bottlenecks due to multiple passes of data across the PCIe bus, leading to inefficiencies and reduced bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
The system utilizes the SSD's internal DRAM to store uncompressed data, performs compression locally by the SSD controller, and manages metadata through a customized file system, reducing data transfers by only sending metadata back to the host, thus minimizing PCIe bus usage and enhancing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If compression is performed by dedicated PCIe card, smart NIC, or SSD controller, then compression performance is improved, but data movement through PCIe bus increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the file system with the storage device controller, creating an integrated system where the file system resides directly on the storage device rather than on the host. This integration allows compression to be performed locally without requiring multiple data transfers between host and storage device, thereby maintaining compression performance while eliminating excessive data movement through the PCIe bus.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a journal as an intermediary data structure that stores metadata about compressed files directly on the storage device. This journal allows the host to track compressed files without needing to transfer the actual compressed data back to the host, serving as a mediator that reduces PCIe bus traffic while maintaining system functionality.
2Productivity
If data is transferred multiple times through PCIe bus for compression operations, then compression can be performed, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs compression actions preliminarily by integrating the file system and compression functionality directly into the storage device controller. This allows compression to be performed immediately when data is written to the storage device, eliminating the need for subsequent data transfers and processing steps that would otherwise occur on the host side, thereby reducing overall latency.
3Productivity
If CPU performs compression and file system processing, then compression can be performed, but PCIe bus traffic increases due to multiple data transfers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the storage device to perform compression and file system management operations autonomously through its integrated file system. This eliminates the need for the CPU to handle compression and file system tasks, and prevents the associated PCIe bus traffic, as all operations are completed locally on the storage device without requiring data to be transferred to and from the host.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment facilitates data compression. During operation, the system receives, by a host computing device, a request to write a first set of data. The system writes the first set of data to a first storage device of a storage component. A storage component controller performs compression on the first set of data to obtain compressed data. The controller transmits, to a file system component of the host computing device, metadata associated with the compressed data. The file system component inserts in a journal an entry based on the metadata associated with the compressed data. The system writes, by the controller, the compressed data to a second storage device of the storage component, thereby enhancing performance of the host computing device by reducing a number of data transfers involved in compressing and writing of the first set of data.