SSD Data Hardening via LBA De-allocation Protocol Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solid State Drives (SSDs) face performance issues and increased wear due to periodic data movement, and rely on costly and prone-to-failure super capacitors or batteries for data protection during power loss, necessitating improved de-allocation management and data hardening techniques.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that converts Logical Block Address (LBA) de-allocation information between different storage protocols, such as SCSI and ATA, and uses energy storage elements like super capacitors or batteries to harden data by converting power loss information and de-allocation commands, allowing independent de-allocation of user and protection data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If periodic data movement is performed in SSDs, then data integrity is maintained, but performance deteriorates and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes data that has been de-allocated at the logical level but still exists in the physical storage medium. By identifying logical block addresses that are no longer in use and physically removing or invalidating their corresponding data blocks, the system prevents unnecessary data movement operations while maintaining data integrity, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary de-allocation management by tracking and identifying data blocks that are no longer needed before they would require movement or validation operations. By proactively marking and removing de-allocated data blocks, the system prepares the storage medium in advance, eliminating the need for periodic data movement and reducing both performance impact and wear.
2Reliability
If super capacitors or batteries are used for data protection during power loss, then data integrity is ensured, but cost increases and reliability of components decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dependency on super capacitors or batteries by extracting and implementing a software-based de-allocation management system. This system tracks which data blocks are still needed and which can be safely removed, allowing the SSD to protect data integrity through intelligent data management rather than expensive hardware components, thus resolving the contradiction between data protection and component cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical power backup system (super capacitors or batteries) with a software-based logic system that uses de-allocation commands and mapping tables. This substitution eliminates the need for costly and failure-prone hardware components while maintaining data integrity through intelligent data block management and validation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If protocol conversion is implemented for LBA de-allocation, then compatibility and versatility improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal de-allocation management system that handles multiple storage protocols (SCSI, ATA, SATA, SAS) through a single unified approach. By creating a protocol-agnostic layer that translates various protocol-specific de-allocation commands into a common internal representation, the system achieves broad compatibility without requiring separate complex conversion logic for each protocol, thus resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances SSD performance, reduces wear, and ensures data integrity during power loss without relying on costly or unreliable components by efficiently managing LBA de-allocation and hardening data through protocol conversion and energy storage utilization.
Implementation Method 1
the energy storage element is a battery
Implementation Method 2
determining a charge level of the flash memory
Data Source
AI summary
A bridge receives a power down command and in response converts the power down command to a data hardening command. The bridge issues the data hardening command to a solid state disk. In response to the data hardening command, data stored on the solid state disk is hardened. The hardening comprises writing data in volatile memory to non-volatile memory. The data that is hardened comprises user data and protected data. The data hardening command optionally comprises one or more of a flush cache command, a sleep command, and a standby immediate command.