SSD Metadata Storage Segmentation for NAND Resource Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solid state drive (SSD) firmware designs face challenges in ensuring uniform performance and managing metadata effectively, leading to resource wastage and increased complexity due to the inherent characteristics of NANDs, particularly with Single Level Cell (SLC) and Trinary Level Cell (TLC) blocks.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for continuously saving metadata in internal-storage physical addresses of an SSD, dividing regions into buffer regions with a preset circulating sequence, performing NAND writing operations, and maintaining a mapping table between logical and physical addresses to optimize metadata storage and retrieval, reducing resource consumption and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple backups and type distinguishing are used for metadata storage, then data safety is improved, but resource consumption increases and firmware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments metadata storage into different types (system metadata and user metadata) with distinct storage strategies. System metadata is stored in SLC blocks for high reliability, while user metadata can use TLC blocks. This segmentation allows differentiated protection levels without uniformly applying complex backup mechanisms to all metadata, thus reducing overall firmware complexity while maintaining data safety for critical information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different storage qualities to different metadata types based on their importance. Critical system metadata receives enhanced protection through SLC block storage with stronger error correction, while less critical user metadata uses standard TLC blocks. This local quality differentiation ensures data safety where needed without wasting resources elsewhere, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple backups and type distinguishing are used for metadata storage, then data safety is improved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments metadata storage into different types (system metadata and user metadata) with distinct storage strategies. System metadata is stored in SLC blocks for high reliability, while user metadata can use TLC blocks. This segmentation allows differentiated protection levels without uniformly applying complex backup mechanisms to all metadata, thus reducing overall firmware complexity while maintaining data safety for critical information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different storage qualities to different metadata types based on their importance. Critical system metadata receives enhanced protection through SLC block storage with stronger error correction, while less critical user metadata uses standard TLC blocks. This local quality differentiation ensures data safety where needed without wasting resources elsewhere, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
3Volume of stationary object
If physical capacity of solid state disk is increased, then storage capacity is improved, but demands on hardware units increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a unified metadata management framework that can handle both SLC and TLC block types through the same FTL architecture. The metadata structure and management mechanisms are designed to be universally applicable across different block types and capacity scales, allowing the SSD to expand capacity without proportionally increasing hardware complexity. The same metadata structures serve multiple purposes across different storage configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
An SSD-based log data storage method includes: configuring metadata in a running state in log data to be continuously stored in a memory physical address of an SSD; dividing a preset number of buffers for an area where the metadata is continuously stored in the memory physical address; storing update data of the metadata generated during a reading-writing process according to the preset cyclic sequence; defining a mapping table of a memory logical address and a physical address of the log data; in response to the full storage of one buffer, executing an NAND writing operation on data in the buffer region, executing a preset length of NAND writing operation on metadata not written into a NAND in the SSD; in response to the completion of the NAND writing operation, ranking the corresponding buffer last in the preset cyclic sequence and waiting to store the update data of the metadata.