Storage Controller Data Compression Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data compression and encryption processes in data storage systems decrease overall system performance and increase power consumption due to the arithmetic operations associated with these processes, which are typically performed by the host device.
Innovation Solution
A method of operating a storage device that performs compression operations on original data to generate compressed data and writes it to a nonvolatile storage area, with the host device managing mapping information and not performing compression and decompression operations, thereby reducing resource usage and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the host device performs compression and encryption operations, then data security and storage efficiency are improved, but system performance decreases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the compression and encryption operations from the host device and relocates them to the storage device. The host device sends only raw data and control commands, while the storage device performs the computationally intensive compression and encryption operations locally, thereby improving system performance and reducing host power consumption while maintaining data security.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage device acts as an intermediary between the host device and the stored data. It receives raw data from the host, performs compression and encryption operations, and stores the processed data. This intermediary role allows the host to focus on high-level tasks while the storage device handles resource-intensive operations.
2Reliability
If the host device performs compression and encryption operations, then data security and storage efficiency are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power-consuming compression and encryption operations from the host device and relocates them to the storage device. The host device sends only raw data and control commands, while the storage device performs the computationally intensive operations locally, thereby reducing host power consumption while maintaining data security.
3Quantity of substance
If compression operations are performed on original data, then storage space is optimized, but additional processing time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs compression operations as a preliminary action during the data write process. Instead of compressing data only when storage space becomes critical, the system proactively compresses data before storing it, optimizing storage space utilization from the beginning while integrating the compression step into the normal data flow.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a storage device including at least one nonvolatile storage and a storage controller configured to control the nonvolatile storage. A first type of request, original data and a first request information associated with the original data are received, in the storage controller, from an external host device, a compression operation to compress the original data to generate compressed data is performed in the storage controller, in response to the first type of request, and a write operation to write the compressed data in a data storage area of the nonvolatile storage is performed in the storage controller. The data storage area of the nonvolatile storage may store the first request information associated with the original data. The external host may manage mapping information in the form of a mapping table associated with compression/decompression at the storage device.