Storage Controller Address Conversion for Compressed Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage systems face inefficiencies due to the need for address conversion logic in both storage controllers and SSD controllers, leading to excessive resource consumption and waste, particularly when managing variable-length compressed data across multiple SSDs.
Innovation Solution
A storage system design where the storage controller and SSD controller perform aligned logical-physical address conversions using common management sizes, eliminating the need for complex address management by aligning leading addresses across logical and physical address spaces, thereby reducing resource waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If address conversion logic is implemented in both storage controller and SSD controller to manage variable-length compressed data, then data compression capability is improved, but management resources and processor consumption are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the address conversion logic from the SSD controller into the storage controller. The storage controller now performs both the compression management and the logical-physical address conversion, eliminating the need for separate address conversion logic in the SSD controller. This consolidation reduces the total management resources while maintaining full compression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage controller is designed to perform multiple functions: data compression, address conversion for logical-physical mapping, and RAID management. By making the storage controller universal and capable of handling all these tasks, the system eliminates the need for specialized address conversion logic in the SSD controller, reducing overall system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If address conversion table is set by host based on compression data length difference, then variable-length compressed data can be managed, but resource waste occurs in both storage controller and SSD controller address conversion logic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the address conversion logic from the SSD controller and relocates it to the storage controller. This extraction eliminates the duplicate address conversion functionality in the SSD controller, thereby removing the associated resource waste while preserving the ability to manage variable-length compressed data through the storage controller's unified address management.
3Quantity of substance
If compression rate varies according to data, then capacity efficiency is improved, but complicated address management logic is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the address management functionality with the compression management in the storage controller. By having a single entity (storage controller) responsible for both compression operations and address mapping, the system maintains capacity efficiency through variable compression rates while using unified logic that eliminates the need for complex coordinated address management between multiple controllers.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system including a storage controller for compressing a data from a host and a plurality of nonvolatile memory drives for writing the compressed data. The storage controller provides the host with a first logical address space as a logical storage area and includes a plurality of first physical address spaces corresponding to the first logical address space and manages storage areas of the plurality of nonvolatile memory drives. Each of the plurality of nonvolatile memory drives includes a second physical address space that manages a physical storage area of the nonvolatile memory and a second logical address space that corresponds to the second physical address space and to each of the plurality of first physical address spaces. The second logical address spaces and the first logical address space are managed with a common size and a common management size, and leading addresses are aligned with the management size.