Data Storage Controller Command Abort Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data storage systems face challenges in efficiently aborting specific commands, particularly in devices processing multiple commands out of order, where locating and terminating a command can disrupt other operations and impact performance.
Innovation Solution
A data storage controller system that generates abort tracking indicators at receiving and completion units to monitor and abort specific commands, using abort registers and command tables to identify and terminate commands without disrupting other processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the storage controller monitors all commands to identify and abort a selected command, then the ability to abort specific commands is improved, but the system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage controller pre-assignes unique command identifiers to each command before execution. When an abort request arrives, the controller uses the identifier to directly locate and abort the specific command without searching through all active commands, enabling efficient command termination while maintaining manageable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces command identifiers as an intermediary mechanism between the host device and the command execution system. These identifiers act as keys that enable the host to request abort of specific commands and allow the controller to efficiently match abort requests with the corresponding commands in the command queue, reducing the need for complex monitoring of all commands
2Productivity
If the storage controller processes commands out of order to improve throughput, then productivity is improved, but the difficulty of locating and aborting specific commands increases
Solution Approach 1:
Command identifiers are assigned to commands before they are placed in the out-of-order execution queue. This preliminary tagging allows the controller to maintain a mapping between identifiers and command locations, enabling efficient retrieval and abort of specific commands even when the execution order differs from the submission order
Solution Approach 2:
The controller maintains feedback mechanisms including command tables and abort tracking indicators that continuously update the status and location of commands based on their identifiers. This feedback system allows the controller to track commands throughout the out-of-order processing pipeline and accurately locate commands for abort requests
3Reliability
If the controller uses comprehensive monitoring to ensure accurate command abortion, then reliability is improved, but the processing time and system performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the command identification and tracking functionality from the general command processing flow into separate dedicated structures (command tables, abort tracking indicators). This extraction allows the abort mechanism to operate independently and efficiently without interfering with the main command processing pipeline, reducing abort processing time while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
Command identifiers serve as intermediaries that enable direct access to specific commands without requiring comprehensive monitoring of all commands. The identifier-based lookup mechanism allows the controller to quickly locate and abort the target command while leaving other commands unaffected, minimizing processing time overhead
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed to abort a command at a data storage controller, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a data storage controller configured to receive an abort indicator from a host device, generate an abort tracking indicator at a receiving unit configured to receive commands from the host device, monitor to determine when the selected command is received at the receiving unit based on the abort tracking indicator, and abort the selected command when the selected command is received at the receiving unit. In some embodiments, the data storage controller may generate an abort tracking indicator at a completion unit configured to notify the host device of completed commands, and monitor for the selected command at the completion unit based on the abort tracking indicator.