Storage Controller Asynchronous Event Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flash memory devices, such as SSDs, face challenges in efficiently handling events during initialization stages due to limitations in existing event notification protocols, which can hinder error response and overall system reliability.
Innovation Solution
An event notification method where a storage device's controller detects events independently and writes asynchronous event information into a completion queue of the host, transmitting interrupts without requiring a prior request from the host, enabling proactive event notification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If event notification is provided responsive to a host request, then the host can receive event information, but it is difficult to respond to errors occurring during device initialization stages
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device performs preliminary actions by detecting events and writing asynchronous event information to the host's completion queue before the host requests event notification. This allows the host to receive event information even during initialization stages when the host may not have issued requests yet, thereby improving error response capability during critical initialization periods
2Loss of time
If the storage device waits for a host request to notify events, then the protocol remains simple, but event notification is delayed until after the host requests it
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device serves itself by independently detecting events and proactively notifying the host through the completion queue without waiting for host requests. The storage controller autonomously writes asynchronous event information to the host's completion queue and transmits interrupts, enabling the storage device to take initiative in event notification and reducing notification delays
3Productivity
If asynchronous event information is written regardless of host requests, then event notification is timely, but the protocol becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The completion queue, originally designed for command completion notifications, is extended to serve dual purposes: notifying both command completion status and asynchronous events. By writing asynchronous event information to the same completion queue structure used for command completions, the patent achieves multi-functionality without requiring separate notification mechanisms, thereby improving event processing efficiency while minimizing protocol complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An event notification method of a storage device includes detecting an event in the storage device, writing an asynchronous event information entry corresponding to the event in a completion queue of a host, and transmitting an interrupt corresponding to a transmission of the asynchronous event information entry to the host. The asynchronous event information entry is provided to the host regardless of reception of an asynchronous event request command from the host.