Storage Controller Garbage Collection Error Defense
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data storage devices using memory devices face issues with maintaining an adequate number of free blocks, leading to potential failures due to garbage collection (GC) operations not being performed successfully, resulting in a shortage of free blocks and device breakdowns.
Innovation Solution
A data storage device with a controller that allocates free memory blocks as programmable blocks and performs a GC error defense operation to check the success of GC operations, suspending operations if GC has not been successful and waiting for a host reset, ensuring the device retains sufficient free blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If garbage collection operations are performed to manage memory blocks, then free blocks are replenished, but GC operations may fail leading to excessive consumption of free blocks and device breakdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The controller checks whether a GC operation has been performed successfully by comparing the number of programmable memory blocks before and after the GC operation. If the number of programmable memory blocks has not increased as expected, the controller determines that the GC operation failed and suspends further GC operations to prevent excessive consumption of free blocks. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable GC operation management.
Solution Approach 2:
Before performing a GC operation, the controller records the current number of programmable memory blocks. This preliminary recording allows the controller to later verify whether the GC operation achieved its intended effect by comparing the before-and-after counts, enabling detection of failed GC operations.
2Quantity of substance
If the controller continuously performs GC operations to maintain free blocks, then free block availability improves, but device stability deteriorates due to potential GC failures and operation suspensions
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements a feedback mechanism that monitors GC operation results by comparing memory block counts before and after GC operations. When a GC operation is detected as failed (no increase in programmable blocks), the controller suspends further GC operations, preventing instability caused by repeated failed operations. This feedback control maintains device stability while managing free blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller records the number of programmable memory blocks before GC operations as a reference value. This preliminary recording acts as a cushioning measure, enabling the controller to detect failed GC operations and suspend operations accordingly, thereby preventing device instability before it occurs.
3Reliability
If the controller suspends operations upon GC failure to prevent free block depletion, then device reliability improves, but productivity decreases due to operation suspension
Solution Approach 1:
The controller uses feedback to detect GC operation failures by comparing memory block counts. When a failure is detected, the controller suspends operations temporarily to prevent free block depletion and maintain reliability. This selective suspension approach maintains reliability while minimizing impact on productivity by only suspending when necessary.
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage device may include a memory device including a plurality of memory blocks having a plurality of free memory blocks and a controller configured to control an operation of the memory device, wherein the controller performs a block allocation operation of allocating one or more free memory blocks among the plurality of free memory blocks as one or more programmable memory blocks, and performs a garbage collection (GC) error defense operation of checking whether a GC operation for the plurality of memory blocks has performed successfully, in response to the block allocation operation.