Storage Controller Namespace Data Grouping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional storage devices lack the ability to recognize relationships between different namespaces, leading to suboptimal physical placement of data, which affects operational performance and increases wear-leveling operations in non-volatile memory systems.

Innovation Solution

A storage controller determines relationships between namespaces based on workload attributes and manages open erase blocks to group data from related namespaces together, optimizing data storage and reducing wear-leveling operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If data from different namespaces is stored in separate memory blocks, then data isolation and management simplicity are improved, but operational performance deteriorates and wear-leveling operations increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata management simplicityVSAvoidoperational performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges data from multiple namespaces into the same memory block when those namespaces exhibit similar workload characteristics. The storage controller analyzes workload attributes and groups namespaces with similar access patterns, then stores their data together in shared memory blocks, improving performance while maintaining management simplicity through unified block handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the memory management approach by creating separate management paths: memory blocks are either dedicated to a single namespace or shared among multiple namespaces with similar workload characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for both data isolation and performance improvement depending on the specific namespace relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If conventional free block list management is used, then device complexity is reduced, but wear-leveling operations increase and performance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblock management complexityVSAvoidwear-leveling efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage controller implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring workload attributes of different namespaces and using this information to make intelligent decisions about memory block allocation. The controller continuously analyzes access patterns and adjusts the free block list management accordingly, feeding performance data back into the allocation decisions to minimize wear-leveling operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of workload characteristics before allocating memory blocks. By examining namespace workload attributes in advance and grouping namespaces with similar patterns, the system prepares optimal allocation strategies beforehand, preventing suboptimal placements that would later require wear-leveling operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11068165B2Non-volatile memory data write management

Publication Date: 2021.07.20 SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

An open block management apparatus, system, and method for non-volatile memory devices is disclosed herein, providing improved performance for namespace-based host applications. The namespace identifier is applied to determine the open blocks to which to direct data from storage commands. One benefit of the disclosed technique is fewer de-fragmentation operations and more efficient memory garbage collection. Another benefit is the ability to secure private allocations of physical memory without needing to assign a partition or implement hardware isolation.