Storage Controller Phased Vault Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage controllers either require large batteries to maintain operation during power outages, increasing costs, or cannot continue running and saving application state, disrupting applications with prolonged vault processes.
Innovation Solution
A storage controller with power control firmware that implements a phased vault process, allowing selective shutdown of physical components during power outages, enabling the operating system to manage data integrity and application state saving without needing a large battery, and allowing the system to ride through transient disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional storage controllers use large batteries to maintain operation during power outages, then reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the vault process into multiple phases, with different sets of physical components being shed in each phase. This segmentation allows the system to manage power consumption in stages rather than requiring all components to be powered simultaneously, reducing the battery size needed while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which physical components remain powered during a power outage based on the phase of the vault process. The operating system can abort or continue the vault process based on conditions, and the power control firmware dynamically restores or shuts down components accordingly, optimizing battery usage while ensuring data integrity.
2Quantity of substance
If storage controllers shut down all components during power outages, then battery size is reduced, but productivity decreases due to full shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the vault process into phases with different component shutdown patterns, the system can shut down fewer components for longer periods or more components for shorter periods, avoiding complete shutdown while still reducing battery requirements. This maintains application state in memory for critical components while powering down non-essential ones.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of different physical components independently during the vault process. Some components remain active while others are powered down, allowing the system to reduce overall power consumption without completely shutting down, thereby maintaining productivity for time-sensitive operations.
3Reliability
If storage controllers implement comprehensive vault processes to protect data integrity, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the operating system and the power control firmware. The OS specifies which components should be shed and in what phases, while the power control firmware executes the actual power management. This intermediary architecture simplifies the overall system by separating concerns and providing clear interfaces, reducing the complexity burden despite comprehensive vault process capabilities.
4Quantity of substance
If storage controllers use multi-phase vault processes with selective component shutdown, then battery size is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-phase vault process segments the power management into distinct stages, with each phase handling specific sets of physical components. This segmentation makes the complexity manageable by breaking down the power shutdown process into smaller, well-defined steps rather than a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (power state) of different physical components at different times based on the vault phase. This parameter-based control approach provides a systematic way to manage complexity, where the same control mechanism handles different components with different timing, reducing the need for dedicated control logic for each component.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage controller has an operating system (OS) and power control firmware configured to manage use of battery power during a power outage event. The OS specifies to the power control firmware first and second sets of physical components that should be shed by power control firmware during a two-phase vault process. Upon a power failure, the power control firmware turns off power to the first set of physical components and notifies the OS of the power failure. The OS determines whether to abort or continue the vault process. If the OS aborts the vault process, the power control firmware restores power to the first set of physical components. If the OS continues the vault process, the power control firmware turns off power to the second set of physical components, the OS saves application state, and moves all data from volatile memory to persistent memory.