Storage Controller Resource Allocation for Response Time Variation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Storage devices face challenges in maintaining consistent performance due to variations in response times, particularly when error recovery operations are invoked, which can introduce errors and slow down data delivery, leading to a trade-off between data accuracy and speed.

Innovation Solution

A storage device system that monitors response times and allocates additional resources to error recovery operations when the response time exceeds a threshold, prioritizing these operations to minimize response time variations and maintain average performance levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If error recovery operations are performed to ensure data accuracy, then data reliability is improved, but response time increases and performance consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accuracyVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by allocating additional resources in advance when error recovery operations are detected. When a work request exceeds the execution time threshold, the controller proactively assigns extra resources to that request before the error recovery completes, ensuring the recovery operation can finish quickly without delaying other requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If additional resources are allocated to error recovery operations, then response time variation is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse time variationVSAvoidresource allocation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter of resource allocation dynamically based on the execution time threshold. The controller monitors the response time of each work request and adjusts resource allocation by assigning additional resources only when the threshold is exceeded. This parameter-based approach simplifies the complexity by providing a clear, objective criterion for resource management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If error recovery operations are prioritized, then performance consistency is improved, but other work requests may experience delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperformance consistencyVSAvoidwork request throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by allocating additional resources only to specific work requests that exceed the execution time threshold, rather than uniformly prioritizing all error recovery operations. This selective approach ensures that only requests contributing to performance variation receive extra resources, minimizing impact on overall throughput while maintaining performance consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11216345B2Technologies for limiting performance variation in a storage device

Publication Date: 2022.01.04 SEAGATE TECH LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for limiting performance variation in a storage device are described. Storage devices receive work requests to perform one or more operations from other computing devices, such as a host computing device. Completing the work requests may take a response time. In some embodiments, if the response time of executing the work request exceeds a threshold, the storage device may assign additional computing resources to complete the work request.