Storage Controller Mapping Slices for Valid Page Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage devices face inefficiencies in data movement operations, particularly in managing and searching for valid pages within memory blocks, which affect overall operation performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a storage device with a controller that generates and merges segment bitmaps from multiple storage blocks into a buffer memory, allowing efficient search for valid pages using reduced buffer memory capacity through merged mapping slices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the storage device loads complete mapping tables for all storage blocks into buffer memory to enable data movement operations, then the search for valid pages becomes comprehensive and accurate, but the buffer memory capacity requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mapping table into multiple segments, each corresponding to a specific storage block. Instead of loading the entire mapping table into buffer memory, only the segment corresponding to the target storage block is loaded. This segmentation allows the system to maintain search accuracy for the specific block while significantly reducing the buffer memory capacity required, as only a portion of the total mapping data needs to be resident in memory at any given time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by loading only the specific portion of the mapping table that is relevant to the current data movement operation. Rather than uniformly loading all mapping data, the system selectively loads only the segment corresponding to the source or target storage block involved in the operation. This localized approach ensures that the buffer memory contains precisely the information needed for the current task, optimizing both search accuracy and memory utilization.
2Productivity
If the storage device loads larger segment bitmaps to cover more storage blocks for data movement operations, then the search capability is improved, but the buffer memory usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic buffer memory allocation where the size of the segment bitmap loaded into buffer memory is adjusted based on the specific data movement operation requirements. For operations involving a single storage block, only the corresponding segment is loaded. For operations spanning multiple blocks, the system dynamically loads only the necessary segments. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize buffer memory usage according to the actual productivity needs of each operation, rather than maintaining a fixed large buffer capacity.
3Productivity
If the storage device loads multiple mapping slices into buffer memory to enable comprehensive valid page search, then the data movement operation becomes more efficient, but the buffer memory capacity requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mapping table into multiple mapping slices, where each slice corresponds to a specific storage block or group of blocks. This segmentation allows the controller to load only the relevant slices into buffer memory based on the data movement operation requirements. By managing mapping slices as discrete, manageable units rather than a monolithic structure, the system reduces buffer memory management complexity while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-organizing the mapping table into segmented slices that can be independently loaded. Before executing a data movement operation, the system identifies which specific mapping slices are needed and loads only those into buffer memory in advance. This preliminary segmentation and selective loading simplifies the overall management complexity, as the system has already prepared the necessary data in an organized, accessible format without requiring complex runtime memory management.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device may manage a location of mapping data for a valid page of a storage block by bit information of a segment bitmap corresponding to a storage block of memory, may load merged segment bitmaps or an unmerged segment bitmap in a single form into a buffer memory, and may search for a valid page depending on the type of data movement operation, so that it is possible to increase the efficiency of searching for valid pages and improve the performance of data movement operations based on searching for valid pages even when the storage capacity of buffer memory is limited.