Storage Controller Virtual Stream Mapping by Data Lifetime

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Solution Overview

Problem

Storage devices face limitations in mapping virtual streams onto physical streams due to hardware restrictions, leading to inefficient data management and garbage collection, particularly when handling multiple data streams with varying lifetimes.

Innovation Solution

A storage device with a controller that receives write and discard commands with virtual stream IDs, determines the lifetime of each data set, and maps virtual streams onto physical streams based on these lifetimes, clustering data with similar lifetimes to improve garbage collection efficiency and data storage organization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If virtual streams are mapped onto physical streams without considering data lifetime, then the mapping process is simple, but garbage collection efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegarbage collection efficiencyVSAvoidmapping process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by introducing data lifetime as a new parameter for stream mapping. Instead of mapping virtual streams to physical streams based solely on stream ID, the system now considers the lifetime parameter of data, dynamically adjusting the mapping strategy to group data with similar lifetimes together, thereby improving garbage collection efficiency without requiring fundamental changes to the mapping mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the stream mapping adaptive rather than static. The mapping relationship between virtual and physical streams is dynamically adjusted based on the lifetime characteristics of data being written. This allows the system to optimize garbage collection performance adaptively while maintaining a relatively simple underlying mapping structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If data with different lifetimes are stored together, then storage space utilization is high, but garbage collection performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegarbage collection performanceVSAvoidstorage organization flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the storage space into different regions based on data lifetime characteristics. Data with similar lifetimes are grouped together in the same physical stream or block, creating segmented storage regions. This segmentation enables targeted garbage collection operations on specific lifetime groups, improving overall garbage collection performance while maintaining storage flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by assigning different storage characteristics to different data regions based on their lifetime requirements. Instead of treating all storage space uniformly, the system applies localized storage strategies where data with short lifetimes may be stored in regions optimized for quick deletion, while data with long lifetimes are stored in regions optimized for durability, thereby improving garbage collection performance without sacrificing storage versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the storage device supports only a limited number of physical streams, then hardware complexity is reduced, but the ability to handle multiple virtual streams deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual stream handling capabilityVSAvoidphysical stream infrastructure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies merging by combining multiple virtual streams with different lifetime characteristics into a limited number of physical streams. By grouping virtual streams based on data lifetime similarity, the system maps multiple virtual streams onto fewer physical streams, thereby reducing hardware complexity while maintaining the ability to handle diverse virtual stream workloads through intelligent mapping strategies

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12197321B2Storage device for mapping virtual streams onto physical streams and method thereof

Publication Date: 2025.01.14 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A storage device includes a controller and nonvolatile memories. The controller receives write commands having virtual stream identifiers (IDs), receives discard commands having the virtual stream IDs, and determines a lifetime of write data to which each of the virtual stream IDs is assigned. The nonvolatile memories are accessed by the controller depending on physical stream IDs. The controller maps the virtual stream IDs and the physical stream IDs based on the lifetime of the write data.