Storage Drive Data Compression with Fixed-Length Sector Padding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) experiences degradation due to frequent access events, leading to reduced reliable operating life, and existing compression methods do not effectively manage data storage to extend its lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A storage system that includes a compression module to compress data sectors, a sector module to generate data sectors with uniform lengths by adding nuisance data or encrypted versions, and a control module to store these sectors in NVSM, thereby reducing the number of access events and extending the memory's lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If host data is compressed at file system level, then storage space is minimized, but the number of access events per memory cell increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compressed data into fixed-length sectors by adding nuisance data. This segmentation allows the storage system to manage data in uniform units, reducing the frequency of access events per memory cell while maintaining compression efficiency. The fixed-length sectors can be more efficiently mapped to physical memory locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step at the driver level that sits between the file system compression and the actual storage. This intermediary adds nuisance data to create fixed-length sectors, effectively mediating between the variable-length compressed data and the fixed-structure storage requirements, thereby reducing access events.
2Quantity of substance
If data is compressed to minimize storage space, then storage capacity is increased, but wear and tear on NVSM increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting compressed data into fixed-length sectors with added nuisance data, the patent reduces the number of access events required to store and retrieve information. This segmentation strategy maintains the space efficiency of compression while reducing the frequency of access operations that cause wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of sector length from variable (in traditional compression) to fixed (by adding nuisance data). This parameter change allows for more efficient storage management and reduces access event frequency, thereby reducing wear and tear on the NVSM while maintaining compression benefits.
3Productivity
If variable-length compressed sectors are stored directly, then storage efficiency is maximized, but access event frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing compressed data into fixed-length sectors through the addition of nuisance data. This creates uniform data units that can be stored more efficiently, reducing the number of access events while maintaining storage effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by adding nuisance data to create fixed-length sectors before storage. This pre-processing step ensures that data is organized in a format that minimizes access events during actual storage and retrieval operations, thereby extending operational life.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage drive includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory, and interface, a compression module, a sector module, and a control module. The interface is configured to receive first data sectors transmitted from a host to the storage drive. The compression module is configured to compress the first data sectors to generate second data sectors. Lengths of the second data sectors vary. The first sector module is configured to generate third data sectors by adding nuisance data to (i) the second data sectors, or (ii) an encrypted version of the second data sectors, wherein lengths of the third data sectors do not vary. The control module is configured to store the third data sectors in the non-volatile semiconductor memory.