Tiered Memory Device Selection Using Weighted Metrics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tiered memory systems fail to differentiate between different types of memory devices within the same tier, leading to suboptimal performance due to disregarding differences in parameters like latency, bandwidth, and utilization.

Innovation Solution

A tiered memory system selects a specific memory device within a tier based on parameters such as latency, bandwidth, and utilization, using weighted distance metrics (WDM) to allocate memory pages, allowing user control over parameter importance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If memory devices in the same tier are treated uniformly without differentiation, then device complexity is reduced, but memory performance deteriorates due to ignoring latency, bandwidth, and utilization differences

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory management complexityVSAvoidmemory access performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by treating different memory devices within the same tier differently based on their specific characteristics. Instead of uniform management, the system evaluates individual device parameters (latency, bandwidth, utilization) and allocates memory pages to specific devices based on these local qualities, thereby optimizing performance while maintaining manageable complexity through automated evaluation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Speed

If memory pages are allocated without considering device parameters, then allocation speed is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory allocation speedVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-evaluating and establishing performance metrics for each memory device before memory page allocation occurs. The system maintains performance data structures that contain pre-computed information about device latency, bandwidth, and utilization, allowing rapid allocation decisions without real-time computation overhead, thus maintaining both speed and utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If device selection within tiers is based on multiple parameters with weights, then memory performance is improved, but control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory access performanceVSAvoidallocation control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a weighted evaluation system that transforms multiple device parameters (latency, bandwidth, utilization) into a single composite score. By allowing user-configurable weights for each parameter, the system flexibly adjusts the importance of different factors without increasing structural complexity, maintaining performance optimization while keeping control mechanisms adaptable and manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4266181B1Systems, methods, and apparatus for selecting devices in tiered memory
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4266181B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4266181B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4266181B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method may include receiving a request for a memory page in a memory tier comprising a first memory device and a second memory device, wherein the first memory device has a first parameter and the second memory device has a second parameter, selecting, based on the first parameter and the second parameter, the first memory device, and allocating, based on the request, based on the selecting, the memory page from the first memory device. The selecting may include determining a first result based on the first parameter, determining a second result based on the second parameter, and comparing the first result and the second result. The determining the first result may include combining the first parameter with a first weight. The first weight may include a first scale factor, and the combining the first parameter with the first weight may include multiplying the first parameter and the first scale factor.