Storage Write Path Reconfiguration After NVRAM PLP Failure

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional storage systems fail to utilize storage devices that include both failed and functional dies, leading to decreased storage capacity and performance due to treating the entire device as failed when only a portion is unsuitable for data storage.

Innovation Solution

A storage system that marks individual dies as likely to fail, allowing data recovery and reprogramming to maintain data retention and protection, while keeping functional dies available for data storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire storage device is treated as failed when some dies are unsuitable for data storage, then data protection is improved, but storage capacity and performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata protectionVSAvoidstorage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The storage device is segmented into individual dies, with each die independently evaluated for functionality. The system identifies and isolates failed dies while maintaining operational status of functional dies, allowing selective usage of storage components rather than treating the entire device as failed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different quality assessment is applied to different dies within the same storage device. Each die is individually marked as likely to fail or functional based on its specific condition, enabling differentiated treatment where functional dies continue to store data while failed dies are excluded, optimizing both reliability and capacity utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the entire storage device is treated as failed when some dies are unsuitable for data storage, then data protection is improved, but system performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata protectionVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage device is segmented into individual dies, with each die independently evaluated for functionality. The system identifies and isolates failed dies while maintaining operational status of functional dies, allowing selective usage of storage components rather than treating the entire device as failed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different quality assessment is applied to different dies within the same storage device. Each die is individually marked as likely to fail or functional based on its specific condition, enabling differentiated treatment where functional dies continue to store data while failed dies are excluded, optimizing both reliability and capacity utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If individual dies are marked as likely to fail with data recovery and reprogramming, then storage capacity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of each die's functionality before full utilization. By pre-identifying and marking dies that are likely to fail, the system prevents future failures and data loss, while functional dies are prepared for immediate use. This preliminary action simplifies subsequent operations by avoiding the need for complex real-time monitoring of each die's status.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260073982A1Write path utilization based on power loss protection

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 PURE STORAGE INC

AI summary

An indication that power loss protection (PLP) for a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) portion of a storage device has failed is received from the storage device. The storage device is marked to indicate the storage device has a PLP failure. A write path to store data at the storage device is modified to avoid storing the data in the NVRAM portion of the storage device that has the PLP failure.