File storage apparatus

• US 20050080762A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hara, Hideki, Nishihara, Toshiyuki, Sato, Kazumi, Tsuneda, Yukihisa, Nakashima, Katsuya, Nomura, Toshifumi, Akai, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0007 comprising metal oxide memory material, e.g. perovskites
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/31 Material having complex metal oxide, e.g. perovskite structure

Abstract

A file storage apparatus capable of restoring integrity of file management information even when a power supply abnormality occurs without lowering the write speed. When updating meta data stored in an HDD, log data for reconstructing the meta data after update from the meta data before update is written into a non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), then, after this writing is completed, the update is executed. Accordingly, even when the update use meta data temporarily stored in a cache memory is partially lost due to trouble such as a power supply abnormality and when update of the meta data of a hard disk is incomplete, the log data corresponding to the meta data for the update is held in the NVRAM, so it becomes possible to restore the integrity of the meta data on the hard disk by using this log data.

Claims

1. A file storage apparatus for storing a file and a management information thereof, comprising:

a first storage means including a volatile memory for temoralily storing data to be stored, and a non-volatile type main storage portion for storing the data to be stored and read out from the volatile memory;

a second non-volatile type memory means; and

a control means for writing a reconstruction information for reconstructing the management information after updated from the management information before update to the second memory means, when the management information to be stored to the first storage means is updated, and excuting the update of the management information after completion of the write operation.

2. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second storage means performs the data write operation faster than that of the first storage means.

3. A file storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the main storage portion includes a disk medium or a flash memory, and the second storage means includes a non-volatile type semiconductor memory.

4. A file storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second storage means includes any one of a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), a magnetic RAM (MRAM), an ovonic unified memory (OUM) and a resistance RAM (RRAM).

5. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply voltage monitoring means for monitoring a normal state or an abnormal state of a power supply voltage,

the control means dividing the reconstruction information, attached a predetermined code representing a completion of the write operation to an end thereof, into a plurality of blocks, and providing the plurality of blocks to the second storage means in order from the beginning of the block, and

the second storage means completing the write operation of the block when the power supply voltage monitoring means detects the abnormal state of the power supply during the write operation of the block, and inhibiting the write operation of the following block.

6. A file storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second storage means includes a FeRAM.

7. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply voltage monitoring means for monitoring a normal state or an abnormal state of a power supply voltage,

the control means dividing the reconstruction information, attached a predetermined code representing a completion of the write operation to an end thereof, into a plurality of blocks, a length of each block being short than that of the predetermined code, and providing the plurality of blocks to the second storage means in order from the beginning of the block, and

the second storage means stopping the write operation when the power supply voltage monitoring means detects the abnormal state of the power supply during the write operation of the block.

8. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third storage means,

the control means

assigning storage regions for storing the management information and the reconstruction information, to be stored in the first storage means, to the third storage means,

when updating the management information to be stored in the first storage means,

writing the resultant updated management information to the storage region of the management information, assigned to the third storage means,

writing the reconstruction information corresponding to the update to the storage region of the reconstruction information, assigned to the third storage means,

copying the reconstruction information written in the storage region of the third storage means to the second storage means, and

rewriting the resultant update management information written in the third storage means to the first storage means.

9. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third storage means,

the control means

assigning storage regions for storing the management information and the reconstruction information, to be stored in the first storage means, to the third storage means,

when updating the management information to be stored in the first storage means,

writing the resultant updated management information to the storage region of the management information, assigned to the third storage means,

writing the reconstruction information corresponding to the update to the storage region of the reconstruction information, assigned to the third storage means, and

rewriting the resultant update management information written in the third storage means to the first storage means.

10. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when the data amount of the reconstruction information storing the second storage means exceeds a predetermined value, writes the management information corresponding to the reconstruction information and after update to the first storage means, requests the open of the volatile memory to the first storage means after the write, and makes an open state the storage region of the reconstruction information in the second storage means upon receipt of the open completion notice responsive to the request, and

wherein the first storage means writes the data remained in the volatile memory and to be stored to the main storage portion when the open of the volatile memory is requested by the control means, and informs the completion of the open to the control means when completed the write operation.

11. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means writes the management information for update to the first storage means, after that, requests the open of the volatile memory to the first storage means, and makes the open of the storage region of the reconstruction information for reconstructing the management information for update, among the storage regions of the second storage means upon receipt of the notice of the completion of the open responsive to the request from the first storage means, and

wherein the first storage means writes data remained in the volatile memory and to be stored to the main storage portion when the open of the volatile memory is requested by the control means, and informs the completion of the open to the control means when completed the write operation.

12. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means requests the open of the volatile memory to the first storage means in the shut-down process for terminating the operation, and makes the open of the storage region of the reconstruction information in the second storage means upon receipt of the notice of the completion of the open responsive to the request, and

wherein the first storage means writes the data remained in the volatile memory and to be stored to the main storage portion when the control means requests the open of the volatile memory, and informs the completion of the open to the control means when completed the write operation.

13. A file storage apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control means checks whether or not the reconstruction information is remained in the second storage means in the start-up process for initiating the operation, and update the management information to be stored to the first storage means on the basis of the remained reconstruction information.

14. A file storage apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control means stores at least a part of the information used for the start-up process for initiating the operation, to a part of empty regions of the second storage means which are opened regions for the reconstruction information.

15. A file storage apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the main storage portion of the first storage means includes a disk medium,

the second storage means includes a flash memory, and

the control means erases data in a predetermined region including the region for storing the reconstruction information in the flash memory upon receipt of the notice of the open completion responsive to the open request of the volatile memory.

16. A file storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the main storage portion includes a disk medium on a flash memory, and

the second storage means includes a random-accessible and volatile semiconductor memory supplied with a power supply of a battery.

17. A file storage apparatus for storing a file and a management information thereof, comprising:

a storage means including a non-volatile memory for temporally storing data to be stored, and a non-volatile type main storage portion for storing the data read from the non-volatile memory and to be stored; and

a control means for writing a reconstruction information for reconstructing the management information after update from the management information before update, to the storage means when updating the management information to be stored in the storage means, and excutes the update after the write operation.

18. A file storage apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the non-volatile memory includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory has a write speed faster than that of the main storage portion.

19. A file storage apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the non-volatile memory includes any one of a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), a magnetic RAM (MRAM), an ovonic unified memory (OUM) and a resistance RAM (RRAM).

20. A file storage apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the storage means includes a write control means for changing a sequence of the write to speed up the write speed to the main storage portion, when the data to be stored is written from the non-volatile memory to the main storage portion.

21. A file storage apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the storage means includes a write control means for checking the remaining of the data writable to the non-volatile memory in the start-up process for initiating the operation, and writes the remained data to the main storage portion when there is the remained data.

22. A file storage apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a power supply voltage monitoring means for monitoring a normal state or an abnormal state of a power supply voltage,

the control means dividing the reconstruction information attached a predetermined code representing a completion of the write operation to an end thereof, into a plurality of blocks, and providing the plurality of blocks to the second storage means in order from the beginning of the block, and

the second storage means completing the write operation of the block when the power supply voltage monitoring means detects the abnormal state of the power supply during the write operation of the block, and inhibiting the write operation of the following block.

23. A file storage apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

the main storage portion includes a disk medium on a flash memory, and

of a battery the second storage means includes a random-accessible and volatile semiconductor memory supplied with a power supply.