Performance optimization in solid-state media

• US 20080010395A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memory Technologies LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Mylly, Kimmo, Floman, Matti
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7203 Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0616 in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

A host device is coupled to a peripheral device such as a multi media card or the like, where the peripheral device includes a solid state data storage segment. The peripheral device has means for initiating a defragmentation function, such as registers for comparing a current performance measure against a threshold performance metric, or block validity parameters received form the host device for the data storage segment of the peripheral device. Once met, the means for initiating cause a defragmentation function to execute on the data storage segment. A logical layer of the data storage segment is accessed by the host device and a physical layer of the data storage segment is accessed by the peripheral device. The defragmentation program may be resident on either the host or peripheral device. Defragmentation may be enabled to execute automatically once initiated, such as by a continuous or periodic background scan of current performance of the data storage segment.

Claims

1. A method for managing a computer readable storage media of a peripheral device, comprising:

coupling a host device to a peripheral device that comprises a solid state data storage segment;

responsive to means in the peripheral device for initiating a defragmentation function, executing the defragmentation function on the data storage segment by accessing a logical layer of the data storage segment with the host device and accessing a physical layer of the data storage segment with the peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the defragmentation function is by a command from the host device, and a processor in the peripheral device accesses the physical layer of the data storage system when executing the defragmentation function.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling the host device to the peripheral device comprises enabling the host device direct access to a physical/logical address table associating physical storage locations with stored file segments, said physical/logical address table stored in the peripheral device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the means in the peripheral device for initiating a defragmentation function comprises a first register in the peripheral device for storing a threshold performance metric of the data storage segment and a second register in the peripheral device for storing a current performance value of the data storage segment, and wherein the defragmentation function is executed based on a comparison of the current performance value against the threshold performance metric.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the defragmentation function is executed automatically based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the means in the peripheral device for initiating a defragmentation function comprises a register for storing, upon receipt from the host device, block validity and sequences for file segments that are stored in the solid state data storage segment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the defragmentation function comprises caching within the peripheral device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is normally removable from the host device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the means for initiating the defragmentation function comprises block validity parameters of the data storage segment falling below a threshold value.

16. The peripheral device of claim 11, further comprising a cache register for caching data files operated on by the defragmentation function, and a processor for caching the data files while executing the defragmentation function.

10. A peripheral device comprising:

a solid state data storage segment for storing data files, each identified by a file name;

a table for storing an association of physical addresses to logical addresses of the data files;

an interface for coupling the peripheral device to a host device, said interface enabling said host device to access the data storage segment and at least one of the logical addresses of the table and the file names of the data files; and

means for initiating a defragmentation function on the data files.

11. The peripheral device of claim 10, wherein the means for initiating the defragmentation function is accessed by the host device over the interface, and the defragmentation function is executed in response to a command from the host device over the interface, the peripheral device further comprising a processor that accesses the physical layer of the data storage system when the defragmentation function is executing.

12. The peripheral device of claim 10, wherein the interface enables direct access by the host device to the physical addresses of the table or to the file names.

13. The peripheral device of claim 10, wherein the means for initiating the defragmentation function comprises a first register for storing a threshold performance metric of the data storage segment and a second register for storing a current performance value of the data storage segment, and wherein the defragmentation function is executed in response to a comparison of the current performance value against the threshold performance metric.

14. The peripheral device of claim 13, wherein the defragmentation function is executed automatically based on the comparison.

15. The peripheral device of claim 10, wherein the means for initiating the defragmentation function comprises a register for storing, upon receipt from the host device, block validity and sequences for the data files.

17. A program of machine-readable instructions, tangibly embodied on an information bearing medium and executable by a digital data processor, to perform actions directed toward managing a solid state storage media, the actions comprising:

determining that a peripheral device is coupled to a host device;

at the peripheral device, initiating a defragmentation function;

executing the defragmentation function on a solid state data storage segment of the peripheral device by accessing a logical layer of the solid state data storage segment with the host device and accessing a physical layer of the solid state data storage segment with the peripheral device.

18. The program of claim 17, wherein executing the defragmentation function is by a command from the host device, wherein accessing the physical layer of the solid state data storage segment is by a processor of the peripheral device.

19. The program of claim 17, wherein the host device is enabled direct access to a physical/logical address table associating physical storage locations with stored file segments, said physical/logical address table stored in the peripheral device.

20. The program of claim 17, wherein the peripheral device comprises a first register for storing a threshold performance metric of the data storage segment and a second register for storing a current performance value of the data storage segment, and wherein initiating the defragmentation function comprises comparing the current performance value against the threshold performance metric.

21. The program of claim 20, wherein the defragmentation function is executed automatically based on the comparison.

22. The program of claim 17, wherein initiating the defragmentation function comprises examining a register in the peripheral device in which is stored block validity and sequences, received from the host device, of file segments that are stored in the solid state data storage segment.

23. The program of claim 17, wherein executing the defragmentation function comprises caching within the peripheral device.

24. The program of claim 17, wherein the peripheral device is normally removable from the host device.

25. The program of claim 17, wherein initiating the defragmentation function comprises block validity parameters of the data storage segment falling below a threshold value.