Multi-Level Controller with Smart Storage Transfer Manager for Interleaving Multiple Single-Chip Flash Memory Devices
First Claim
1. A multi-level-control multi-flash device comprising:
- a smart storage switch which comprises;
an upstream interface to a host for receiving host commands to access non-volatile memory (NVM) and for receiving host data and a host address;
a smart storage transaction manager that manages transactions from the host;
a virtual storage processor that maps the host address to an assigned single-chip flash-memory device to generate a logical block address (LBA), the virtual storage processor performing a first level of mapping;
a virtual storage bridge between the smart storage transaction manager and a LBA bus;
a plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices that include the assigned single-chip flash-memory device, wherein a single-chip flash-memory device comprises;
a NVM controller, coupled to the LBA bus to receive the LBA generated by the virtual storage processor and the host data from the virtual storage bridge;
a second-level mapper, in the NVM controller, that maps the LBA to a physical block address (PBA); and
non-volatile memory blocks, coupled to the NVM controller, for storing the host data at a block location identified by the PBA generated by the second-level mapper in the NVM controller;
whereby address mapping is performed at two levels to access the non-volatile memory blocks.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solid-state disk (SSD) has a smart storage switch with a smart storage transaction manager that re-orders host commands for accessing downstream single-chip flash-memory devices. Each single-chip flash-memory device has a lower-level controller that converts logical block addresses (LBA) to physical block addresses (PBA) that access flash memory blocks in the single-chip flash-memory device. Wear-leveling and bad block remapping are preformed by each single-chip flash-memory device, and at a higher level by a virtual storage processor in the smart storage switch. Virtual storage bridges between the smart storage transaction manager and the single-chip flash-memory devices bridge LBA transactions over LBA buses to the single-chip flash-memory devices. Data striping and interleaving among multiple channels of the single-chip flash-memory device is controlled at a high level by the smart storage transaction manager, while further interleaving and remapping may be performed within each single-chip flash-memory device.
303 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A multi-level-control multi-flash device comprising:
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a smart storage switch which comprises; an upstream interface to a host for receiving host commands to access non-volatile memory (NVM) and for receiving host data and a host address; a smart storage transaction manager that manages transactions from the host; a virtual storage processor that maps the host address to an assigned single-chip flash-memory device to generate a logical block address (LBA), the virtual storage processor performing a first level of mapping; a virtual storage bridge between the smart storage transaction manager and a LBA bus; a plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices that include the assigned single-chip flash-memory device, wherein a single-chip flash-memory device comprises; a NVM controller, coupled to the LBA bus to receive the LBA generated by the virtual storage processor and the host data from the virtual storage bridge; a second-level mapper, in the NVM controller, that maps the LBA to a physical block address (PBA); and non-volatile memory blocks, coupled to the NVM controller, for storing the host data at a block location identified by the PBA generated by the second-level mapper in the NVM controller; whereby address mapping is performed at two levels to access the non-volatile memory blocks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A storage device comprising:
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an upstream interface to a host that generates host data and host commands in a host sequence of commands; a single-chip flash-memory device having a plurality of flash memory blocks for storing the host data in non-volatile solid-state memory that retains data when power is disconnected; a virtual storage processor that assigns host commands to the single-chip flash-memory device, the virtual storage processor also storing attributes obtained from the single-chip flash-memory device, the attributes including memory capacities, wherein the virtual storage processor reports an aggregate sum of the memory capacities to the host; a lower-level controller in the single-chip flash-memory device, the lower-level controller comprising; a remapping unit for converting logical addresses received from the upstream interface into physical addresses for accessing the plurality of flash memory blocks in the single-chip flash-memory device; a wear-leveling unit for assigning new host data to a less-worn block in the plurality of flash memory blocks within the single-chip flash-memory device; and a bad block unit for tracking defective memory blocks within the single-chip flash-memory device, the bad block unit preventing the new host data from being stored in a defective memory block being tracked. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A smart-switched multiple non-volatile-memory system comprising:
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an upstream interface to a host that generates host data and host commands in a host sequence of commands; a smart storage transaction manager, coupled to the upstream interface, for re-ordering the host commands from the host sequence into a reordered sequence of operations; a plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices each having a plurality of flash memory blocks for storing the host data in non-volatile solid-state memory that retains data when power is disconnected; a virtual storage processor that assigns host commands to an assigned device in the plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices, the virtual storage processor also storing attributes obtained from each of the plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices, the attributes including memory capacities, wherein the virtual storage processor reports an aggregate sum of the memory capacities to the host; a virtual storage bridge, coupled between the smart storage transaction manager and the plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices; a lower-level controller in each of the plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices, the lower-level controller in a single-chip flash-memory device comprising; a remapping unit for converting logical addresses received from the virtual storage bridge into physical addresses for accessing the plurality of flash memory blocks in the single-chip flash-memory device; a wear-leveling unit for assigning new host data to a less-worn block in the plurality of flash memory blocks within the single-chip flash-memory device; and a bad block unit for tracking defective memory blocks within the single-chip flash-memory device, the bad block unit preventing the new host data from being stored in a defective memory block being tracked; whereby the virtual storage processor aggregates memory capacities of the plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices which each re-map and wear-level flash memory blocks within a single-chip flash-memory device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A data-striped solid-state-disk comprising:
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volatile memory buffer means for temporarily storing host data in a volatile memory that loses data when power is disconnected; smart storage switch means for switching host commands to a plurality of downstream devices, the smart storage switch means comprising; upstream interface means, coupled to a host, for receiving host commands to access flash memory and for receiving host data and a host address; smart storage transaction manager means for managing transactions from the host; virtual storage processor means for translating the host address to an assigned single-chip flash-memory device to generate a logical block address (LBA), the virtual storage processor means performing a first level of mapping; virtual storage bridge means for transferring host data and the LBA between the smart storage transaction manager means and a LBA bus; virtual buffer bridge means, coupled between the smart storage transaction manager means and the volatile memory buffer means; reordering means for re-ordering a sequence of transactions from the host into an altered order of operations sent through the virtual storage bridge means; data striping means for dividing the host data into data segments that are assigned to different ones of the plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices; a plurality of single-chip flash-memory devices that include the assigned single-chip flash-memory device, wherein a single-chip flash-memory device comprises; lower-level controller means for controlling flash operations, coupled to the LBA bus to receive the LBA generated by the virtual storage processor means and the host data from the virtual storage bridge means; second-level map means, in the lower-level controller means, for mapping the LBA to a physical block address (PBA); and non-volatile memory blocks, coupled to the lower-level controller means, for storing the host data at a block location identified by the PBA generated by the second-level map means in the lower-level controller means; wherein the non-volatile memory blocks in the plurality of single-chip flash-memory device are non-volatile memory that retain data when power is disconnected, whereby address mapping is performed at two levels to access the non-volatile memory blocks. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification