Managing Data in a Non-Volatile Memory System

• US 20100228906A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Imation Corporation (Glassbridge Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Imation Corporation (Glassbridge Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Sree, Ramiya Mothilal, Arunprasad
• Application Number:
  US12/399,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228906A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7211 Wear leveling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Management of data in a non-volatile memory system is disclosed. A write command may be received that indicates a logical block address for writing data associated with the write command. The logical block address may be within a logical zone. The logical zone may be one of a plurality of logical zones within the non-volatile memory, wherein each of the plurality of logical zones comprises a different range of logical block addresses than the rest of the plurality of logical zones. The logical zone may further comprise a temporary storage block. The data associated with the write command may be written to the temporary storage block of the logical zone when a size of the data associated with the write command does not exceed a threshold. The data associated with the write command may be transferred from the temporary storage block to the logical block address in response to a trigger event.

Claims

1. A method for managing data in a non-volatile memory system, the method comprising:

receiving a write command indicating a logical block address for writing data associated with the write command, the logical block address within a logical zone, the logical zone further comprising a temporary storage block;

writing the data associated with the write command to the temporary storage block of the logical zone when a size of the data associated with the write command does not exceed a threshold; and

transferring the data associated with the write command from the temporary storage block to the logical block address in response to a trigger event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a table associated with the temporary storage block to reflect the writing of the data associated with the write command to the temporary storage block.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying an outdated or redundant entry in the table.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising deleting the outdated or redundant entry from the table.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the trigger event comprises the table being filled to a predetermined level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises the temporary storage block being filled to a predetermined level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises a passage of a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is a fixed value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the write command comprises file system data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the write command comprises user data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical zone is one of a plurality of logical zones within non-volatile memory, each of the plurality of logical zones comprising a different range of logical block addresses than the rest of the plurality of logical zones.

12. A system for managing data in non-volatile memory, the system comprising:

a non-volatile memory controller in communication with the non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory controller comprising;

a communications module configured to receive a write command indicating a logical block address for writing data associated with the write command, the logical block address within a logical zone, the logical zone further comprising a temporary storage block; and

a data management module configured to write the data associated with the write command to the temporary storage block of the logical zone when a size of the data associated with the write command does not exceed a threshold, and to transfer the data associated with the write command from the temporary storage block to the logical block address in response to a trigger event.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the non-volatile memory controller further comprises a record management module configured to update a table associated with the temporary storage block to reflect the writing of the data associated with the write command to the temporary storage block.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the record management module is further configured to identify an outdated or redundant entry in the table.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the record management module is further configured to delete the outdated or redundant entry from the table.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the trigger event comprises the table being filled to a predetermined level.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the trigger event comprises the temporary storage block being filled to a predetermined level.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the trigger event comprises a passage of a predetermined amount of time.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the logical zone is one of a plurality of logical zones within the non-volatile memory, each of the plurality of logical zones comprising a different range of logical block addresses than the rest of the plurality of logical zones.

20. A computer readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program executable by a processor to perform a method for managing data in a non-volatile memory system, the method comprising:

receiving a write command indicating a logical block address for writing data associated with the write command, the logical block address within a logical zone, the logical zone further comprising a temporary storage block;

writing the data associated with the write command to the temporary storage block of the logical zone when a size of the data associated with the write command does not exceed a threshold; and

transferring the data associated with the write command from the temporary storage block to the logical block address in response to a trigger event.