FORMATTING DATA STORAGE ACCORDING TO DATA CLASSIFICATION

• US 20110107042A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Herron, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/611,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7206 Reconfiguration of flash memory system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

A set of data can be classified into a data level of multiple possible data levels. Additionally, an indicator of the data level for the set of data can be transmitted to a storage device. In response to receiving the indicator, a storage area in the device can be formatted to store data at a storage quality level. The set of data can be stored in the storage area at the storage quality level.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising:

classifying a set of data into a data level of multiple possible data levels;

transmitting to a storage device an indicator of the data level for the set of data;

in response to receiving the indicator, formatting a storage area in the device to store data at a storage quality level; and

storing the set of data in the storage area at the storage quality level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage quality level is a second storage quality level and wherein formatting the storage area comprises reformatting the storage area from a first quality level to the second quality level.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the second quality level has different expected access speeds than the first quality level.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the second quality level has a different expected reliability than the first quality level.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the device is a solid state device, and wherein formatting the storage area comprises switching the storage area between different cell level configurations.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein formatting the storage area changes a ratio between amounts of different storage quality levels in the storage device.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein formatting the storage area changes how much data storage space is available in the device.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein classifying comprises determining how frequently the data is expected to be accessed.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein classifying comprises determining an expected importance of the data.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein classifying comprises analyzing behavior across multiple computing machines.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein:

the storage device is a solid state device;

the quality level is a cell level configuration; and

classifying comprises determining one or both of an expected importance of the set of data and a frequency with which the data is expected to be accessed.

12. A computer system comprising:

a storage device;

at least one processor outside the storage device; and

a memory storing instructions thereon that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

classifying a set of data into a data level of multiple possible data levels;

if the data level is a first level, then sending an instruction to the storage device to format a first storage area on the storage device according to a first storage quality level, and to store the set of data at the first quality level in the first storage area; and

if the data level is a second level, then sending an instruction to the storage device to format a second storage area on the storage device according to a second quality level that is different from the first quality level, and to store the set of data at the first quality level in the first storage area.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the acts further comprise:

if the data level is a third level, then sending an instruction to a second storage device to store the data.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein classifying comprises determining a frequency with which the set of data is expected to be accessed.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein classifying comprises determining an expected importance of the data.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first quality level is a first cell level configuration, and wherein the second quality level is a second cell level configuration.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computing component outside a solid state storage device, classifying a set of data into a determined data level of multiple possible data levels;

if the determined data level is a first data level, then programming the storage device to store the set of data in a first cell level configuration, the programming to store in the first configuration being performed at least in part by the computing component; and

if the determined data level is a second data level, then programming the storage device to store the set of data in a second cell level configuration, the programming to store in the second configuration being performed at least in part by the computing component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second cell level configuration is a multi level cell configuration and the first cell level configuration is a single level cell configuration.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises performing an analysis of data sent across a network, and wherein classifying the set of data uses the analysis.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

if the determined data level is the first data level and the set of data is already stored on the device at a configuration other than the first cell configuration, then programming the storage device to store the set of data in the first cell configuration comprises reprogramming the storage device to store the set of data at the first cell configuration; and

if the determined data level is the second data level and the set of data is already stored on the device at a configuration other than the second cell configuration, then programming the storage device to store the set of data in the second cell configuration comprises reprogramming the storage device to store the set of data at the second cell configuration.