NVMHCI ATTACHED HYBRID DATA STORAGE

• US 20110202707A1
• Filed: 02/17/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Moon, John Edward, Kusbel, Paul Francis
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,977 B2
• 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 2212/217 Hybrid disk, e.g. using both magnetic and solid state storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7207 management of metadata or control data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0674 Disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A hybrid data storage device includes a solid-state memory device, a disc-type memory device and a hybrid data storage device controller in communication with the solid-state memory device and the disc-type memory device. The hybrid data storage device controller is configured to receive Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface (NVMHCI) commands from a host and use logic to make decisions for the optimization and efficient performance of the solid-state memory device and the disc-type memory device.

Claims

1. A hybrid data storage device comprising:

a solid-state memory device;

a disc-type memory device;

a hybrid data storage device controller in communication with the solid-state memory device and the disc-type memory device, the hybrid data storage device controller configured to;

receive a Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface (NVMHCI) command from a host including context attributes for a range of data blocks; and

determine, based on the context attributes, if the data blocks should be assigned to the solid-state memory device, assigned to a disc-type memory or should the disc-type memory device be spun in preparation for data transfer.

2. The hybrid data storage device of claim 1, wherein when the hybrid data storage device controller determines if the data blocks should be assigned to the solid-state memory device, assigned to a disc-type memory or should the disc-type memory device be spun in preparation for data transfer comprises determining whether the context attributes indicate a write prepare (WP).

3. The hybrid data storage device of claim 2, wherein if the context attributes indicate a write prepare, further comprising determining whether the write prepare has a value of ‘

1.’

4. The hybrid data storage device of claim 3, wherein if the write prepare has a value of ‘

1,’

further comprising determining whether the range of data blocks are assigned to the disc-type memory device.

5. The hybrid data storage device of claim 4, wherein if the range of data blocks are assigned to the disc-type memory device, then further comprising determining whether a disc of the disc-type memory device is spinning.

6. The hybrid data storage device of claim 5, wherein if the disc of the disc-type memory device is not spinning, then further comprising spinning the disc in preparation for data transfer.

7. The hybrid data storage device of claim 2, wherein if the context attributes do not indicate a write prepare, further comprising determining whether the read latency or the write latency is set to high.

8. The hybrid data storage device of claim 7, wherein if the read latency or the write latency is set to high, further comprising assigning the range of data blocks to the solid-state memory device.

9. The hybrid data storage device of claim 7, wherein if the read latency or the write latency is not set to high, further comprising determining whether the read frequency or the write frequency is set to ‘

dynamic.’

10. The hybrid data storage device of claim 9, wherein if the read frequency or the write frequency is set to ‘

dynamic,’

then further comprising assigning the range of data blocks to the solid-state memory device.

11. The hybrid data storage device of claim 9, wherein if the read frequency or the write frequency is not set to ‘

dynamic,’

then further comprising assigning the range of data blocks to the disc-type memory device.

12. A hybrid data storage device comprising:

a solid-state memory device;

a disc-type memory device;

a hybrid data storage device controller in communication with the solid-state memory device and the disc-type memory device, the hybrid data storage device controller configured to;

receive a Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface (NVMHCI) command from a host including attributes for a range of data blocks indicating that the range of data blocks are to be deallocated;

determine whether the range of data blocks is in the solid-state memory device or in the disc-type memory device;

determine whether the range of data blocks are in the same solid-state memory erase block if the range of data blocks are in the solid-state memory; and

erase the solid-state memory erase block if the range of data blocks is in the same flash erase block.

13. The hybrid data storage device of claim 12, further comprising determining whether the remaining valid data is less than 5% of the entire solid-state memory erase block if the range of data blocks are not in the same solid-state memory erase block.

14. The hybrid data storage device of claim 13, further comprising moving the remaining data in the solid-state memory erase block to the disc-type memory device before erasing the solid-state memory erase block if the remaining valid data is less than 5% of the entire solid-state memory erase block.

15. A hybrid data storage device comprising:

a solid-state memory device;

a disc-type memory device;

a hybrid data storage device controller in communication with the solid-state memory device and the disc-type memory device, the hybrid data storage device controller configured to;

receive a Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface (NVMHCI) command from a host including power management data;

determine whether a power saving field value is greater than the performance field value in the power management data; and

set the disc-type memory device to control the spinning of a disc memory based on whether the power saving field value is greater than the performance field value.

16. The hybrid data storage device of claim 15, wherein setting the disc-type memory device to control the spinning of a disc memory based on whether the power saving field value is greater than the performance field value comprises setting the disc-type memory device to not spin down the disc-type memory if the power saving field value is less than the performance field value.

17. The hybrid data storage device of claim 15, wherein setting the disc-type memory device to control the spinning of a disc memory based on whether the power saving field value is greater than the performance field value comprises setting the disc-type memory device to spin down the disc-type memory if the power saving field value is greater than the performance field value and send all write data to the solid-state memory device until the solid-state memory device is at its full limit.

18. A hybrid data storage device comprising:

a solid-state memory device;

a disc-type memory device;

a hybrid data storage device controller in communication with the solid-state memory device and the disc-type memory device, the hybrid data storage device controller configured to;

receive a Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface (NVMHCI) command from a host including a request for optimum transfer size in the transfer of data;

determine if the data blocks should be assigned to the solid-state memory device or to the solid-state memory device; and

send the optimum data transfer size to the host that corresponds with a first data size that matches the solid-state memory device or a second data size that matches the disc-type memory device.

19. The hybrid data storage device of claim 18, wherein the first data size corresponds with a data sector size of the disc-type memory device.

20. The hybrid data storage device of claim 18, wherein the second data size corresponds with a page size of the solid-state memory device.