DATA MANAGEMENT SCHEME IN VIRTUALIZED HYPERSCALE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20160054922A1
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Manu Awasthi, Robert Brennan
• Inventors: BRENNAN, Robert, AWASTHI, Manu
• Granted Patent: US 10,282,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

According to one general aspect, a memory management unit (MMU) may be configured to interface with a heterogeneous memory system that comprises a plurality of types of storage mediums. Each type of storage medium may be based upon a respective memory technology and may be associated with performance characteristic(s). The MMU may receive a data access for the heterogeneous memory system. The MMU may also determine at least one of the storage mediums of the heterogeneous memory system to service the data access. The target storage medium may be selected based upon at least one performance characteristic associated with the target storage medium and a quality of service tag that is associated with the virtual machine and that indicates one or more performance characteristics. The MMU may route the data access by the virtual machine to the at least one of the storage mediums.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory management unit configured to;

interface with a heterogeneous memory system that comprises a plurality of types of storage mediums, wherein each type of storage medium is based upon a respective memory technology and is associated with one or more performance characteristics;

receive, from a virtual machine, a data access for the heterogeneous memory system;

determine at least one of the storage mediums of the heterogeneous memory system to service the data access, wherein the target storage medium is selected based, at least in part, upon at least one performance characteristic associated with the target storage medium and a quality of service tag that is associated with the virtual machine and that indicates one or more performance characteristics; and

route the data access by the virtual machine to the at least one of the storage mediums.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory management unit is configured to, in response to a triggering event, move data associated with the virtual machine from a first storage medium to a second storage medium.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the triggering event includes that data not being accessed within a predefined time period.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the triggering event includes relaxing one or more of the performance characteristics guaranteed by the virtual machine.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quality of service tag includes at least two portions;

wherein a first portion of the quality of service tag indicates a performance characteristic guaranteed by the virtual machine; and

wherein a second portion of the quality of service tag indicates a range of values for the performance characteristic guaranteed by the virtual machine.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory management unit is configured to:

maintain a count of an amount of allocable storage space associated with each storage medium; and

route a data access by the virtual machine to at least one of the storage mediums based, at least in part, upon the amount of allocable storage space associated with each respective storage medium, and the quality of service tag.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory management unit is configured to allocate data associated with the virtual machine across two or more of the storage mediums.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory management unit is configured to allocate memory pages of the virtual machine across two or more storage devices, wherein the two or more storage devices share a same, physical address space.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the virtual machine is configured to execute a plurality of applications;

and

wherein each of the applications is associated with a quality of service tag that indicates one or more performance characteristics guaranteed by the virtual machine.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heterogeneous memory system comprises both volatile and non-volatile storage mediums.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from a virtual machine that is executed by a processor, a data access for a heterogeneous memory system,

wherein the heterogeneous memory system comprises a plurality of types of storage mediums, wherein each type of storage medium is based upon a respective memory technology and is associated with one or more performance characteristic;

determining, by a memory management unit, a target storage medium of the heterogeneous memory system for the data access based, at least in part, upon at least one performance characteristic associated with the target storage medium and a quality of service tag that is associated with the virtual machine and that indicates one or more performance characteristics guaranteed by the virtual machine; and

routing, by the memory management unit, the data access, at least partially, between the processor and the target storage medium.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, in response to a triggering event, moving data associated with the virtual machine from a first storage medium to a second storage medium.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the triggering event includes the data not being accessed within a predefined time period.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the triggering event includes relaxing one or more of the performance characteristics guaranteed by the virtual machine.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the quality of service tag includes at least two portions;

wherein a first portion of the quality of service tag indicates a performance characteristic guaranteed by the virtual machine; and

wherein a second portion of the quality of service tag indicates a range of values for the performance characteristic guaranteed by the virtual machine.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a target storage medium comprises:

maintaining a count of an amount of allocable storage space associated with each storage medium; and

selecting a target storage medium based, at least in part, upon the amount of allocable storage space associated with each respective storage medium, and the quality of service tag.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual machine is configured to execute a plurality of applications, wherein each of the applications is associated with a quality of service tag that indicates one or more performance characteristics guaranteed by the virtual machine;

and

wherein determining a target storage medium comprises determining which application executed is associated with the data access.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processing-side interface configured to receive a data access of a memory system;

a memory router configured to;

determine if the memory access targets a heterogeneous memory system that comprises a plurality of types of storage mediums, wherein each type of storage medium is based upon a respective memory technology and is associated with one or more performance characteristic, and

if the memory access targets a heterogeneous memory system, select a target storage medium of the heterogeneous memory system for the data access based, at least in part, upon at least one performance characteristic associated with the target storage medium and a quality of service tag that is associated with the data access and that indicates one or more performance characteristics; and

a heterogeneous memory system interface configured to, if the memory access targets a heterogeneous memory system, route the data access, at least partially, to the target storage medium.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory router is configured to, in response to a triggering event, move data associated with the virtual machine from a first storage medium to a second storage medium.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory router is configured to:

maintain a count of an amount of allocable storage space associated with each storage medium; and

select a target storage medium based, at least in part, upon the amount of allocable storage space associated with each respective storage medium, and the quality of service tag,

such that when a preferred storage medium falls below a threshold level of allocable storage space, a less preferred storage medium is selected as the target storage medium.