TECHNOLOGIES FOR MANAGING A DYNAMIC READ CACHE OF A SOLID STATE DRIVE

• US 20170075812A1
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sharma, Neeraj, Wu, Ning, Juenemann, Dale J., Ganesan, Ramkarthik
• Application Number:
  US14/855,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075812A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0804 with main memory updating G06F12/0806 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0891 using clearing, invalidating or resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0893 Caches characterised by their organisation or structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/222 Non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7203 Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7207 management of metadata or control data

Abstract

Technologies for managing a read cache of a solid state drive include establishing a read cache in an otherwise unused region of non-volatile memory of the solid state drive. To do so, a memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache is converted to single-level cell (SLC) mode. For example, the memory region may be converted from a multi-level cell (MLC) or a triple-level cell (TLC) mode to the SLC mode. A drive controller of the solid state drive manages data in the read cache based on a read count associated with the data. For example, data having a relatively high read count may be inserted into the read cache and data having a relatively lower read count may be evicted from the read cache over time. The size of the read cache may be dynamically adjusted over time based on available space and/or operating requirements.

Claims

1. A solid state drive for managing a read cache, the solid state drive comprising:

a non-volatile memory having a write buffer, a read cache, and a user data region; and

a drive controller configured to convert a memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache to a single-level cell (SLC) mode and manage data in the read cache based on a read count associated with the data.

2. The solid state drive of claim 1, wherein to convert the memory region of the non-volatile memory comprises to convert the memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache from a triple-level cell (TLC) mode or a multi-level cell (MLC) mode to the SLC mode.

3. The solid state drive of claim 1, wherein to manage the data in the read cache comprises to insert additional data from another region of the non-volatile memory into the read cache based on a read count associated with the additional data.

4. The solid state drive of claim 3, wherein to insert the additional data comprises to increase a size of the read cache of the non-volatile memory.

5. The solid state drive of claim 3, wherein to insert the additional data comprises insert the additional data from the another region of the non-volatile memory into the read cache in response to the read count associated with the additional data being greater than a reference threshold value.

6. The solid state drive of claim 1, wherein to manage the data in the read cache comprises to evict selected data from the read cache based on a read count associated with the selected data.

7. The solid state drive of claim 6, wherein to evict the selected data from the read cache comprises to evict the selected data from the read cache in response to a size of an unused region of the non-volatile memory being less than a threshold size value.

8. The solid state drive of claim 6, wherein to evict the selected data from the read cache comprises to evict the selected data from the read cache in response to the read count associated with the selected data being less than a reference threshold value.

9. The solid state drive of claim 1, wherein the drive controller is further to evict selected data from a write buffer of the non-volatile memory to the read cache based on a read count associated with the selected data.

10. One or more machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a solid state drive to:

establish a read cache in a non-volatile memory of the solid state drive, wherein to establish the read cache comprises to convert a memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache to a single-level cell (SLC) mode; and

manage data in the read cache based on a read count associated with the data.

11. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein to convert the memory region of the non-volatile memory comprises to convert the memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache from a triple-level cell (TLC) mode or a multi-level cell (MLC) mode to the SLC mode.

12. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein to manage the data in the read cache comprises to insert additional data from another region of the non-volatile memory into the read cache based on a read count associated with the additional data.

13. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein to insert the additional data comprises to increase a size of the read cache of the non-volatile memory.

14. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein to insert the additional data comprises to insert the additional data from the another region of the non-volatile memory into the read cache in response to the read count associated with the additional data being greater than a reference threshold value.

15. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein to manage the data in the read cache comprises to evict selected data from the read cache based on a read count associated with the selected data.

16. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein to evict the selected data from the read cache comprises to evict the selected data from the read cache in response to a size of an unused region of the non-volatile memory being less than a threshold size value.

17. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein to evict the selected data from the read cache comprises to evict the selected data from the read cache in response to the read count associated with the selected data being less than a reference threshold value.

18. A method for managing a read cache of a solid state drive, the method comprising:

establishing, by a drive controller of the solid state drive, a read cache in a non-volatile memory of the solid state drive, wherein establishing the read cache comprises converting a memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache to a single-level cell (SLC) mode; and

managing, by the drive controller, data in the read cache based on a read count associated with the data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein converting the memory region of the non-volatile memory comprises converting the memory region of the non-volatile memory corresponding to the read cache from a triple-level cell (TLC) mode or a multi-level cell (MLC) mode to the SLC mode.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein managing the data in the read cache comprises inserting additional data from another region of the non-volatile memory into the read cache based on a read count associated with the additional data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein inserting the additional data comprises increasing a size of the read cache of the non-volatile memory.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein inserting the additional data comprises inserting the additional data from the another region of the non-volatile memory into the read cache in response to the read count associated with the additional data being greater than a reference threshold value.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein managing the data in the read cache comprises evicting selected data from the read cache based on a read count associated with the selected data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein evicting the selected data from the read cache comprises evicting the selected data from the read cache in response to a size of an unused region of the non-volatile memory being less than a threshold size value.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein evicting the selected data from the read cache comprises evicting the selected data from the read cache in response to the read count associated with the selected data being less than a reference threshold value.