Storage device and information processing system

• US 7,340,580 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Tadaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan; Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): GU, SHAWN X
• Application Number:
  US11/199,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/173
• 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 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A storage device includes a data-readable/writable storage medium, a data-readable/writable nonvolatile memory, and a controller which manages one of respective physical storage areas of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory as being a logical storage area and which, in response to an access request from an external source, executes access to either one or both of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory.

Claims

1. A storage device, comprising:

a data-readable/writable storage medium;

a data-readable/writable nonvolatile memory; and

a controller configured to manage one of respective physical storage areas of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory as a logical storage area and, in response to an access request from an external source, the controller executes access to either one or both of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory,

wherein when a write request for data from an external source is present, the controller performs computation of time necessary for a write of the data to the storage medium, and executes the write to the nonvolatile memory if the computation result is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

2. The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising an address management table which manages logical addresses corresponding to storage areas of the nonvolatile memory, wherein

the controller is capable of determining which one of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory is to be accessed, by referring to the address management table.

3. The storage device according to claim 2, wherein the address management table has information indicating presence or absence of data redundantly stored in both the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory.

4. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is capable of transferring data between the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory.

5. The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a power controller which terminates power supply to the storage medium while the storage medium is not being accessed.

6. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a flash memory.

7. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is a hard disk.

8. An information processing system, comprising:

an information processing unit; and

a storage device connectable to the information processing unit,

the information processing unit being capable of making a data access request to the storage device, and

the storage device including;

a data-readable/writable storage medium,

a data-readable/writable nonvolatile memory, and

a controller configured to manage one of respective physical storage areas of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory as a logical storage area and, in response to the access request from the information processing unit, the controller executes access to either one or both of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory,

wherein when a write request for data from an external source is present, the controller performs computation of time necessary for a write of the data to the storage medium, and executes the write to the nonvolatile memory if the computation result is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein

the storage device further includes an address management table which manages logical addresses corresponding to storage areas of the nonvolatile memory, and

the controller is capable of determining which one of the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory is to be accessed, by referring to the address management table.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the address management table has information indicating presence or absence of data redundantly stored in both the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory.

11. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the controller is capable of transferring data between the storage medium and the nonvolatile memory.

12. The information processing system according to claim 8, further comprising a power controller which terminates power supply to the storage medium while the storage medium is not being accessed.