Storage subsystem with configurable buffer
First Claim
1. A storage subsystem, comprising:
- a controller coupled to non-volatile storage, the controller capable of writing data to, and reading data from, the non-volatile storage in response to commands received by the storage subsystem from a host system; and
a buffer memory, the buffer memory capable of receiving data at a higher rate than the non-volatile storage,wherein the controller is configured to implement a write buffer in the buffer memory to buffer write data received from the host system and transfer the write data from the write buffer to the non-volatile storage, and to automatically adjust a size of the write buffer based at least in part on one or more monitored conditions of the storage subsystem that are reflective of a likelihood of a data loss in the storage subsystem, the automatically adjusting including reducing the size of the write buffer between at least a first non-zero size value and a second non-zero size value in response to the one or more monitored conditions indicating an increased risk of data loss, so as to vary both a sustained write speed of the storage subsystem and a risk of data loss.
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Abstract
A storage subsystem includes a variable-size write buffer that temporarily stores write data received from a host system. The storage subsystem is capable of adjusting the size of the write buffer so as to vary both the performance (e.g., sustained write speed) of the storage subsystem and a risk of data loss. In one embodiment, the storage subsystem implements a command set that enables the host system to directly control the size of the write buffer. The storage subsystem may additionally or alternatively be capable of adjusting the size of the write buffer based on monitored operating conditions, such as the temperature, the stability/consistency of a power signal received from the host system, and/or the elapsed time since the storage subsystem was last powered up.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A storage subsystem, comprising:
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a controller coupled to non-volatile storage, the controller capable of writing data to, and reading data from, the non-volatile storage in response to commands received by the storage subsystem from a host system; and a buffer memory, the buffer memory capable of receiving data at a higher rate than the non-volatile storage, wherein the controller is configured to implement a write buffer in the buffer memory to buffer write data received from the host system and transfer the write data from the write buffer to the non-volatile storage, and to automatically adjust a size of the write buffer based at least in part on one or more monitored conditions of the storage subsystem that are reflective of a likelihood of a data loss in the storage subsystem, the automatically adjusting including reducing the size of the write buffer between at least a first non-zero size value and a second non-zero size value in response to the one or more monitored conditions indicating an increased risk of data loss, so as to vary both a sustained write speed of the storage subsystem and a risk of data loss. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method performed by a storage subsystem to handle write operations, the method comprising:
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receiving write data from a host system, and storing the write data in a variable-size write buffer implemented in a volatile memory of the storage subsystem; moving the write data from the write buffer to non-volatile storage of the storage subsystem, and signaling to the host system when the write buffer is available to receive additional write data; and automatically adjusting a size of the write buffer over time based at least in part on one or more monitored conditions of the storage subsystem that are reflective of a likelihood of a data loss in the storage subsystem, so as to vary a sustained write speed of the storage subsystem and an associated risk of data loss, the automatically adjusting comprising reducing the size of the write buffer between at least a first non-zero size value and a second non-zero size value in response to the one or more monitored conditions indicating an increased risk of data loss. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification