Apparatus, system, and method for managing data in a storage device with an empty data token directive

• US 8,261,005 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unification Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fusion-IO Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Flynn, David, Thatcher, Jonathan, Zappe, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK JR, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US11/952,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103, 711/E12.008
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• 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 12/12 Replacement control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/121 using replacement algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/123 with age lists, e.g. queue, most recently used [MRU] list or least recently used [LRU] list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/426 using an embedded synchronisation, e.g. Firewire bus, Fibre Channel bus, SSA bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/002 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/103 Hybrid, i.e. RAID systems with parity comprising a mix of RAID types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1032 Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1044 Space efficiency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2022 Flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/222 Non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/70 Details relating to dynamic memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7203 Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7208 : Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 : Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 : Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 : in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 : in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 : Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 : Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 : Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 : Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 : Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 : Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 : 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: G06F 9/52 : Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 : Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1444 : Complex or three-dimensional-arrangements; Stepped or dual mother boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1487 : Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing data with an empty data segment directive at the storage device. The apparatus, system, and method for managing data include a write request receiver module and a data segment token storage module. The write request receiver module receives a storage request from a requesting device. The storage request includes a request to store a data segment in a storage device. The data segment includes a series of repeated, identical characters or a series of repeated, identical character strings. The data segment token storage module stores a data segment token in the storage device. The data segment token includes at least a data segment identifier and a data segment length. The data segment token is substantially free of data from the data segment.

Claims

1. A method for managing data stored on non-volatile storage media, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a file system configured to send the message in response to the file system receiving a storage request that identifies data on a non-volatile storage media that does not need to be preserved, the message indicating that a logical identifier is no longer in use to reference data stored on the non-volatile storage media; and

recording that contents of a particular physical storage location of the non-volatile storage media associated with the logical identifier do not need to be preserved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a storage controller of the non-volatile storage media is configured to store data on the non-volatile storage media using an append-only writing process;

and is configured to recover storage space on the non-volatile storage media using a storage space recovery process that re-uses physical storage locations of the non-volatile storage media storing data that do not need to be preserved.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering a storage division comprising the particular physical storage location, wherein recovering the storage division comprises erasing the contents of the particular physical storage location from the non-volatile storage media.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a data segment token on the non-volatile storage media, the data segment token preserving the context of the message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing data packets sequentially in the non-volatile storage media in an order that the data packets are processed; and

sequentially storing the data segment token on the non-volatile storage media such that entries of an index can be reconstructed by sequentially reading data packets stored on the non-volatile storage media.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a storage request to read a data segment, the data segment identified by a data segment identifier that matches a data segment identifier of the data segment token;

reading the data segment token corresponding to the data segment requested by the storage request; and

transmitting a response generated using the data segment token, the response indicating that the requested data segment comprises invalid data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising acknowledging compliance with the message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the file system comprises a block storage device client.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile storage media requires storage space recovery to maintain available storage capacity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising reusing physical storage locations on the non-volatile storage media storing data that does not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage media.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a secure erase command directing a storage controller of the non-volatile storage media to overwrite the particular physical storage location such that the contents of the particular physical storage location are undecipherable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a secure erase command directing a storage controller of the non-volatile storage media to set bits of the particular physical storage location to binary ones such that the contents of the particular physical storage location are erased.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical identifier comprises one of an object identifier, a block identifier, a logical block address, and a file identifier.

14. A method for managing data stored on non-volatile storage media, the method comprising:

receiving a message from an operating system through an Application Programming Interface (API) in response to the operating system receiving a storage request that identifies data on a non-volatile storage media that does not need to be preserved, the message indicating that a logical identifier is no longer in use to reference data stored on the non-volatile storage media; and

recording that contents of a particular physical storage location of the non-volatile storage media associated with the logical identifier do not need to be preserved.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the message at a driver of a storage controller of the non-volatile media.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising mapping the logical identifier to the particular physical storage location using an index.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein a storage controller of the non-volatile storage media is configured to store data on the non-volatile storage media using an append-only writing process and is configured to recover storage space on the non-volatile storage media using a storage space recovery process that re-uses physical storage locations on the non-volatile storage media storing data that do not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage media.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the logical identifier comprises one of an object identifier, a block identifier, a logical block address, and a file identifier.

19. A method for managing data stored on a non-volatile storage media, the method comprising:

receiving a hint from a storage client through a storage interface of a non-volatile storage device in response to the storage client receiving a storage request that identifies data on the non-volatile storage device that does not need to be preserved, the hint indicating that a logical identifier is no longer in use by the storage client to reference data stored on the non-volatile storage device; and

recording that contents of a particular physical storage location on the non-volatile storage media associated with the logical identifier do not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage media in response to the hint.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising mapping the logical identifier of the hint to the particular physical storage location using an index.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein recording that the contents of the particular physical storage location do not need to be preserved comprises recording that the particular storage location is available for re-use.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein recording that the contents of the particular physical storage location do not need to be preserved comprises recording that a portion of an erase block of the non-volatile storage media is available for re-use.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein a storage controller for the non-volatile storage media is configured to store data on the non-volatile storage media using an append-only writing process and is configured to recover storage space on the non-volatile storage media using a storage space recovery process that re-uses non-volatile storage media storing data that does not need to be preserved.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the logical identifier comprises one of an object identifier, a block identifier, a logical block address, and a file identifier.