Apparatus, system, and method for managing data from a requesting device with an empty data token directive

• US 8,296,337 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• 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): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/952,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/661, 707/674, 707/813, 707/814, 707/816, 707/817, 707/818, 707/819, 707/820, 707/999.203, 707/999.204, 711/111, 709/227
• US Class Current: 707/813
• 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 requesting device. The apparatus, system, and method include a token directive generation module and a token directive transmission module. The token directive generation module generates a storage request with a token directive. The token directive includes a request to store on the storage device a data segment token. The token directive substitutes for a series of repeated, identical characters or a series of repeated, identical character strings to be stored as a data segment. The token directive includes at least a data segment identifier and a data segment length. The data segment token and the token directive are substantially free from data of the data segment. The token directive transmission module transmits the token directive to the storage device.

Claims

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

receiving a storage request at a file system, the storage request indicating that data stored on a non-volatile storage media and referenced by a logical identifier can be erased from the non-volatile storage media;

sending a message and a secure erase command from the file system to a storage controller in response to the received storage request, the storage controller configured to maintain an index comprising mappings between logical identifiers of the file system and physical storage locations of the non-volatile storage media such that a logical identifier can be mapped to any of a plurality of the physical storage locations, wherein the message comprises a logical identifier corresponding to data that can be erased from the non-volatile storage media, and wherein the storage controller is configured to record that persistent data stored on one or more identified physical storage locations mapped to the logical identifier of the message in the index can be erased from the non-volatile storage media in response to the message

wherein the secure erase command directs the storage controller to render the persistent data stored on the one or more identified physical storage locations unrecoverable; and

receiving a confirmation at the file system that the data is unrecoverable.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a hint indicating that the persistent data, stored on the identified physical storage locations of the non-volatile storage media, can be erased from the non-volatile storage media, and wherein the storage controller selects a storage division comprising the identified physical storage locations for recovery based, at least in part, on the message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile storage media requires storage space recovery to maintain available storage capacity, and wherein the storage controller recovers storage space by reusing storage capacity comprising persistent data that can be erased from the non-volatile storage media.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the persistent data that can be erased from the non-volatile storage media comprises one of deleted data and erased data.

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

determining at an operating system that data referenced by a logical identifier can be erased from a non-volatile storage media;

sending a message and a secure erase directive from the operating system to a storage controller, the storage controller configured to maintain an index comprising associations between logical identifiers and physical storage locations of the non-volatile storage media such that a logical identifier can be associated with any of a plurality of the physical storage locations, wherein the message indicates a logical identifier that is no longer in use to reference persistent data stored on the non-volatile storage media, and wherein the storage controller is configured to record that persistent data stored on one or more physical storage locations associated with the indicated logical identifier in the index can be erased from the non-volatile storage media;

wherein the secure erase directive is configured to direct the storage controller to modify the non-volatile storage medium such that the persistent data stored on the one or more physical storage locations is non-recoverable; and

receiving a confirmation at the operating system that the secure erase directive is complete.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising selecting a storage division for recovery based, at least in part, on the message.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

selecting a storage division for recovery that comprises the one or more physical storage locations associated with the indicated logical identifier;

relocating valid data of the selected storage division, wherein relocating the valid data comprises determining that the persistent data, stored on the one or more physical storage locations, does not need to be relocated; and

erasing the selected storage division.

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

determining at a storage client that data stored on a non-volatile storage media and associated with a logical identifier does not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage media; and

sending a message and a secure erase command from the storage client to a storage controller, the storage controller configured to maintain an index that maps logical identifiers to physical storage locations of the non-volatile storage media such that a logical identifier can be mapped to any of a plurality of the physical storage locations in the index, wherein the message specifies a logical identifier that is no longer in use to reference persistent data stored on the non-volatile storage media, and wherein the storage controller is configured to modify the index to indicate that persistent data stored on one or more physical storage locations mapped to the specified logical identifier by the metadata does not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage media in response to the message;

wherein the secure erase command directs the storage controller to make the persistent data non-recoverable; and

receiving a confirmation at the operation system that the persistent data is non-recoverable.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the metadata comprises invalidating the persistent data stored on the one or more physical storage locations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the metadata comprises removing a mapping between the specified logical identifier and the one or more physical storage locations in the metadata.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising accessing the metadata to identify valid data to relocate in response to recovering a storage division.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the metadata comprises annotating an index to indicate that persistent data stored on the one or more physical storage locations mapped to the specified logical identifier, does not need to be preserved.