System, method, and computer program product for reducing a rate of data transfer to at least a portion of memory

• US 8,516,166 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stenfort, Ross John
• Primary Examiner(s): Alrobaye, Idriss N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MODO, RONALD T
• Application Number:
  US12/506,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0616 in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/08 Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/22 Read-write [R-W] timing or clocking circuits; Read-write [R-W] control signal generators or management

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for reducing a rate of data transfer to at least a portion of memory. In operation, a rate of degradation of at least a portion of memory associated with a drive is determined. Furthermore, a rate of data transfer to the at least a portion of the memory is reduced, based on the determined rate of degradation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating between a host and a drive, via a drive interface of the drive;

determining a rate of degradation of at least a portion of a drive memory of the drive;

selectively modifying, by the drive interface, the communicating between the host and the drive, based on the determining, so as to reduce a rate of data transfer between the host and the drive; and

wherein the reduced rate of data transfer between the host and the drive enables a prolonged lifetime of the drive memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced rate of data transfers between the host and the drive by the drive interface enables reducing a number of drive memory accesses during a warranty period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed at least in part utilizing software.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed at least in part utilizing a drive controller of the drive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive detects an excessive wear rate of the drive memory with respect to a warranty period and uses the drive interface to adaptively slow down data transfers between the host and the drive in an attempt to avoid drive failure during the warranty period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive interface comprises a Serial ATA (SATA) interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive interface comprises a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive interface comprises a PCI Express interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive interface comprises a USB interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises inserting one or more gaps in the data transferred between the host and the drive.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more gaps include a time delay.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises reducing a number of credits distributed to facilitate data transfer between the host and the drive.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises rejecting one or more connection requests between the host and the drive.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprise inserting one or more align primitives in the data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises limiting a connection time between the drive and the host.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises closing a connection between the drive and the host a host device without sending or receiving all available information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises rate matching one or more connections.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises delaying transfer ready frames.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive comprises reducing a speed of a negotiated link.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the communicating between the host and the drive is performed based on a mode.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the mode is a result of the determined rate of degradation.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount that the rate of data transfer is reduced is configurable.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount that the rate of data transfer is reduced is fixed.

24. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for communicating between a host and a drive, via a drive interface of the drive;

computer code for determining a rate of degradation of at least a portion of a drive memory of the drive;

computer code for selectively modifying, by the drive interface, the communicating between the host and the drive, based on the determining, so as to reduce a rate of data transfer between the host and the drive; and

wherein the reduced rate of data transfer enables a prolonged lifetime of the drive memory.

25. A drive, comprising:

a drive memory;

a drive controller that determines a rate of degradation of the drive memory; and

a drive interface that reduces a rate of data transfer between a host and the drive based on the determined rate of degradation of the drive memory; and

wherein the reduced rate of data transfer enables a prolonged lifetime of the drive memory.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

controller means for determining a rate of degradation of at least a portion of a drive memory of a drive;

drive interface means for communicating between a host and the drive, and based on the determining, selectively modifying the communicating so as to reduce a rate of data transfer between the host and the drive; and

wherein the reduced rate of data transfer between the host and the drive enables a prolonged lifetime of the drive memory.