Information processing device, external storage device, host device, relay device, control program, and control method of information processing device

• US 8,631,191 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Memory Corporation (Kioxia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HUA JASMINE
• Application Number:
  US13/551,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/102, 711/103, 711/154
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/073 in a memory management context, e.g. virtual memory or cache management memory management G06F12/00; testing of static memory units G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• 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 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/214 Solid state disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7204 Capacity control, e.g. partitioning, end-of-life degradation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0616 in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5621 using charge storage in a floating gate
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0483 comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series

Abstract

According to the embodiments, an external storage device switches to an interface controller for supporting only a read operation of nonvolatile memory when a shift condition for shifting to a read only mode is met. A host device switches to an interface driver for supporting only the read operation of the nonvolatile memory when determining to recognize as read only memory based on information acquired from the external storage device.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a host device and a storage device, wherein the storage device includes:

readable and writable nonvolatile memory;

an interface controller connected to the host device, the interface controller enabling a first interface controller for supporting read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory and a second interface controller for supporting only the read operation of the read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory to be alternately selected; and

a first control unit for determining whether or not a shift condition for causing the nonvolatile memory to shift to a read only mode in which only the read operation of the read and write operations is carried out is met, and switching the interface controller from the first interface controller to the second interface controller when the shift condition is met, wherein

when the interface controller is switched from the first interface controller to the second interface controller, the second interface controller transmits to the host device information indicating that the storage device supports only read operation; and

the host device includes,

an interface driver for operating the storage device, the interface driver enabling a first interface driver for supporting read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory and a second interface driver for supporting only the read operation of the read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory to be alternately selected, and

a second control unit for determining whether or not the nonvolatile memory is to be recognized as read only memory in which only the read operation of the read and write operations is possible based on the information acquired from the storage device, and switching the interface driver from the first interface driver to the second interface driver when determined to recognize as the read only memory, wherein

the host device selects the second interface driver; and

the storage device selects the second interface controller, whereby

the host device recognizes the storage device as a read only memory without issuing a write request to the storage device.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit determines whether or not the shift condition is met during operation of the storage device.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit determines whether or not the shift condition is met at time of startup of the storage device.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit determines whether or not to recognize the nonvolatile memory as the read only memory during operation of the host device.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit determines whether or not to recognize the nonvolatile memory as the read only memory at time of startup of the host device.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit is configured to:

require the first control unit to send statistical information to the second control unit; and

compare the statistical information received from the first control unit with a first threshold value, wherein

the host device selects the second interface driver when the statistical information exceeds the first threshold value.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the second control unit is configured to:

compare the statistical information received from the first control unit with a second threshold value when the host device recognizes the storage device as a read only memory; and

switch the interface driver from the second interface driver to the first interface driver when the statistical information does not exceed the second threshold value.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein the second threshold value is a different value from the first threshold value.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit is configured to:

require the storage device to send a plurality pieces of statistical information;

compare each pieces of the plurality pieces of statistical information received from the storage device with the corresponding threshold values; and

determine the storage device to be recognized as a read only memory when any one of the plurality pieces of statistical information exceeds the corresponding threshold values.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the first interface controller notifies the host device as being the readable and writable device in response to an access from the host device;

and

the second interface controller notifies the host device as being a device in which only the read operation of the read and write operations is possible in response to an access from the host device.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the second interface controller returns an error to the host device when receiving a write request from the host device;

and

the second control unit switches the interface driver from the first interface driver to the second interface driver when receiving an error from the storage device.

12. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit explicitly notifies a user whether or not to back up storage data of the nonvolatile memory to another storage medium after switching the interface driver from the first interface driver to the second interface driver, and backs up the storage data of the nonvolatile memory to another storage medium if approved.

13. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the second control unit switch the interface driver from the first interface driver to the second interface driver, the host device recognizes the storage device as a read only optical medium.

14. A control method of an information processing system comprising a host device and a storage device including readable and writable nonvolatile memory, the method comprising:

determining, in the storage device, whether or not a shift condition for causing the nonvolatile memory to shift to a read only mode in which only a read operation of read and write operations is carried out is met, and switching an interface controller, connected to the host device, from a first interface controller for supporting the read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory to a second interface controller for supporting only the read operation of the read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory when the shift condition is met;

transmitting to the host device information indicating that the storage device supports only read operation; and

determining, in the host device, whether or not the nonvolatile memory is to be recognized as read only memory in which only the read operation of the read and write operations is possible based on the information acquired from the storage device, and switching an interface driver for operating the storage device from a first interface driver for supporting the read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory to a second interface driver for supporting only the read operation of the read and write operations of the nonvolatile memory when determined to recognize as the read only memory.

15. The control method of the information processing system according to claim 14, wherein the storage device determines whether the shift condition is met when the storage device is in operation.

16. The control method of the information processing system according to claim 14, wherein the storage device determines whether the shift condition is met when the storage device starts up.

17. The control method of the information processing system according to claim 14, wherein

the first interface controller, in response to an access from the host device, notifies the host device that the first interface controller is a readable and writable device;

and

the second interface controller, in response to the access from the host device, notifies the host device that the second interface controller is a device that can carry out only read operation among the read and write operations.

18. The control method of the information processing system according to claim 14, further comprising:

returning an error from the storage device to the host device when receiving a write request from the host device; and

switching, in the host device, the interface driver from the first interface driver to the second interface driver when receiving an error from the storage device.

19. The control method of the information processing system according to claim 18, further comprising:

explicitly notifying, by the host device, a user whether or not to back up storage data of the storage device to another storage medium after switching the interface driver from the first interface driver to the second interface driver, and backing up the storage data of the storage device to another storage medium if approved.

20. The control method of the information processing system according to claim 14, wherein the host device selects the second interface driver and the storage device selects the second interface controller, whereby the host device recognizes the storage device as a read only memory without issuing a write request to the storage device.