Data storage device aligning partition to boundary of sector when partition offset correlates with offset of write commands

• US 8,996,839 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Boyle, William B., Huynh, Sang, Ozturk, Ayberk, Fallone, Robert M., Lee, Kai Ling, Rickey, Billy, Salehudin, Aznizam Abdullah
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Mardochee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Zubair
• Application Number:
  US13/356,453
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 711/201
• US Class Current: 711/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7201 Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages

Abstract

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of sectors. A partition map is evaluated that identifies a partition accessed through a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs), where each LBA maps to a fraction of a sector. A partition offset is determined for the partition relative to a boundary of one of the sectors. N write commands are received each having a write offset relative to a corresponding sector. When the write offset for X of the N write commands matches the partition offset, at least part of the partition is moved to align at least part of the partition to a boundary of one of the sectors.

Claims

1. A method of aligning a partition of a data storage device to a boundary of a sector, the data storage device comprising a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of sectors, the method comprising:

(a) evaluating a partition map that identifies a partition accessed through a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs), and each LBA maps to a fraction of a sector;

(b) determining a partition offset for the partition relative to a boundary of one of the sectors;

(c) receiving N write commands each having a write offset relative to a corresponding sector; and

(d) when the write offset for X of the N write commands matches the partition offset, moving at least part of the partition to align at least part of the partition to a boundary of one of the sectors, wherein X and N are positive integers.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein moving at least part of the partition comprises shifting at least one LBA of the partition.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein moving at least part of the partition comprises shifting a starting LBA of the partition.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein moving at least part of the partition comprises remapping at least one LBA from a first sector to a second sector.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising repeating steps (a) through (d) when the partition map is modified.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each LBA maps to one-fourth of a sector such that the partition offset may be one of zero, one, two and three.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each LBA maps to one-eighth of a sector such that the partition offset may be one of zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising reading the partition map from the non-volatile memory.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving the partition map from a host.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising inferring the partition map based on an access pattern of the non-volatile memory.

11. A data storage device comprising:

a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of sectors; and

control circuitry operable to aligning a partition of a data storage device to a boundary of a sector by;

(a) evaluating a partition map that identifies a partition accessed through a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs), and each LBA maps to a fraction of a sector;

(b) determining a partition offset for the partition relative to a boundary of one of the sectors;

(c) receiving N write commands each having a write offset relative to a corresponding sector; and

(d) when the write offset for X of the N write commands matches the partition offset, moving at least part of the partition to align at least part of the partition to a boundary of one of the sectors, wherein X and N are positive integers.

12. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein moving at least part of the partition comprises shifting at least one LBA of the partition.

13. The data storage device as recited in claim 12, wherein moving at least part of the partition comprises shifting a starting LBA of the partition.

14. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein moving at least part of the partition comprises remapping at least one LBA from a first sector to a second sector.

15. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to repeat steps (a) through (d) when the partition map is modified.

16. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein each LBA maps to one-fourth of a sector such that the partition offset may be one of zero, one, two and three.

17. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein each LBA maps to one-eighth of a sector such that the partition offset may be one of zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven.

18. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to read the partition map from the non-volatile memory.

19. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to receive the partition map from a host.

20. The data storage device as recited in claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to infer the partition map based on an access pattern of the non-volatile memory.