Hybrid drive converting non-volatile semiconductor memory to read only based on life remaining

• US 9,146,875 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• 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., Syu, Mei-Man L., Cain, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Russell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/105,785
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1036 Life time enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• 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 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays

Abstract

A hybrid drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of memory segments. When a life remaining of the NVSM falls below a threshold, the NVSM is marked as read only. When a write command is received from a host including write data, and when the NVSM is marked as read only, the write data is written to the disk and a corresponding memory segment in the NVSM is invalidated.

Claims

1. A hybrid drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks;

a head actuated over the disk;

a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of blocks, each block comprising a plurality of memory segments; and

control circuitry operable to;

when a life remaining of the NVSM falls below a threshold, mark the NVSM as read only;

receive a write command from a host including write data;

concurrently write the write data to both the disk and the NVSM;

when the NVSM is marked as read only, write the write data to the disk and permanently invalidate a corresponding memory segment in the NVSM;

garbage collect the blocks comprising invalid memory segments; and

when a number of error correction code (ECC) errors exceeds a threshold during a read operation of a target block, disable the garbage collection of the target block.

2. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of program/erase cycles executed on the NVSM.

3. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the NVSM based on a change in at least one of a program time and an erase time of the NVSM.

4. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of error correction code (ECC) errors detected during read operations.

5. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to marking the NVSM as read only, the control circuitry is further operable to copy data from the disk to free memory segments of the NVSM.

6. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

cache write data received from a host in the NVSM;

flush the write data cached in the NVSM to the disk; and

prior to marking the NVSM as read only, disable the caching of write data in the NVSM.

7. A hybrid drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks;

a head actuated over the disk;

a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of blocks, wherein each block comprises a plurality of memory segments; and

control circuitry operable to;

receive write data from a host;

concurrently write the write data to both the disk and the NVSM;

garbage collect the blocks comprising invalid memory segments; and

when a life remaining of the NVSM falls below a threshold, permanently disable the garbage collection of the blocks.

8. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of program/erase cycles executed on the NVSM.

9. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the NVSM based on a change in at least one of a program time and an erase time of the NVSM.

10. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of error correction code (ECC) errors detected during read operations.

11. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

cache write data received from a host in the NVSM;

flush the write data cached in the NVSM to the disk; and

when the life remaining of the NVSM falls below the threshold, disable the caching of write data in the NVSM.

12. A hybrid drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks;

a head actuated over the disk;

a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality blocks, wherein each block comprises a plurality of memory segments; and

control circuitry operable to;

receive write data from a host;

concurrently write the write data to both the disk and the NVSM;

garbage collect the blocks comprising invalid memory segments;

when a life remaining of a target block falls below a threshold, the control circuitry is further operable to permanently disable the garbage collection of the target block while a valid page remains in the target block until a corresponding logical block address is overwritten; and

determine the life remaining of the target block based on a change in at least one of a program time and an erase time of the target block.

13. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to determine the life remaining of the target block based on a number of error correction code (ECC) errors detected when reading the target block.

14. A method of operating a hybrid drive, the hybrid drive comprising a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, a head actuated over the disk, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of blocks, each block comprising a plurality of memory segments, the method comprising:

when a life remaining of the NVSM falls below a threshold, marking the NVSM as read only;

receiving a write command from a host including write data;

concurrently writing the write data to both the disk and the NVSM;

when the NVSM is marked as read only, writing the write data to the disk and permanently invalidating a corresponding memory segment in the NVSM;

garbage collecting the blocks comprising invalid memory segments; and

when a number of error correction code (ECC) errors exceeds a threshold during a read operation of a target block, disabling the garbage collection of the target block.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising determining the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of program/erase cycles executed on the NVSM.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising determining the life remaining of the NVSM based on a change in at least one of a program time and an erase time of the NVSM.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising determining the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of error correction code (ECC) errors detected during read operations.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein prior to marking the NVSM as read only, further comprising copying data from the disk to free memory segments of the NVSM.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

caching write data received from a host in the NVSM;

flushing the write data cached in the NVSM to the disk; and

prior to marking the NVSM as read only, disabling the caching of write data in the NVSM.

20. A method of operating a hybrid drive, the hybrid drive comprising a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, a head actuated over the disk, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of blocks, wherein each block comprises a plurality of memory segments, the method comprising:

receive write data from a host;

concurrently write the write data to both the disk and the NVSM;

garbage collecting the blocks comprising invalid memory segments; and

when a life remaining of the NVSM falls below a threshold, permanently disabling the garbage collection of the blocks.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising determining the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of program/erase cycles executed on the NVSM.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising determining the life remaining of the NVSM based on a change in at least one of a program time and an erase time of the NVSM.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising determining the life remaining of the NVSM based on a number of error correction code (ECC) errors detected during read operations.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

caching write data received from a host in the NVSM;

flushing the write data cached in the NVSM to the disk; and

when the life remaining of the NVSM falls below the threshold, disabling the caching of write data in the NVSM.

25. A method of operating a hybrid drive, the hybrid drive comprising a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, a head actuated over the disk, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of blocks, wherein each block comprises a plurality of memory segments, the method comprising:

receive write data from a host;

concurrently write the write data to both the disk and the NVSM;

garbage collecting the blocks comprising invalid memory segments;

when a life remaining of a target block falls below a threshold, permanently disabling the garbage collection of the target block while a valid page remains in the target block until a corresponding logical block address is overwritten; and

determining the life remaining of the target block based on a change in at least one of a program time and an erase time of the target block.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising determining the life remaining of the target block based on a number of error correction code (ECC) errors detected when reading the target block.