High priority read and write

• US 9,189,172 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Williams, Steven Scott, McLeran, Daniel Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamo, Elias
• Application Number:
  US13/440,285
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/602 Details relating to cache prefetching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/6028 Prefetching based on hints or prefetch instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/06 Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers , e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device

Abstract

The disclosure is related to data storage devices employing file-aware drivers. In one example, a device may comprise a driver configured to retrieve file system information related to an input/output (I/O) command, select priority attributes identifying whether the I/O command originated from a user-level application based on the file system information, and prioritize execution of the I/O command based on the priority attributes. Another embodiment may be a method comprising inspecting characteristics of a data input/output (I/O) request, choosing priority attributes for the I/O request based on the characteristics and a program initiating the I/O request, and executing operations in an order based on the priority attributes.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an interface circuit to communicate with a host;

a command queue coupled to the interface circuit;

a driver configured to store pending operations in the command queue in an order of intended execution priority based on a priority attribute by;

obtaining file system information from the host related to a structured input/output (I/O) command via the interface circuit, the file system information including information associated with the structured I/O command that is not received by the interface circuit as part of the structured I/O command;

determining a priority attribute identifying whether the structured I/O command originated from a user-level application at the host based on the file system information;

prioritizing an order of execution of the structured I/O command based on the priority attribute; and

placing the structured I/O command into a position of the command queue so that the structured I/O command will be executed prior to an operation not originating from a user-level application when the priority attribute indicates the structured I/O command originated from a user-level application.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising the driver includes a controller and software designed to execute the functions of the driver.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the priority attribute are selected based on a type of application that initiated the structured I/O command.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the priority attribute are selected based on a file involved in the structured I/O command.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the priority attribute include a priority value for the structured I/O command.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

the host, including;

a data storage device including the interface circuit and the driver; and

a host driver configured to;

intercept the structured I/O command from the host to the data storage device;

obtain file system information from the host about the structured I/O command; and

provide the file system information to the data storage device.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the driver is further configured to place the structured I/O command into a position of the command queue so that the structured I/O command will be executed after an operation originating from a user-level application when the priority attributes indicate the structured I/O command did not originate from a user-level application.

7. A system comprising:

a controller configured to;

intercept an input/output (I/O) request from a host device to a data storage device;

obtain file system information from the host device about the I/O request, the file system information including information associated with the I/O request that is part of the I/O request;

select a priority rating identifying whether the I/O request originated from a user-level application based on the file system information; and

prioritize an execution order of the I/O request based on the priority attributes including placing the I/O request in a command queue to be executed prior to an operation not originating from a user-level application when the priority rating indicates the I/O request originated from a user-level application.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

the data storage device including;

an interface circuit to communicate with the host; and

the controller, the controller further configured to;

intercept the I/O request and obtain the file system information via the interface circuit.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

the command queue to store pending operations including the I/O request and other data operations; and

the controller configured to execute the I/O request and other data operations in an order based on priority ratings.

10. The system of claim 7 comprising the controller further configured to:

select the priority rating based on settings set by a user.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

the data storage device configured to execute the I/O request and other data operations in an order based on the priority attributes.

13. A device comprising:

an interface circuit to communicate with a host;

a command queue coupled to the interface circuit;

a driver configured to;

obtain information from the host related to a command via the interface circuit, the information including file system information associated with the command that is not received by the interface circuit as part of the command;

determine a priority rating, based on the file system information, identifying whether the command originated from a user-level application at the host based on the information received from the host that is not received as part of the command; and

prioritize an order of execution of the command in the command queue such that the command will be executed prior to an operation not originating from a user-level application when the priority rating indicates the command originated from a user-level application.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising the driver configured to:

place the command into a position of the command queue so that the command will be executed after an operation originating from a user-level application when the priority attributes indicate the command did not originate from a user-level application.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the information received from the host includes an indicator of the priority rating corresponding to the command.

16. The device of claim 13 further comprising:

a controller configured to execute multiple pending commands in the command queue based on an order of the commands in the queue.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

a data storage medium coupled to the controller, wherein at least some of the multiple pending commands are data storage commands corresponding to the data storage medium.

18. The device of claim 17 further comprising:

the host coupled to the interface circuit; and

the host including;

a file system;

at least one driver configured to;

determine a priority rating of the command based on whether the command originated based on a user-level application of the file system;

send the command via the interface circuit; and

send the priority rating, via the interface circuit, separately from the command.

19. The device of claim 17 further comprising:

the at least one driver is further configured to;

inspect file system information corresponding to the command; and

determine the priority rating for the command based on the files system information.