Object-based commands with quality of service identifiers

• US 9,223,612 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Feldman, Timothy R, Hughes, James Prescott, Furuhjelm, Martin R
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US14/254,175
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for object-based commands with quality of service identifiers. In an embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a memory device having a processor configured to store data as objects, each object including an object identifier field to track the object, and a user data field for user data of the object. The processor may be further configured to receive a command including an operation directed to an object, and a quality of service identifier that specifies a level of service associated with the operation. Commands may be directed toward put, get, and delete operations, among others.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory device having a processor configured to;

store data as objects having a variable-size data container;

receive commands including;

an operation directed to an object;

a quality of service identifier that specifies a level of service associated with the operation;

the commands include;

a delete operation to remove an instance of data from the memory device and a first quality of service identifier including a command modifier from a group consisting of;

a cryptographic erase identifier to direct the memory device to securely erase a cryptographic key used to decrypt the data;

a media erase identifier to direct the memory device to change a physical state of a data storage medium to accomplish the delete;

an empty identifier to direct the memory device to replace data in the data field with a null value; and

an enhanced erase identifier to direct the memory device to remove all instances of the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the commands include a put operation directing the memory device to store data to a memory of the memory device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

the put operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a write-back identifier directing the memory device to store the data without returning an indication that the data has been stored to non-volatile memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

the put operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a power-safe write-back identifier directing the memory device to store the data to non-volatile memory if power is lost.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

the put operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a write-through identifier directing the memory device to return an indication once the data has been stored to non-volatile memory.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the commands include a get operation to retrieve data from the memory device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

the get operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a command modifier from a group consisting of;

a normal identifier to direct the memory device to limit procedures to recover the data if a first read operation fails;

a data quality identifier to direct the memory device to return a hash of the data field;

a scan identifier to direct the processor to perform a media scan on memory sectors containing the data; and

a repair identifier to direct the processor to perform all available methods to recover the data if a first data retrieval operation fails.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory device having a processor configured to;

store data as objects, each object including;

an object identifier field to track the object;

a user data field for user data of the object;

receive commands including;

an operation directed to an object;

a quality of service identifier that specifies a level of service associated with the operation;

the commands include;

a put operation directing the processor to store data to a storage medium of the memory device and a first quality of service identifier includes a command modifier from a group consisting of;

a write-back identifier directing the processor to store the data without returning an indication that the data has been stored to non-volatile memory;

a power-safe write-back identifier directing the processor to store the data to non-volatile memory if power is lost;

a write-through identifier directing the processor to return an indication once the data has been stored to non-volatile memory; and

a verified identifier directing the processor to return an indication once the data has been stored to non-volatile memory and successfully read from the non-volatile memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

the commands include a get operation to retrieve data from the memory device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

the get operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a scan identifier to direct the processor to perform a media scan to check memory sectors containing the data for errors or unreliability.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

the get operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a repair identifier to direct the processor to perform all available methods to recover the data if a first data retrieval operation fails.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

the get operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a normal identifier to direct the memory device to limit procedures to recover the data if a first read operation fails.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

the commands include a delete operation to remove an instance of data from the memory device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

the delete operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a media erase identifier to direct the processor to change a physical state of a data storage medium to accomplish the delete.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

the delete operation includes a second quality of service identifier including an empty identifier to direct the processor to replace data in the user data field with a null value.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

the delete operation includes a second quality of service identifier including an enhanced erase identifier to direct the memory device to remove all instances of the data.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a memory device including a processor configured to;

store data as objects, each object including;

a tracking indicator to identify the object;

a data field with a variable size to store user data;

receive commands including;

an operation directed to an object;

a quality of service identifier that specifies a level of service associated with the operation;

the commands include;

a delete operation to remove an instance of data from the memory device and a first quality of service identifier including a command modifier from a group consisting of;

a cryptographic erase identifier to direct the memory device to securely erase a cryptographic key used to decrypt the data;

a media erase identifier to direct the memory device to change a physical state of a data storage medium to accomplish the delete;

an empty identifier to direct the memory device to replace data in the data field with a null value; and

an enhanced erase identifier to direct the memory device to remove all instances of the data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

the commands include a put operation directing the memory device to store data to a memory of the memory device; and

the put operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a verified identifier directing the memory device to return an indication once the data has been stored to non-volatile memory and successfully read from the non-volatile memory.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

the put operation includes a third quality of service identifier including a write-back identifier directing the processor to store the data without returning an indication that the data has been stored to non-volatile memory.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

the commands include a get operation to retrieve data from the memory device, and

the get operation includes a second quality of service identifier including a data quality identifier to direct the memory device to return a hash of the data field.