Hybrid drive migrating high workload data from disk to non-volatile semiconductor memory

• US 9,268,499 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• 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: Wilkins, Virgil V., Fallone, Robert M., Meyer, Alan T., Boyle, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek, Jr., Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Verderamo, III, Ralph A
• Application Number:
  US13/157,111
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/217 Hybrid disk, e.g. using both magnetic and solid state storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device

Abstract

A hybrid drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM). Access commands are received from a host including disk read commands. When a high workload of disk access commands is detected, data of at least one disk read command is migrated to the NVSM.

Claims

1. A hybrid drive comprising:

a disk;

a head actuated over the disk;

a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM); and

control circuitry operable to;

receive a plurality of access commands from a host including a plurality of disk access commands and a plurality of NVSM access commands, wherein the disk access commands include a disk read command;

generate a disk command queue operable to store the disk access commands;

estimate a first execution time needed to execute the disk access commands in the disk command queue;

detect a high workload of disk access commands when the first execution time exceeds a first threshold; and

when the high workload is detected, migrate data of the disk read command to the NVSM because the disk read command is in the disk command queue when the high workload of disk access commands is detected.

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

generate a NVSM command queue operable to store the NVSM access commands;

estimate a second execution time needed to execute the NVSM access commands in the NVSM command queue; and

when the first execution time is greater than the first threshold and the second execution time is less than a second threshold, migrate the data of the disk read command in the disk command queue to the NVSM.

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

evaluate the access commands to detect a command sequence executed at least twice when the high workload is detected; and

when the high workload is detected and the command sequence is detected, migrate the data of the disk read command to the NVSM.

4. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

evaluate the access commands to predict the command sequence is to occur; and

when the command sequence is predicted, transfer at least one NVSM access command from an NVSM command queue to the disk command queue.

5. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

track a frequency that the command sequence is received from the host; and

when the frequency falls below a threshold, migrate data associated with the command sequence from the NVSM to the disk.

6. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to migrate the data of the disk read command based on a migration policy.

7. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 6, wherein the migration policy is based on a proximity of the data recorded on the disk.

8. The hybrid drive as recited in claim 6, wherein the migration policy is based on a proximity of logical block addresses (LBAs) in the access commands.

9. A method of operating a hybrid drive comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM), the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of access commands from a host including a plurality of disk access commands and a plurality of NVSM access commands, wherein the disk access commands include a disk read command;

generating a disk command queue operable to store the disk access commands;

estimating a first execution time needed to execute the disk access commands in the disk command queue;

detecting a high workload of disk access commands when the first execution time exceeds a first threshold; and

when the high workload is detected, migrating data of the disk read command to the NVSM because the disk read command is in the disk command queue when the high workload of disk access commands is detected.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

generating a NVSM command queue operable to store the NVSM access commands;

estimating a second execution time needed to execute the NVSM access commands in the NVSM command queue; and

when the first execution time is greater than the first threshold and the second execution time is less than a second threshold, migrating the data of the disk read command in the disk command queue to the NVSM.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating the access commands to detect a command sequence executed at least twice when the high workload is detected; and

when the high workload is detected and the command sequence is detected, migrating the data of the disk read command to the NVSM.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

evaluating the access commands to predict the command sequence is to occur; and

when the command sequence is predicted, transferring at least one NVSM access command from an NVSM command queue to the disk command queue.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

tracking a frequency that the command sequence is received from the host; and

when the frequency falls below a threshold, migrating data associated with the command sequence from the NVSM to the disk.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising migrating the data of the disk read command based on a migration policy.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the migration policy is based on a proximity of the data recorded on the disk.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the migration policy is based on a proximity of logical block addresses (LBAs) in the access commands.