Non-volatile memory cache performance improvement

• US 9,405,693 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Teodosiu, Daniel, Ergan, Cenk, Nicholson, Clark D., DeWhitt, Dean L., Hill, Emily Nicole, Kodavalla, Hanumantha R., Zwilling, Michael J., Parchem, John M., Fortin, Michael R., Obr, Nathan Steven, Nagar, Rajeev Y., Verma, Surenda, Powell, Therron, Westerinen, William J., Zbikowski, Mark Joseph, Stemen, Patrick L.
• Primary Examiner(s): YU, JAE UN
• Application Number:
  US13/555,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/222 Non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/281 Single cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/305 being part of a memory device, e.g. cache DRAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/312 In storage controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/313 In storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In order to provide a more efficient persistent storage device, one or more long-term storage media are included along with a non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, one portion of the non-volatile memory is used as a write buffer and a read cache for writes and reads to the long-term storage media. Interfaces are provided for controlling the use of the non-volatile memory as a write buffer and a read cache. Additionally, a portion of the non-volatile memory is used to provide a direct mapping for specified sectors of the long-term storage media. Descriptive data regarding the persistent storage device is stored in another portion of the non-volatile memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

preparing a persistent storage device for access based on information from a first application, access comprising the first application preparing to store data;

receiving, by a second application, without a request, an interrupt from the persistent storage device indicating that the persistent storage device is preparing for access; and

responsive to receiving the interrupt from the long-term storage medium;

determining, without a request, that space is needed in a non-volatile memory;

scheduling, by the second application, without a request, an action to be performed, the action comprising the second application ensuring that data is moved from an area in the non-volatile memory to the persistent storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preparing the persistent storage device for access comprises:

spinning up the disk assembly, wherein the action performed opportunistically would spin up the disk assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to atomically write a first data; and

storing the first data in a non-volatile memory, the action comprising writing the first data to said persistent storage device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating an error when a failure occurs before all of the first data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein ensuring data is moved from the area of the non-volatile memory to the persistent storage device is based on a priority assigned to the area in the non-volatile memory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action further comprises ensuring data is moved from the persistent storage device to the non-volatile memory.

7. The method of claim 1, the action comprising using a non-volatile memory circumvention interface to flush a non-persistent write buffer or a non-persistent write cache directly to the persistent storage device.

8. A computer system comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a long-term storage medium; and

a processor communicatively connected with the long-term storage medium, the processor effectuating instructions comprising;

preparing the long-term storage medium for access based on information from a first application, access comprising the first application preparing to store data;

receiving, by a second application, without a request, an interrupt from the long-term storage medium indicating that the long-term storage medium is preparing for access; and

responsive to receiving the interrupt from the long-term storage medium;

determining, without a request, that space is needed in the non-volatile memory;

scheduling, by the second application, without a request, an action to be performed, the action comprising the second application ensuring that data is moved from an area in the non-volatile memory to the long-term storage medium.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the preparing the long-term storage medium for access comprises at least one of:

preparing to spin up a disk assembly;

or

spinning up a disk assembly, wherein the action performed opportunistically would spin up the disk assembly.

10. The computer system of claim 8, the processor further effectuating instructions comprising:

receiving a request to atomically write a first data; and

storing the first data in the non-volatile memory, the action comprising writing the first data to the long-term storage medium.

11. The computer system of claim 10, the processor further effectuating instructions comprising:

communicating an error when a failure occurs before all of the first data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the action comprises ensuring data is moved from the non-volatile memory to the long-term storage medium.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the action comprises ensuring data is moved from the long-term storage medium to the non-volatile memory.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the action comprises using a non-volatile memory circumvention interface to flush a non-persistent write buffer or a non-persistent write cache directly to the long-term storage medium.

15. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause said computing device to perform the instructions comprising:

preparing a long-term storage medium for access based on information from a first application;

receiving, by a second application, without a request, an interrupt from the long-term storage medium indicating that the long-term storage medium is preparing for access; and

responsive to receiving the interrupt from the long-term storage medium;

determining, without a request, that space is needed in a non-volatile memory;

scheduling, by the second application, without a request, an action to be performed, the action comprising the second application ensuring that data is moved from an area in the non-volatile memory to the long-term storage.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the preparing the long-term storage medium for access comprises at least one of:

preparing to spin up a disk assembly;

or

spinning up the disk assembly, wherein the action performed opportunistically would spin up the disk assembly.