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Controller, flash memory apparatus, method for identifying data block stability, and method for storing data in flash memory apparatus

  • US 9,772,790 B2
  • Filed: 03/30/2016
  • Issued: 09/26/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for controlling data stored in a first Solid State Drive (SSD) in a storage system having a data de-duplication function, wherein the first SSD is one of multiple SSDs being managed by a storage controller, and the storage controller is external to the multiple SSDs, the method comprising:

  • obtaining, by the storage controller, stability information of a data segment stored in the first SSD at a certain logical address, wherein the stability information comprises a reference count of the data segment and an age of the data segment, wherein the age of the data segment corresponds to a length of a period of time the data segment has been stored in the first SSD, and wherein the reference count of the data segment is equal to a number of times that the storage controller receives the data segment;

    identifying, by the storage controller, a stability level of the data segment based on both the reference count and the age of the data segment, wherein the stability level is positively related to the age and the reference count of the data segment;

    sending to the first SSD, by the storage controller, the logical address of the data segment and the stability level of the data segment, wherein the data segment is assigned to a block of the first SSD with data segments having similar stability levels; and

    moving, by the first SSD, the data segment stored at the logical address to the assigned block.

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