Method and system for updating content stored in a storage device

• US 20070050430A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Bend Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Red Bend Limited Israeli Company of
• Inventors: Peleg, Sharon, Meller, Evyatar
• Granted Patent: US 8,561,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Method and system for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device and for yielding updated content of an updated version. Wherein at least part of content of each one of n (n>1) blocks of the original version are modified in the updated version. The non-volatile storage device including blocks. The method includes obtaining an update package. It also includes performing m block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device. The block storage operations include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, while the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package. Wherein 2<=m<2n.

Claims

1. A method for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, wherein at least part of content of each one of n (n>

1) blocks of the original version are modified in the updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks, the method comprising;

obtaining an update package; and

performing m block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device;

the block storage operations include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package;

wherein 2<

=m<

2n.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the block storage operations include also at least one backup block storage operation wherein each backup block storage operation includes storing protected content in a non-volatile protection buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing p protection operations, wherein each protection operation includes protecting original content in a volatile protection buffer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the block storage operations include also at least one backup block storage operation wherein each backup block storage operation includes storing protected content in a non-volatile protection buffer, the protected content is stored in the volatile protection buffer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated content is generated in a volatile updated buffer.

6. The method of claim 1, used for reliability.

7. A method for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks, the method comprising:

obtaining an update package; and

performing block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device;

the block storage operations include at least one backup block storage operation, wherein each backup block storage operation includes storing protected content stored in one or more segments of one or more blocks of the non-volatile storage device in a non-volatile protection buffer;

the block storage operations also include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package;

wherein the in-place updating includes less backup block storage operations than update block storage operations.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the updated content is generated in a volatile updated buffer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the protected content is stored in a volatile protection buffer prior to performing the at least one backup block storage operation.

10. The method of claim 7, used for reliability.

11. A method for updating original content of an original version stored in a storage device to yield updated content of an updated version, in accordance with an update package, the method comprising:

obtaining an update-package including transforming update commands;

protecting original content of segments in a non-volatile protection buffer, the segments are source segments of transforming update commands; and

updating the original version of content to the updated version of content in accordance with the update package, while restoring protected content being source of the transforming update commands from the non-volatile protection-buffer.

12. A method for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks and the original version occupies more than one block, the method comprising:

obtaining an update package;

protecting original content of the original version in a non-volatile backup buffer, the non-volatile backup buffer including at least one block, wherein at least one block of the non-volatile backup buffer is used for protecting original content originated from more than one block in the original version; and

updating the original version to yield the updated version, utilizing directly or indirectly at least the update package and protected original content stored in said non-volatile backup buffer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

the update package is associated with an update sequence, and wherein

the size of the protected content in said non-volatile backup buffer depends on said update sequence;

said size is smaller than an arbitrary size of a protected content that depends on an arbitrary updated sequence associated with the update package;

said arbitrary update sequence is selected arbitrarily from among all possible update sequences which can be associated with said update package.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein

the update package is associated with an update sequence, and wherein

the size of the protected content in said non-volatile backup buffer depends on said update sequence;

said size is smallest size among sizes of protected content that depend on any updated sequence of all possible update sequences which can be associated with the update package.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein

the update package is associated with an update sequence, and wherein

the size of the protected content in said non-volatile backup buffer depends on said update sequence;

said size is smaller than an average size of protected content that depend on any updated sequence of all possible update sequences which can be associated with the update package.

16. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, wherein at least part of content of each one of n (n>

1) blocks of the original version are modified in the updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks, the method comprising;

obtaining an update package; and

performing m block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device;

the block storage operations include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package;

wherein 2<

=m<

2n.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, wherein at least part of content of each one of n (n>

1) blocks of the original version are modified in the updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks, the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to obtain an update package; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to perform m block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device;

the block storage operations include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package;

wherein 2<

=m<

2n.

18. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks, the method comprising:

obtaining an update package; and

performing block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device;

the block storage operations include at least one backup block storage operation, wherein each backup block storage operation includes storing protected content stored in one or more segments of one or more blocks of the non-volatile storage device in a non-volatile protection buffer;

the block storage operations also include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package;

wherein the in-place updating includes less backup block storage operations than update block storage operations.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for in-place updating original content of an original version stored in a non-volatile storage device, to yield updated content of an updated version, the non-volatile storage device including blocks, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to obtain an update package; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to perform block storage operations, wherein each block storage operation includes writing content to a block in the non-volatile storage device;

the block storage operations include at least one backup block storage operation, wherein each backup block storage operation includes storing protected content stored in one or more segments of one or more blocks of the non-volatile storage device in a non-volatile protection buffer;

the block storage operations also include update block storage operations storing updated content of the updated version in the non-volatile storage device, the updated content is generated in accordance with at least the update package;

wherein the in-place updating includes less backup block storage operations than update block storage operations.