DATA USAGE PROFILING BY LOCAL STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20090172275A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: POMERANTZ, Itzhak, NOCHIMOWSKI, Alain, MARDIKS, Eitan, RAVE, Micha
• Granted Patent: US 10,289,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

A local storage device (LSD) is provided configured to have a host device (HD) in communication with the LSD. The LSD includes a memory array. The LSD is configured to characterize data access usage of the LSD by at least one program executing on the HD. The LSD is configured to monitor access to the LSD as a result of data access operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD. The LSD is additionally configured to determine characteristics of the monitored access. The LSD is additionally configured to, based on characteristics of the monitored access, determine and store data on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access.

Claims

1. In a computing device having a host device (HD) in communication with a local storage device (LSD), wherein the LSD includes a memory array, a method of characterizing data access usage of the LSD by the HD, the method comprising:

by the LSD, monitoring access to the LSD as a result of data access operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD wherein such data access operations result in data blocks being provided to or from the memory array;

by the LSD, determining characteristics of the monitored access; and

by the LSD, based on characteristics of the monitored access, determining and storing data on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining characteristics of the monitored access is based on monitoring patterns of access to the memory array.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining data indicative of the characterized data access usage includes processing the determined characteristics of monitored access in view of at least one pattern of access that has been predetermined to be consistent with different types of data access usage.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the patterns include at least one of:

a first pattern associated with a read of a data block once, consistent with a type of data access usage that is viewing a photo;

a second pattern associated with reading a file allocation table to map a data location and then reading data progressively at a fixed rate or throughput, consistent with a type of data access usage that is listening to audio; and

a third pattern associated with reading a file allocation table to map a data location and then reading data progressively at variable rate or throughput, consistent with a type of data access usage that is viewing video.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining characteristics of the monitored access is based on monitoring the actual data that is accessed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

determining characteristics of the monitored access being based on monitoring the actual data that is accessed includes detecting particular content that is indicative of characteristics of the data being accessed during the monitored access.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

detecting particular content that is indicative of characteristics of the data being accessed during the monitored access includes detecting particular meta data in the data being accessed that is indicative of a file type of the data being accessed during the monitored access.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the metadata that is indicative of a file type of the data being accessed during the monitored access includes a data tag that is indicative of the file type of the data being accessed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data determined and stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access includes a counter for each of at least one type of characteristic of the characterized data access.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data determined and stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access includes data indicative of time-dependent characteristics of the memory array access.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, from the LSD to the host device, the data stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized usage.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, from the LSD to a device other than the LSD and the host device, the data stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized usage.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the LSD, processing the data stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized usage and modifying behavior of the LSD based thereon.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the HD includes a host device file system (HDFS) and the operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD include HDFS operations.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing predetermined rules to be stored into the LSD;

wherein determining characteristics of the monitored access is at least in part relative to the stored predetermined rules.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the stored predetermined rules include rules relative to patterns of access predetermined to be consistent with different types of data access usage.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the stored predetermined rules include rules relative to particular content predetermined to be consistent with characteristics of particular types of data being accessed.

18. A local storage device (LSD) configured for use in a computing system having a host device (HD) in communication with the local storage device (LSD), comprising:

a memory array;

a controller configured to manage data access by the HD to the memory array through the provision of data blocks to or from the memory array, the controller further configured to

characterize data access usage of the LSD by the HD, including to monitor access to the LSD as a result of data access operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD, to determine characteristics of the monitored access, and to determine and store data on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access.

19. The LSD of claim 18, wherein:

determining characteristics of the monitored access is based on monitoring patterns of access to the memory array.

20. The LSD of claim 19, wherein:

determining data indicative of the characterized data access usage includes processing the determined characteristics of monitored access in view of at least one pattern of access that has been predetermined to be consistent with different types of data access usage.

21. The LSD of claim 20, wherein the patterns include at least one of:

a first pattern associated with a read of a data block once, consistent with a type of data access usage that is viewing a photo;

a second pattern associated with reading a file allocation table to map a data location and then reading data progressively at a fixed rate or throughput, consistent with a type of data access usage that is listening to audio; and

a third pattern associated with reading a file allocation table to map a data location and then reading data progressively at variable rate or throughput, consistent with a type of data access usage that is viewing video.

22. The LSD of claim 18, wherein:

determining characteristics of the monitored access is based on monitoring the actual data that is accessed.

23. The LSD of claim 22, wherein:

determining characteristics of the monitored access being based on monitoring the actual data that is accessed includes detecting particular content that is indicative of characteristics of the data being accessed during the monitored access.

24. The LSD of claim 22, wherein:

detecting particular content that is indicative of characteristics of the data being accessed during the monitored access includes detecting particular meta data in the data being accessed that is indicative of a file type of the data being accessed during the monitored access.

25. The LSD of claim 24, wherein:

The metadata that is indicative of a file type of the data being accessed during the monitored access includes a data tag that is indicative of the file type of the data being accessed.

26. The LSD of claim 18, wherein:

the data determined and stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access includes a counter for each of at least one type of characteristic of the characterized data access.

27. The LSD of claim 18, wherein:

the data determined and stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access includes data indicative of time-dependent characteristics of the memory array access.

28. The LSD of claim 18, the LSD further configured to:

provide, from the LSD to the host device, the data stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized usage.

29. The LSD of claim 18, the LSD further configured to:

provide, from the LSD to a device other than the LSD and the host device, the data stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized usage.

30. The LSD of claim 18, the LSD further configured to:

by the LSD, processing the data stored on the LSD indicative of the characterized usage and modifying behavior of the LSD based thereon.

31. The LSD of claim 18, wherein:

the operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD include host device file system (HDFS) operations.

32. The LSD of claim 18, the LSD further configured to:

receive predetermined rules based at least in part on operations of the host device;

wherein determining characteristics of the monitored access is at least in part relative to the stored predetermined rules.

33. The LSD of claim 32, wherein:

the stored predetermined rules include rules relative to patterns of access predetermined to be consistent with different types of data access usage.

34. The LSD of claim 32, wherein:

the stored predetermined rules include rules relative to particular content predetermined to be consistent with characteristics of particular types of data being accessed.

35. A computing device, comprising

a host device (HD) including a processor executing at least one program;

and

a local storage device (LSD), the HD configured to communicate with the local storage device (LSD), wherein the LSD includes a memory array, the LSD configured to control data access by the HD to the memory array through the provision of data blocks from the memory array and the LSD further configured to characterize data access usage of the LSD by the HD, including by

monitoring access to the LSD as a result of data access operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD;

determining characteristics of the monitored access; and

based on characteristics of the monitored access, determining and storing data on the LSD indicative of the characterized monitored access.