STORAGE APPARATUS AND DATA CONTROL METHOD

• US 20130114339A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: OGAWA, JUNJI, KAWAMURA, ATSUSHI
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1044 with specific ECC/EDC distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0616 in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/04 using variable threshold transistors, e.g. FAMOS
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0483 comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series

Abstract

Data capacity efficiency is improved by de-duplicating data assigned with a code that is different for each data. A storage apparatus comprising a flash memory control device equipped with one or more flash memory modules, wherein the flash memory module comprises at least one flash memory chip for providing a storage area, and a controller for controlling writing/reading of data including user data and a guarantee code accompanying the user data to and from the storage area provided by the flash memory chip, wherein the controller respectively divides a plurality of the data having the common user data into the user data and the guarantee code, stores one of the user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area, and links and stores each of the guarantee codes accompanying the plurality of user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus comprising:

a plurality of flash memory modules, each of the plurality of flash memory modules includes a memory controller and a plurality of flash memory chips including a plurality of physical pages, each page of the plurality of physical pages is a unit for writing/reading data; and

a storage controller configured to send a format request to at least one of the plurality of flash memory modules so that a plurality of format data and a plurality of guarantee codes is to be stored into the at least one of the plurality of flash memory modules, each of the plurality of guarantee codes is associated with one of the plurality of format data;

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

receive the format request,

generate the plurality of guarantee codes according to the format request, and

store a compressed format data of the plurality of format data and the plurality of guarantee codes into one physical page of the plurality of physical pages.

2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes includes a bit error correction code and a logical address of the associated format data.

3. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes indicates a different code.

4. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a pattern of the format data is 0 (zero).

5. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein in one read process, the memory controller is configured to read the compressed format data with the plurality of guarantee codes stored in the one physical page of the plurality of physical pages.

6. The storage apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the memory controller decompresses the compressed format data, and

sends the decompressed format data with a guarantee code, which is associated with the decompressed format data, of the plurality of guarantee codes.

7. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the memory controller:

provides a logical area, which is divided into a plurality of logical pages in the flash memory module, to the storage controller.

8. The storage apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the flash memory module comprises a memory for storing a management table which associates between the logical page and the physical page, and

wherein an address of the logical page, an address of the physical page storing the format data, and an address of the physical address in the physical page storing the guarantee code associated with the format data are associated and stored in the management table.

9. The storage apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the format request includes a logical address related to a portion of the logical area which is to be formatted.

10. The storage apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the format request includes a pattern information of the format data.

11. A storage apparatus comprising:

a plurality of flash memory modules, each of the plurality of flash memory modules includes a memory controller and a plurality of flash memory chips including a plurality of physical pages, each page of the plurality of physical pages is a unit for writing/reading data; and

a storage controller configured to send a format request to at least one of the plurality of flash memory modules;

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

generate a plurality of guarantee codes, each of the plurality of guarantee codes is associated with a logical address which is to be formatted according to the format request, and

store a representative format data and the plurality of guarantee codes into one physical page of the plurality of physical pages, and

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

read the representative format data and the plurality of guarantee codes stored in the one physical page of the plurality of physical pages according to a read request from the storage controller,

decompress the representative format data, and

send the decompressed format data with a guarantee code, which is associated with the decompressed format data, of the plurality of guarantee codes.

12. The storage apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes includes a bit error correction code and a logical address of the associated format data.

13. The storage apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes indicates a different code.

14. The storage apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein a pattern of the format data is 0 (zero).

15. The storage apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the format request includes a pattern information of the format data.

16. A method for a storage apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of flash memory modules, each of the plurality of flash memory modules including a memory controller and a plurality of flash memory chips including a plurality of physical pages, each page of the plurality of physical pages is a unit for writing/reading data; and

configuring a storage controller to send a format request to at least one of the plurality of flash memory modules so that a plurality of format data and a plurality of guarantee codes is to be stored into the at least one of the plurality of flash memory modules, each of the plurality of guarantee codes is associated with one of the plurality of format data;

configuring the memory controller for;

receiving the format request,

generating the plurality of guarantee codes according to the format request, and

storing a compressed format data of the plurality of format data and the plurality of guarantee codes into one physical page of the plurality of physical pages.

17. The method according to claim 16,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes includes a bit error correction code and a logical address of the associated format data.

18. The method according to claim 16,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes indicates a different code.

19. The method according to claim 16,

wherein a pattern of the format data is 0 (zero).

20. The method according to claim 16,

wherein in one read process, configuring the memory controller to read the compressed format data with the plurality of guarantee codes stored in the one physical page of the plurality of physical pages.

21. The method according to claim 20,

wherein the memory controller decompressing the compressed format data, and

sending the decompressed format data with a guarantee code, which is associated with the decompressed format data, of the plurality of guarantee codes.

22. The method according to claim 16,

wherein the memory controller:

providing a logical area, which is divided into a plurality of logical pages in the flash memory module, to the storage controller.

23. The method according to claim 22,

wherein the flash memory module comprising a memory for storing a management table which associates between the logical page and the physical page, and

wherein an address of the logical page, an address of the physical page storing the format data, and an address of the physical address in the physical page storing the guarantee code associated with the format data are associated and stored in the management table.

24. The method according to claim 22,

wherein the format request including a logical address related to a portion of the logical area which is to be formatted.

25. The method according to claim 24,

wherein the format request including a pattern information of the format data.

26. A method for a storage apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of flash memory modules, each of the plurality of flash memory modules including a memory controller and a plurality of flash memory chips including a plurality of physical pages, each page of the plurality of physical pages is a unit for writing/reading data; and

configuring a storage controller to send a format request to at least one of the plurality of flash memory modules;

configuring the memory controller for;

generating a plurality of guarantee codes, each of the plurality of guarantee codes is associated with a logical address which is to be formatted according to the format request, and

storing a representative format data and the plurality of guarantee codes into one physical page of the plurality of physical pages, and

configuring the memory controller for;

reading the representative format data and the plurality of guarantee codes stored in the one physical page of the plurality of physical pages according to a read request from the storage controller,

decompressing the representative format data, and

sending the decompressed format data with a guarantee code, which is associated with the decompressed format data, of the plurality of guarantee codes.

27. The method according to claim 26,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes including a bit error correction code and a logical address of the associated format data.

28. The method according to claim 26,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes indicating a different code.

29. The method according to claim 26,

wherein a pattern of the format data is 0 (zero).

30. The method according to claim 26,

wherein the format request including a pattern information of the format data.

31. A flash memory module comprising:

a memory controller and a plurality of flash memory chips including a plurality of physical pages, each page of the plurality of physical pages is a unit for writing/reading data;

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

receive a format request,

generate a plurality of guarantee codes according to the format request, and

store a compressed format data of a plurality of format data and a plurality of guarantee codes into one physical page of the plurality of physical pages.

32. The flash memory module according to claim 31,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes includes a bit error correction code and a logical address of the associated format data.

33. The flash memory module according to claim 31,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes indicates a different code.

34. The flash memory module according to claim 31,

wherein a pattern of the format data is 0 (zero).

35. The flash memory module according to claim 31,

wherein in one read process, the memory controller is configured to read the compressed format data with the plurality of guarantee codes stored in the one physical page of the plurality of physical pages.

36. The flash memory module according to claim 35,

wherein the memory controller decompresses the compressed format data, and

sends the decompressed format data with a guarantee code, which is associated with the decompressed format data, of the plurality of guarantee codes.

37. The flash memory module according to claim 31,

wherein the memory controller:

provides a logical area, which is divided into a plurality of logical pages in the flash memory module, to a storage controller.

38. The flash memory module according to claim 37,

wherein the flash memory module further comprises a memory for storing a management table which associates between the logical page and the physical page, and

wherein an address of the logical page, an address of the physical page storing the format data, and an address of the physical address in the physical page storing the guarantee code associated with the format data are associated and stored in the management table.

39. The flash memory module according to claim 37,

wherein the format request includes a logical address related to a portion of the logical area which is to be formatted.

40. The flash memory module according to claim 39,

wherein the format request includes a pattern information of the format data.

41. A flash memory module comprising:

a memory controller and a plurality of flash memory chips including a plurality of physical pages, each page of the plurality of physical pages is a unit for writing/reading data;

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

generate a plurality of guarantee codes, each of the plurality of guarantee codes is associated with a logical address which is to be formatted according to the format request, and

store a representative format data and the plurality of guarantee codes into one physical page of the plurality of physical pages, and

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

read the representative format data and the plurality of guarantee codes stored in the one physical page of the plurality of physical pages according to a read request from a storage controller,

decompress the representative format data, and

send the decompressed format data with a guarantee code, which is associated with the decompressed format data, of the plurality of guarantee codes.

42. The flash memory module according to claim 41,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes includes a bit error correction code and a logical address of the associated format data.

43. The flash memory module according to claim 41,

wherein the each of the plurality of guarantee codes indicates a different code.

44. The flash memory module according to claim 41,

wherein a pattern of the format data is 0 (zero).

45. The flash memory module according to claim 41,

wherein the format request includes a pattern information of the format data.