Cache management

• US 8,370,850 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• 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: Nochimowski, Alain, Mosek, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Diem
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERDI, KIMBLEANN C
• Application Number:
  US12/036,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 711/123, 711/129
• US Class Current: 719/313
• 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 number of applications can be run by the computing system. Such applications can execute independently from each other and can also each independently manage a corresponding set of content stored on a local storage device (LSD). One of the advantages presented by the invention is the ability of the LSD to inform one application of the content made available on the LSD by another one of the applications even though the applications have no relationship to each other. In this way, a synergy between the independent applications can be achieved providing a co-operative environment that can result in, for example, improved operation of the computing system, improved resource (i.e., memory, bandwidth, processing) allocation and use, and other factors.

Claims

1. A local storage device (LSD), comprising:

a memory array logically arranged to include at least a first portion and at least a second portion, wherein the first and the second portions are independent of each other; and

a controller configured to execute a first application that manages first application content in the first portion based upon a first application content management policy and to execute a second application that manages second application content in the second portion based upon a second application content management policy;

wherein the controller is configured to execute the first application independently of the second application, and wherein the first application manages the first application content independent of the second application managing the second application content;

wherein the LSD is configured to inform, independent of a host device (HD), the second application of the first application content stored in the first portion;

wherein the second application uses information provided to the second application by the LSD of the first application content stored in the first portion to deduce the first application content management policy;

wherein the second application uses the deduced first application content management policy to update the second application content management policy; and

wherein the second application uses the updated second application content management policy to predict an upcoming first application managing operation.

2. The local storage device of claim 1, wherein the second application initiates a second portion management operation based upon the predicted upcoming first application management operation.

3. The local storage device of claim 1, wherein the LSD is in communication with the HD, wherein the HD includes a host device file system (HDFS), and wherein the informing by the LSD is independent of the HDFS.

4. The local storage device of claim 3, wherein the first portion is managed by the HDFS, wherein the first application uses the HDFS to manage the first application content in the first portion, wherein the second portion is not managed by the HDFS, and wherein the second portion is invisible to the HDFS.

5. The local storage device of claim 1, wherein the HD includes a network interface that the HD uses to establish a communication path over which the second portion accesses a network, wherein once the HD establishes the communication path, there is no further intervention by the HD except to maintain the communication path.

6. The local storage device of claim 1, wherein the first application is a browser cache manager and wherein the second application is a proxy cache manager.

7. The local storage device of claim 6, wherein the second portion includes at least a proxy cache managed by the proxy cache manager, wherein the proxy cache manager manages proxy cache content in the proxy cache according to a proxy cache management policy.

8. The local storage device of claim 7, wherein the first portion includes at least a browser cache managed by the browser cache manager, wherein the browser cache manager manages browser cache content in the browser cache according to a browser cache management policy.

9. The local storage device of claim 8, wherein the proxy cache manager modifies the proxy cache management policy based upon information about the browser cache content provided by the LSD.

10. The local storage device of claim 9, wherein the proxy cache manager uses the modified proxy cache management policy to predict a browser cache operation.

11. The local storage device of claim 10, wherein the proxy cache manager uses the predicted browser cache operation to update the proxy cache content.

12. A local storage device (LSD) operatively coupled with a host device (HD) that includes a host device file system (HDFS) and a network interface, the local storage device comprising:

a memory array logically arranged to include at least a first portion and at least a second portion, wherein the first and the second portions are independent from each other, and

a controller configured to execute a second application that manages a second application content stored in the second portion based upon a second application content management policy;

wherein the first portion is managed by the HDFS such that a first application uses the HDFS to manage a first application content in the first portion based upon a first application content management policy, wherein the second portion that is not managed by the HDFS is invisible to the HDFS, and wherein the first and the second applications execute independently from each other;

wherein the managing of the first application content by the first application is independent of the managing of the second application content by the second application;

wherein the LSD is configured to inform the second application of the first application content stored in the first portion, wherein the informing is invisible to the HDFS;

wherein the second application uses information provided to the second application by the LSD of the first application content stored in the first portion to deduce the first application content management policy;

wherein the second application uses the deduced first application content management policy to update the second application content management policy; and

wherein the second application uses the updated second application content management policy to predict an upcoming first application operation.

13. The local storage device of claim 12, wherein the second application initiates a second portion operation based upon the predicted upcoming first application operation.

14. The local storage device of claim 12, wherein the HD uses the network interface to facilitate network access to the second portion.

15. The local storage device of claims 12, wherein the first application is a browser cache manager and wherein the second application is a proxy cache manager.

16. The local storage device of claim 15, wherein the second portion includes at least a proxy cache managed by the proxy cache manager, wherein the proxy cache manager manages proxy cache content in the proxy cache according to a proxy cache management policy, and wherein the first portion includes at least a browser cache managed by the browser cache manager, and wherein the browser cache manager manages browser cache content in the browser cache according to a browser cache management policy.

17. The local storage device of claim 16, wherein the proxy cache manager modifies the proxy cache management policy based upon information about the browser cache content provided by the LSD.

18. The local storage device of claim 17, wherein the proxy cache manager uses the modified proxy cache management policy to predict a browser cache operation.

19. The local storage device of claim 18, wherein the proxy cache manager uses the predicted browser cache operation to update the proxy cache content.

20. A computer program product executed by a system that includes a local storage device (LSD) in communication with a host device (HD), wherein the LSD includes a memory array logically arranged to include at least a first portion and at least a second portion wherein the first and the second portions are independent of each other, and wherein a first application manages first application content in the first portion based upon a first application content management policy and wherein a second application manages second application content in the second portion based upon a second application content management policy, wherein the first and the second applications are independent of each other, and wherein the managing of the first application content by the first application is independent of the managing of the second application content by the second application, the computer program product comprising:

computer code for informing the second application by the LSD of the first application content stored in the first portion, wherein the informing is independent of the HD;

computer code for deducing the first application content management policy by the second application using information provided to the second application by the LSD of the first application content stored in the first portion;

computer code for using the deduced first application content management policy by the second application to update the second application content management policy;

computer code for using the updated second application content management policy by the second application to predict an upcoming first application managing operation; and

non-transitory computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

computer code for initiating a second portion management operation by the second application based upon the predicted upcoming first application managing operation.