Data writing method and storage controller

• US 9,990,152 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen EpoStar Electronics Limited CO.
• Original Assignee: Epostar Electronics (Bvi) Corporation
• Inventors: Hsieh, Hung-Chih, Hsiao, Yu-Hua, Liao, Shih-Tien
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kaushikkumar
• Application Number:
  US15/402,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20180136859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1865 Transactional file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2207/535 Indexing scheme relating to groups G06F7/535 - G06F7/5375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7207 management of metadata or control data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/50 Adding; Subtracting G06F7/483 - G06F7/491, G06F7/544 - G06F7/556 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/535 Dividing only

Abstract

A data writing method is provided. The method includes writing a first write data into a first physical sub-unit in a storage device according to a first write command; recording a first meta data corresponding to the first write data into the storage device; writing a second write data into a second physical sub-unit in the storage device; recording a second meta data corresponding to the second write data into the storage device. A second write identification code of the second meta data is set to be different from a first write identification code of the first meta data if the second physical unit is closely adjacent to the first physical unit and the second write data is written according to the second write command; and whether the second write data is valid or invalid is determined according to the second meta data if a special event occurs.

Claims

1. A data writing method, adapted to a storage device having a rewritable non-volatile memory module, wherein the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical units, each physical unit among the physical units has a plurality of physical sub-units, and the method comprises:

writing a first write data into a first physical sub-unit in the rewritable non-volatile memory module according to a first write command;

recording a first meta data corresponding to the first write data and writing the first meta data into the rewritable non-volatile memory module after writing the first write data, wherein the first meta data comprises a first write identification code, a first write size and a first unit crossing flag, wherein the first write identification code is either a first value or a second value, and the first value is different from the second value;

writing a second write data into a second physical sub-unit in the rewritable non-volatile memory module;

recording a second meta data corresponding to the second write data and writing the second meta data into the rewritable non-volatile memory module after writing the second write data, wherein the second meta data comprises a second write identification code, a second write size and a second unit crossing flag, wherein the second write identification code of the second meta data is set to be different from the first write identification code of the first meta data if the second physical sub-unit is closely adjacent to the first physical sub-unit and the second write data is written according to a second write command different from the first write command, wherein the second write identification code of the second meta data is set to be identical to the first write identification code of the first meta data if the second write data is written according to the first write command; and

determining whether the second write data is valid or invalid according to the second write data and the second meta data if a special event occurs.

2. The data writing method according to claim 1, wherein the second meta data is set to be identical to the first meta data if the second write data is written according to the first write command, and the method further comprises:

calculating the first write size of the first meta data according to the first write command and a preset access unit size;

setting the first unit crossing flag to be a third value if the first physical sub-unit and the second physical sub-unit belong to the physical units having different physical unit identification codes, respectively; and

setting the first unit crossing flag to be a fourth value if the first physical sub-unit and the second physical sub-unit belong to at least one of the physical units having identical physical unit identification codes, wherein the third value is different from the fourth value.

3. The data writing method according to claim 2, wherein the first write command is configured to instruct writing the first write data and the second write data into a first logical sub-unit and a second logical sub-unit respectively, wherein the step of calculating the first write size of the first meta data according to the first write command and the preset access unit size comprises:

dividing a sum of sizes of the first logical sub-unit and the second logical sub-unit by the preset access unit size to obtain a quotient value; and

using a value obtained by rounding up the quotient value to integer as the first write size.

4. The data writing method according to claim 1, wherein the physical unit to which the second physical sub-unit belongs is an open physical unit, wherein the step of determining whether the second write data is valid or invalid according to the second write data and the second meta data comprises:

identifying a last physical sub-unit of the physical sub-units stored with data in the open physical unit;

if the second physical sub-unit is identified as the last physical sub-unit of the physical sub-units stored with data in the open physical unit, identifying the second meta data corresponding to the second physical sub-unit;

determining whether at least one third physical sub-unit is present in the open physical unit, wherein if the at least one third physical unit is determined as present in the open physical unit, the at least one third physical sub-unit in the open physical unit is closely adjacent before the second physical sub-unit and a third write identification code in at least one third meta data corresponding to the at least one third physical sub-unit is identical to the second write identification code;

summing up a quantity of the at least one third physical meta data and a quantity of the second meta data to be a total quantity of meta data if the at least one third physical sub-unit is present, wherein the second write data is determined as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size; and

using the quantity of the second meta data as the total quantity of meta data if the at least one third physical sub-unit is not present, wherein the second write data is determined as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size.

5. The data writing method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether the second write data is valid or invalid according to the second write data and the second meta data further comprises:

determining whether a close physical unit closely adjacent before the open physical unit needs to be checked according to the second unit crossing flag;

determining whether at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit if determining that the close physical unit closely adjacent before the open physical unit needs to be checked,

wherein conditions for determining that the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit comprise;

the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is closely adjacent before the at least one third physical sub-unit and a fourth write identification code in a fourth meta data corresponding to the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is identical to the second write identification code;

or

the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is closely adjacent before the second physical sub-unit and the fourth identification code in the fourth meta data corresponding to the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is identical to the second write identification code;

summing up a quantity of the at least fourth meta data, the quantity of the at least one third meta data and the quantity of the second meta data to be the total quantity of meta data if the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit and the at least one third physical sub-unit is present in the open physical unit, wherein the second write data is determined as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size; and

summing up the quantity of the at least one fourth meta data and the quantity of the second meta data to be the total quantity of meta data if the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit and the at least one third physical sub-unit is not present in the open physical unit, wherein the second write data is determined as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size.

6. A storage controller, configured to control a storage device having a rewritable non-volatile memory module, the storage controller comprising:

a connection interface circuit, configured to couple to a host system;

a memory interface control circuit, configured to couple to the rewritable non-volatile memory module, wherein the rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of physical units, and each physical unit among the physical units has a plurality of physical sub-units;

a processor, coupled to the connection interface circuit and the memory interface control circuit; and

a data management circuit, coupled to the processor, the connection interface circuit and the memory interface control circuit,

wherein the processor writes a first write data into a first physical sub-unit in the rewritable non-volatile memory module according to a first write command,

wherein the data management circuit records a first meta data corresponding to the first write data and the processor instructs the memory interface control circuit to write the first meta data into the rewritable non-volatile memory module after writing the first write data, wherein the first meta data comprises a first write identification code, a first write size and a first unit crossing flag, wherein the write identification code is either a first value or a second value, and the first value is different from the second value,

wherein the processor instructs the memory interface control circuit to write a second write data into a second physical sub-unit in the rewritable non-volatile memory module,

wherein the data management circuit records a second meta data corresponding to the second write data and the processor instructs the memory interface control circuit to write the second meta data into the rewritable non-volatile memory module after writing the second write data, wherein the second meta data comprises a second write identification code, a second write size and a second unit crossing flag, wherein the data management circuit sets the second write identification code of the second meta data to be different from the first write identification code of the first meta data if the second physical sub-unit is closely adjacent to the first physical sub-unit and the second write data is written according to a second write command different from the first write command, wherein the data management circuit sets the second write identification code of the second meta data to be identical to the first write identification code of the first meta data if the second write data is written according to the first write command,

wherein the processor determines whether the second write data is valid or invalid according to the second write data and the second meta data if a special event occurs.

7. The storage controller according to claim 6, wherein the data management circuit sets the second meta data to be identical to the first meta data if the second write data is written according to the first write command, wherein

the data management circuit calculates the first write size of the first meta data according to the first write command and a preset access unit size;

the data management circuit sets the first unit crossing flag to be a third value if the first physical sub-unit and the second physical sub-unit belong to the physical units having different physical unit identification codes, respectively; and

the data management circuit sets the first unit crossing flag to be a fourth value if the first physical sub-unit and the second physical sub-unit belong to at least one of the physical units having identical physical unit identification codes, wherein the third value is different from the fourth value.

8. The storage controller according to claim 7, wherein the first write command is configured to instruct writing the first write data and the second write data into a first logical sub-unit and a second logical sub-unit respectively, wherein in the operation where the data management circuit calculates the first write size of the first meta data according to the first write command and the preset access unit size,

the data management circuit divides a sum of sizes of the first logical sub-unit and the second logical sub-unit by the preset access unit size to obtain a quotient value,

wherein the data management circuit uses a value obtained by rounding up the quotient value to integer as the first write size.

9. The storage controller according to claim 6, wherein the physical unit to which the second physical sub-unit belongs is an open physical unit, wherein in the operation where the processor determines whether the second write data is valid or invalid according to the second write data and the second meta data,

the processor identifies a last physical sub-unit of the physical sub-units stored with data in the open physical unit,

wherein the processor identifies the second meta data corresponding to the second physical sub-unit if the second physical sub-unit is identified as the last physical sub-unit of the physical sub-units stored with data in the open physical unit,

wherein the processor determines whether at least one third physical sub-unit is present in the open physical unit, wherein if the at least one third physical unit is determined as present in the open physical unit, the at least one third physical sub-unit in the open physical unit is closely adjacent before the second physical sub-unit and a third write identification code in a third meta data corresponding to the at least one third physical sub-unit is identical to the second write identification code,

wherein the processor sums up a quantity of the at least one third physical meta data and a quantity of the second meta data to be a total quantity of meta data if the at least one third physical sub-unit is present, wherein the processor determines the second write data as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size,

wherein the processor uses the quantity of the second meta data as the total quantity of meta data if the at least one third physical sub-unit is not present, wherein the processor determines the second write data as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size.

10. The storage controller according to claim 9, wherein in the operation where the processor determines whether the second write data is valid or invalid according to the second write data and the second meta data,

the processor determines whether a close physical unit closely adjacent before the open physical unit needs to be checked according to the second unit crossing flag,

wherein the processor determines whether at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit if the processor determines that the close physical unit closely adjacent before the open physical unit needs to be checked,

wherein conditions for determining that the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit comprise:

the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is closely adjacent before the at least one third physical sub-unit and a fourth write identification code in a fourth meta data corresponding to the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is identical to the second write identification code;

or

the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is closely adjacent before the second physical sub-unit and the fourth identification code in the fourth meta data corresponding to the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is identical to the second write identification code,

wherein the processor sums up a quantity of the at least fourth meta data, the quantity of the at least one third meta data and the quantity of the second meta data to be the total quantity of meta data if the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit and the at least one third physical sub-unit is present in the open physical unit, wherein the processor determines the second write data as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size,

the processor sums up the quantity of the at least one fourth meta data and the quantity of the second meta data to be the total quantity of meta data if the at least one fourth physical sub-unit is present in the close physical unit and the at least one third physical sub-unit is not present in the open physical unit, wherein the processor determines the second write data as invalid if the total quantity of meta data is not equal to the second write size.