Optimizing garbage collection using check pointed data sets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11216369-B2
Application number	US-202016997209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A determination as to whether a section of a storage device of a plurality of storage devices of the storage system corresponds to one or more check-pointed data sets of a plurality of check-pointed data sets that identifies one or more regions of the section having overwritten data is made. A garbage collection process is performed on the one or more regions of the section having overwritten data upon determining that the section corresponds to the one or more check-pointed data sets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage system comprising:
a plurality of storage devices: and
a storage controller, operatively coupled to the plurality of storage devices, the storage controller comprising a processing device, the processing device to:
determine whether a section of a storage device of the plurality of storage devices corresponds to one or more check-pointed data sets of a plurality of check-pointed data sets that identifies one or more regions of the section having overwritten data; and
perform a garbage collection process on the one or more regions of the section having overwritten data upon determining that the section corresponds to the one or more check-pointed data sets.

2. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to:
scan the section of the storage device to identify second overwritten data at the one or more regions of the section, wherein a new check-pointed data set comprising the identified second overwritten data is generated upon identifying the second overwritten data.

3. The storage system of claim 2 , wherein the processing device is further to:
convert a logical space associated with the second overwritten data at the one or more regions to a physical space at the one or more regions, wherein the new check-pointed data set comprises the physical space associated with the second overwritten data.

4. The storage system of claim 2 , wherein a frequency of scanning the section of the storage device is determined based on a performance threshold.

5. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more check-pointed data sets indicate data at the one or more regions that is not be garbage collected, wherein the processing device is to prevent the performance of the garbage collection process on the data indicated by the one or more check-pointed data sets.

6. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of check-pointed data sets comprise modifications to data stored at erase blocks of the section of the storage device.

7. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage devices comprise direct-mapped storage devices.

8. A method, comprising:
determining, by a processing device of a storage controller of a storage system, whether a section of a storage device of a plurality of storage devices of the storage system corresponds to one or more check-pointed data sets of a plurality of check-pointed data sets that identifies one or more regions of the section having overwritten data; and
performing a garbage collection process on the one or more regions of the section having overwritten data upon determining that the section corresponds to the one or more check-pointed data sets.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
scanning the section of the storage device to identify second overwritten data at the one or more regions of the section, wherein a new check-pointed data set comprising the identified second overwritten data is generated upon identifying the second overwritten data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
convert a logical space associated with the second overwritten data at the one or more regions to a physical space of the one or more regions, wherein the new check-pointed data set comprises the physical space associated with the second overwritten data.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a frequency of scanning the section of the storage device is determined based on a performance threshold.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more check-pointed data sets indicate data at the one or more regions that is not be garbage collected, wherein the processing device is to prevent the performance of the garbage collection process on the data indicated by the one or more check-pointed data sets.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of check-pointed data sets comprise modifications to data stored at erase blocks of the section of the storage device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of storage devices comprise direct-mapped storage devices.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a processing device of a storage controller to:
determine, by the processing device, whether a section of a storage device of a plurality of storage devices of a storage system corresponds to one or more check-pointed data sets of a plurality of check-pointed data sets that identifies one or more regions of the section having overwritten data; and
perform a garbage collection process on the one or more regions of the section having overwritten data upon determining that the section corresponds to the one or more check-pointed data sets.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processing device is further to:
scan the section of the storage device to identify second overwritten data at the one or more regions of the section, wherein a new check-pointed data set comprising the identified second overwritten data is generated upon identifying the second overwritten data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the processing device is further to:
convert a logical space associated with the second overwritten data at the one or more regions to a physical space of the one or more regions, wherein the new check-pointed data set comprises the physical space associated with the second overwritten data.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein a frequency of scanning the section of the storage device is determined based on a performance threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more check-pointed data sets indicate data at the one or more regions that is not be garbage collected, wherein the processing device is to prevent the performance of the garbage collection process on the data indicated by the one or more check-pointed data sets.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of check-pointed data sets comprise modifications to data stored at erase blocks of the section of the storage device.

Assignees

• Pure Storage Inc

Inventors

• Davis Brandon
• Cui Wentian
• Fay Matthew Paul

Classifications

• G06F12/0253 Primary

  Garbage collection, i.e. reclamation of unreferenced memory · CPC title

• G06F2212/7208

  Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices · CPC title

• G06F2212/7205

  Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control · CPC title

• G06F12/0246 Primary

  in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory · CPC title

• G06F2212/163

  Server or database system · CPC title