Applying endurance groups to zoned namespaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11726679-B2
Application number	US-202016868354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2020
Priority date	Nov 5, 2019
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

EGs may be combined with ZNSs to offer greater control of how, where and under what configurations, data is stored to various user-defined sections on a SSD. In embodiments, this exposure of control functionalities to an SSD host provides improved performance to data center and other hyperscale users and their clients. In embodiments, larger SSDs may be partitioned into groups of zones for better usage by host devices. In embodiments, the groups may comprise, for example, EGs, sets and MUs, each containing a defined number of zones. In one or more embodiments, hosts may use different EGs to access the device and thereby manage die or channel conflicts in the SSD.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of configuring a solid state device (SSD), comprising:
configuring at least a portion of the SSD as zoned namespace;
dividing the zoned namespace into one or more endurance groups (EGs), wherein EG boundaries cross die boundaries;
dividing the one or more EGs into one or more sets, wherein each EG defines properties of constituent sets, wherein set boundaries cross die boundaries;
dividing the one or more sets of an EG into one or more zones, wherein each set defines properties of constituent zones, wherein each zone includes one or more blocks; and
receiving input to redraw the EG boundaries and sets within the EGs.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein another portion of the SSD is configured as a conventional namespace.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each set of each EG includes two or more zones.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zoned namespace is divided into three EGs, each EG including at least one set.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each EG has a single set, and wherein a first EG has eight blocks per zone, and a second and third EGs each have four blocks per zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more zones of a set includes a pre-defined number of blocks per zone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein attributes of a set include at least one of: number of blocks per zone, number of bits per cell, or allowed memory operations on a cell.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each zone of a set is configured to either: allow only read operations, allow only read and write operations, or allow read, write and erase operations.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a set includes one or more complete dies of the SSD.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein an EG or a set boundary runs through one or more dies of the SSD.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing pre-defined attributes of a set without changing pre-defined attributes of any other set of the zoned namespace.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a host interface configured to present configuration options of the zoned namespace to a user;
receiving configuration commands from the user for the zoned namespace; and
configuring the zoned namespace in accordance with the commands.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the host interface displays visual representations of dies of the SSD, and receives user input as to EG boundaries and set boundaries.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the user input includes lines drawn around or across the visual representations of the dies.

15. A system comprising:
a NAND memory and a NAND controller;
the NAND controller comprising:
a host interface, configured to receive configuration commands for the NAND memory from a host computer; and
processing circuitry, coupled to the host interface, configured to, in response to at least one command received from the host computer:
configure a zoned namespace of the NAND memory to include:
one or more EGs, wherein EG boundaries cross die boundaries, wherein each EG includes one or more zones, wherein each EG defines properties of constituent zones, and each zone includes one or more blocks, wherein the controller is configured to receive input to redraw the EG boundaries and sets within the EGs.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, in response to the at least one command, configure each EG with one or more sets, each of the one or more sets including one or more zones of the EG.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, in response to at least one additional command received from the host computer, change boundaries of one or more sets within an EG, add new sets to an EG, or combine two sets of an EG, without changing data stored in the zones of the EG.

18. A computing apparatus, comprising:
a memory means; and
a controller coupled to the memory means, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive one or more user commands for configuring at least a portion of an SSD as a zoned namespace; and
configure at least a portion of the SSD as a zoned namespace in response to the command, wherein the configuring at least a portion of the of the SSD as a zoned namespace in response to the command includes:
divide the zoned namespace into one or more endurance groups (EGs), wherein EG boundaries cross die boundaries, dividing the one or more EGs into one or more sets, wherein each EG defines properties of constituent sets, wherein set boundaries cross die boundaries, dividing the one or more sets of each EG into one or more zones, wherein each set defines properties of constituent zones, and wherein each zone includes one or more blocks; and
receive input to redraw the EG boundaries and sets within the EGs.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein each of the one or more zones of a set includes a pre-defined number of blocks per zone.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the configuring at least a portion of the SSD as a zoned namespace further includes, changing boundaries of one or more sets within an EG in response to one or more additional user commands.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Helmick Daniel L
• Hellwig Horst-Christoph Georg
• Parker Liam
• Jones Ryan R
• Bjorling Matias

Classifications

• G06F3/0629 Primary

  Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/064

  Management of blocks · CPC title

• G06F3/0614

  Improving the reliability of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0653

  Monitoring storage devices or systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title