Hybrid memory module and transaction-based memory interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192686-A1
Application number	US-201615017391-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hybrid module includes one or more memory modules, each of which includes one or more memory devices and a memory controller, one or more storage modules, each of which includes one or more storage devices and a storage controller. A host interface of the hybrid module includes a main controller and provides an interface with the memory controller and the storage controller. A transaction-based memory interface provides an interface between the main controller and a host memory controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hybrid module comprising:
one or more memory modules, each of which includes one or more memory devices and a memory controller; one or more storage modules, each of which includes one or more storage devices and a storage controller; a host interface interfacing with the memory controller and the storage controller, wherein the host interface includes a main controller; and a transaction-based memory interface configured to couple the main controller and a host memory controller.

2 . The hybrid module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices are one of DRAMs, PRAMs, and ReRAMs, and the memory controller is one of a DRAM controller, a PRAM controller, and a ReRAM controller.

3 . The hybrid module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more storage devices are one of flash drives, PRAMs, and ReRAMS, and the storage controller is one of a flash controller, a PRAM controller, and a ReRAM controller.

4 . The hybrid module of claim 1 , wherein the main controller is configured to perform concurrency management, flow control, and a quality of service (QoS) policy control.

5 . The hybrid module of claim 4 , wherein the main controller is further configured to prioritize transaction requests received from the host memory controller based on an available interface bandwidth.

6 . The hybrid module of claim 1 , wherein the main controller is configured to apply dynamic bandwidth partitioning based on a memory and storage traffic.

7 . The hybrid module of claim 6 , wherein the main controller is configured to prioritize memory transactions over storage transactions.

8 . The hybrid module of claim 1 , wherein the main controller is configured to allocate a free page from the one or more memory devices.

9 . A system comprising two or more hybrid modules, wherein each of the hybrid modules includes:
one or more memory modules, each of which includes one or more memory devices and a memory controller; one or more storage modules, each of which includes one or more storage devices and a storage controller; a host interface interfacing with the memory controller and the storage controller, wherein the host interface includes a main controller; and a transaction-based memory interface configured to couple the main controller and a host memory controller, and
a system controller configured to distribute memory or storage content between the two or more hybrid modules during a system idle time.

10 . A method comprising:
receiving a memory transaction requests for a memory module from a host computer; receiving a storage transaction request for a storage module from the host computer; performing the memory transaction request and the storage transaction request; and providing a host interface for interfacing with a host memory controller of the host computer via a transaction-based memory interface, wherein the memory module and the storage module are collocated in a single module.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the memory module includes one or more memory devices and a memory controller, and wherein the storage module includes one or more storage devices and a storage controller.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more memory devices are one of DRAMs, PRAMs, and ReRAMS, and the memory controller is one of a DRAM controller, a PRAM controller, and a ReRAM controller.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage devices are one of flash drives, PRAMs, and ReRAMS, and the storage controller is one of a flash controller, a PRAM controller, and a ReRAM controller.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing concurrency management, flow control, and a quality of service (QoS) policy control.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising prioritizing transaction requests received from the host memory controller based on an available interface bandwidth.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising applying dynamic bandwidth partitioning based on a memory and storage traffic.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising prioritizing memory transactions over storage transactions.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising allocating a free page from the one or more memory devices.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising distributing memory and storage content into one or more hybrid modules during a system idle time.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Niu Dimin
• Chang Mu-Tien
• Zheng Hongzhong

Classifications

• G06F3/0685

  Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays · CPC title

• G06F3/0608 Primary

  Saving storage space on storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0631

  by allocating resources to storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0641

  De-duplication techniques · CPC title

• G06F3/0644

  Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools · CPC title