Non-volatile memory cache performance improvement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9405693-B2
Application number	US-201213555803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2012
Priority date	May 3, 2004
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

In order to provide a more efficient persistent storage device, one or more long-term storage media are included along with a non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, one portion of the non-volatile memory is used as a write buffer and a read cache for writes and reads to the long-term storage media. Interfaces are provided for controlling the use of the non-volatile memory as a write buffer and a read cache. Additionally, a portion of the non-volatile memory is used to provide a direct mapping for specified sectors of the long-term storage media. Descriptive data regarding the persistent storage device is stored in another portion of the non-volatile memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
preparing a persistent storage device for access based on information from a first application, access comprising the first application preparing to store data;
receiving, by a second application, without a request, an interrupt from the persistent storage device indicating that the persistent storage device is preparing for access; and
responsive to receiving the interrupt from the long-term storage medium:
determining, without a request, that space is needed in a non-volatile memory;
scheduling, by the second application, without a request, an action to be performed, the action comprising the second application ensuring that data is moved from an area in the non-volatile memory to the persistent storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing the persistent storage device for access comprises:
spinning up the disk assembly, wherein the action performed opportunistically would spin up the disk assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to atomically write a first data; and
storing the first data in a non-volatile memory, the action comprising writing the first data to said persistent storage device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
communicating an error when a failure occurs before all of the first data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein ensuring data is moved from the area of the non-volatile memory to the persistent storage device is based on a priority assigned to the area in the non-volatile memory.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action further comprises ensuring data is moved from the persistent storage device to the non-volatile memory.

7. The method of claim 1 , the action comprising using a non-volatile memory circumvention interface to flush a non-persistent write buffer or a non-persistent write cache directly to the persistent storage device.

8. A computer system comprising:
a non-volatile memory;
a long-term storage medium; and
a processor communicatively connected with the long-term storage medium, the processor effectuating instructions comprising:
preparing the long-term storage medium for access based on information from a first application, access comprising the first application preparing to store data;
receiving, by a second application, without a request, an interrupt from the long-term storage medium indicating that the long-term storage medium is preparing for access; and
responsive to receiving the interrupt from the long-term storage medium:
determining, without a request, that space is needed in the non-volatile memory;
scheduling, by the second application, without a request, an action to be performed, the action comprising the second application ensuring that data is moved from an area in the non-volatile memory to the long-term storage medium.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the preparing the long-term storage medium for access comprises at least one of:
preparing to spin up a disk assembly; or
spinning up a disk assembly, wherein the action performed opportunistically would spin up the disk assembly.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , the processor further effectuating instructions comprising:
receiving a request to atomically write a first data; and
storing the first data in the non-volatile memory, the action comprising writing the first data to the long-term storage medium.

11. The computer system of claim 10 , the processor further effectuating instructions comprising:
communicating an error when a failure occurs before all of the first data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the action comprises ensuring data is moved from the non-volatile memory to the long-term storage medium.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the action comprises ensuring data is moved from the long-term storage medium to the non-volatile memory.

14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the action comprises using a non-volatile memory circumvention interface to flush a non-persistent write buffer or a non-persistent write cache directly to the long-term storage medium.

15. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause said computing device to perform the instructions comprising:
preparing a long-term storage medium for access based on information from a first application;
receiving, by a second application, without a request, an interrupt from the long-term storage medium indicating that the long-term storage medium is preparing for access; and
responsive to receiving the interrupt from the long-term storage medium:
determining, without a request, that space is needed in a non-volatile memory;
scheduling, by the second application, without a request, an action to be performed, the action comprising the second application ensuring that data is moved from an area in the non-volatile memory to the long-term storage.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the preparing the long-term storage medium for access comprises at least one of:
preparing to spin up a disk assembly; or
spinning up the disk assembly, wherein the action performed opportunistically would spin up the disk assembly.

Assignees

• Ergan Cenk
• Nicholson Clark D
• Teodosiu Daniel
• Dewhitt Dean L
• Hill Emily Nicole
• Kodavalla Hanumantha R
• Zwilling Michael J
• Parchem John M
• Fortin Michael R
• Obr Nathan Steven
• Nagar Rajeev Y
• Verma Surenda
• Powell Therron
• Westerinen William J
• Zbikowski Mark Joseph
• Stemen Patrick L
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Ergan Cenk
• Nicholson Clark D
• Teodosiu Daniel
• Dewhitt Dean L
• Hill Emily Nicole
• Kodavalla Hanumantha R
• Zwilling Michael J
• Parchem John M
• Fortin Michael R
• Obr Nathan Steven
• Nagar Rajeev Y
• Verma Surenda
• Powell Therron
• Westerinen William J
• Zbikowski Mark Joseph
• Stemen Patrick L

Classifications

• G06F2212/222

  Non-volatile memory · CPC title

• G06F12/0866 Primary

  for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache · CPC title

• G06F3/0679

  Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP] · CPC title

• G06F2212/281

  Single cache · CPC title

• G06F3/0656

  Data buffering arrangements · CPC title