Beijing Tenafe Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.

Via Technologies, Inc.

Beijing Tenate Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.

Chen Xiu

Lyle E Adams

Priyanka Nilay Thakore

Meng Kun Lee

Wanqiang Zhang

Xiaojun Ding

Bo Zhang

Liang Chen

Zhikai Chen

Deqiang Yang

Weitao Xu

A hardware-implemented, pre-sequence execution checker is used to receive a set of firmware instructions that includes a suspend command, an intervening command, and a resume command, wherein the suspend command and the resume command are associated with suspending and resuming a same command, respectively; access a configurable conditions table that includes whether the suspend command and the resume command are supported by a storage media device; access state information that includes whether said same command has completed; and determine whether to perform or skip the suspend command based at least in part on the configurable conditions table and the state information. If it is determined to perform the suspend command, the suspend command and the intervening command are output. If it is determined to skip the suspend command, the intervening command is output.

Firmware-controlled and table-based conditioning for flexible storage controller

A storage controller system includes a host command module that manages communication with a host and a backend command module that manages communication with a storage system. A storage interface hardware functional module, in response to an unsuccessful or successful operation, generates a first or second type of a status message with an automated retry flag set to TRUE or FALSE. A virtual queue module receives the status message and selects a virtual queue. If (1) the flag being set to TRUE and (2) independent of the queue ID, an original command virtual queue is selected. If (1) the flag being set to FALSE and (2) the queue ID being set to the value associated with the backend command module, a virtual queue associated with the backend command module is selected. A stored message in the selected virtual queue is provided to the selected message recipient.

Virtual queue for messages

For each data in a plurality of data, data is read from a cache unit. For each data in the plurality of data, a group to which the data read from the cache unit belongs to is determined based at least in part on a predetermined grouping rule. A determination is made of (1) a quantity of groups and (2) a quantity of data corresponding to each group after determining the groups to which the plurality of data belong. Data belonging to a same group is written into a contiguous storage space of the cache unit, including by: sequentially reading the plurality of data from the cache unit and sequentially writing the plurality of data into the cache unit.

Method and apparatus for sorting data, storage apparatus

If a first group selection setting is set to TRUE, an NVM Express (NVMe) processor sends a first set of NVMe status information that includes a transfer data end event. If a second group selection setting is set to TRUE, the NVMe processor sends a second set of NVMe status information that includes an NVMe error event. A firmware functional module sends firmware status information. The aggregation module aggregates and timestamps the first and second sets of NVMe status information, if any, and the firmware status information to obtain a timestamped and aggregated message stream that is output by an interface. The timestamped and aggregated message stream enables a visualization system to analyze the NVMe processor and the firmware functional module. The NVMe processor, firmware functional module, aggregation module, and interface are in a storage controller, implemented on a system on chip (SOC), that manages a storage medium.

Collection of runtime information for debug and analysis, including by aggregating status information into a standardized message format and timestamping

A hardware functional module performs a given task. A first notification that the given task has completed and which includes a scoreboard identifier is sent to a scoreboard module. The scoreboard module selects a scoreboard counter based on the scoreboard identifier. The selected scoreboard counter is incremented. It is determined whether the selected scoreboard counter exceeds a corresponding scoreboard threshold. If the selected scoreboard counter exceeds the corresponding scoreboard threshold, a second notification indicating that the plurality of tasks has completed is sent. If the scoreboard identifier corresponds to the host command module, the second notification is sent to the host command module. If the scoreboard identifier corresponds to the backend command module, the second notification is sent to the backend command module.

Scoreboard for tracking completion of tasks

A hardware functional module sends, to an aggregation module and in a standardized message format, first status information associated with the hardware functional module according to a first set of reporting rules via a first dedicated link. The firmware functional module sends, to the aggregation module and in the standardized message format, second status information associated with the firmware functional module according to a second set of reporting rules via a second dedicated link. The aggregation module aggregates the first status information in the standardized message format and the second status information in the standardized message format and inserts a timestamp to obtain a timestamped and aggregated message stream. The timestamped and aggregated message stream enables a visualization system to analyze the hardware functional module and the firmware functional module.

A message that includes a queue identifier (ID) is received from a first hardware functional module. A virtual queue is selected from a plurality of virtual queues in a shared queue structure based at least in part on the queue ID and configurable message handling settings(s). The message is stored in the selected virtual queue and a message recipient is selected from a plurality of potential message recipients based at least in part on the configurable message handling setting(s), where the plurality of potential message recipients includes the second hardware functional module and the processor module. The message is provided to the selected message recipient.

A hardware functional module in a System On Chip (SOC) performs a given task, where the given task is one of a plurality of tasks that are associated with a work item and the work item is managed by firmware in the SOC. A first notification that the given task has completed is sent from the hardware functional module to a scoreboard module, where the scoreboard module is implemented in hardware on the SOC. The scoreboard module: in response to receiving the first notification, increments a counter; determines whether the counter exceeds a threshold; and in the event it is determined that the counter exceeds the threshold, sends, from the scoreboard module to the firmware, a second notification indicating that the plurality of tasks have completed.

Central processing units (CPUs) are configured to support host access instruction(s) that are associated with accessing solid state storage. A resource management module, implemented independently of the CPUs, receives a resource allocation request that includes a usage type identifier and requested amount of a resource, where the usage type identifier is associated with a group identifier. Adjustable resource configuration information is accessed to obtain: (1) a maximum associated with the usage type identifier, (2) a minimum associated with the usage type identifier, and (3) a group limit associated with the group identifier. Resource state information is accessed and it is determine whether to grant the request based at least in part on the maximum, minimum, group limit, and resource state information. The resource allocation request is then granted or denied based on the determination.

Adjustable resource management system

In response to receiving an exception indication, an exception-handling state variable in state information is asserted. Firmware instruction(s) are selected from a plurality of firmware instructions based at least in part on: (1) a conditions table that includes condition(s) for handling the plurality of firmware instructions and (2) the state information that includes the exception-handling state variable. It is determined how to handle the selected firmware instruction(s) based at least in part on: (1) the conditions table and (2) the state information that includes the exception-handling state variable where. The plurality of firmware instructions includes: (1) a non-exception-handling set of firmware instruction(s) and (2) an exception-handling set of firmware instruction(s). The conditions table prioritizes execution, by the hardware, of the exception-handling set of firmware instructions over that of the non-exception-handling set of firmware instructions in the event the exception-handling state variable is asserted. A storage media device is communicated with via an interface.

Firmware-controlled and table-based conditioning for synchronous handling of exception cases

Firmware instruction(s) are selected from a plurality of firmware instructions based at least in part on: (1) a conditions table that includes one or more conditions for handling the plurality of firmware instructions and (2) state information. It is determined how to handle the one or more selected firmware instructions based at least in part on: (1) the conditions table and (2) the state information. In the event the determined handling is to perform the selected firmware instructions, an instruction sequence is obtained, from a sequencing table that includes one or more instruction sequences associated with a storage media device, based at least in part on the one or more selected firmware instructions. In the event the determined handling is to perform the one or more selected firmware instructions, the obtained instruction sequence is output to the storage media device.

An interface receives reported information from a system on chip (SOC), where the reported information includes: (1) hardware-reported information that is reported by a hardware functional module included in the SOC and (2) firmware-reported information that is reported by a firmware functional module included in the SOC. A processor receives one or more display settings and generates visual information based at least in part on: (1) the one or more display settings, (2) the hardware-reported information, and (3) the firmware-reported information. The visual information is displayed via a display.

Visualization system for debug or performance analysis of SOC systems

A system on chip (SOC) system includes functional modules, including a first and second functional module. The first and second functional module are configured to send, to an aggregation module and in a standardized message format, first and second status information associated with the first and second functional module according to a first and second set of one or more reporting rules, respectively. The aggregation module aggregates the first status information in the standardized message format and the second status information in the standardized message format and insert a timestamp to obtain a timestamped and aggregated message stream. The timestamped and aggregated message stream is stored and enables a visualization system to analyze the first functional module and the second functional module.

Collection of runtime information for debug and analysis

A resource allocation request that includes a usage type identifier and requested amount of a resource is received where the usage type identifier is associated with a group identifier. Adjustable resource configuration information is accessed to obtain: (1) a maximum associated with the usage type identifier, (2) a minimum associated with the usage type identifier, and (3) a group limit associated with the group identifier. Resource state information is accessed and it is determined whether to grant the resource allocation request based at least in part on the maximum, the minimum, the group limit, and the resource state information. If so, the resource allocation request is granted. If not, the resource allocation request is denied.

The invention provides a memory device. The memory device includes a flash memory, a memory, and a controller. The flash memory includes a plurality of blocks for data storage. The memory stores an address mapping table recording relationships between logical addresses and physical addresses of the blocks therein. The controller divides the address mapping table stored in the memory to a plurality of mapping table units, updates relationships between the logical addresses and the physical addresses stored in the mapping table units, determines whether data access performed to the flash memory fulfills the conditions of a specific requirement, and when the data access fulfills the conditions of the specific requirement, the controller selects a target mapping table unit from the mapping table units, and stores the target mapping table unit and a corresponding time stamp as a mapping table unit data to the flash memory.

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Beijing, China

Chen Xiu