Fusion-io, Inc.

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Longitude Enterprise Flash S.a.r.l.

Unification Technologies, LLC

Fio Semiconductor Technologies Limited

Intelligent Intellectual Property Holdings 2 LLC

Fusion-10, Inc

Fusion-i0, Inc.

Michael Zappe

David Flynn

Jonathan Thatcher

John Strasser

Bert Lagerstedt

David Atkisson

James G Peterson

Kevin Vigor

Nisha D Talagala

Joshua Aune

Ashish Batwara

John Walker

Nick Piggin

Robert Barry Wood

David Nellans

Ethan Barnes

Jim Peterson

Jeremy Lynn Garff

John B Thatcher

Evan Orme

Stephan Uphoff

Jens Axboe

Kevin B Vigor

A method for managing data in a NAND flash storage system is provided. The method includes one or more of receiving an empty data segment directive at a storage controller, returning a data string including data of a predetermined logic level in response to a read command requesting to read data associated with a logical identifier included in the empty data segment directive, maintaining an index of mapping between the logical identifier and a physical storage location, updating the index to indicate data at the physical storage location does not need to be preserved, monitoring one or more physical storage locations, including the physical storage location, to determine a percentage of the one or more physical storage locations that do not need to be preserved, and initiating garbage collection on the one or more physical storage locations in response to the percentage reaching a threshold. The empty data segment directive includes a logical identifier associated with the physical storage location.

Systems and methods for identifying storage resources that are not in use

A system is provided. The system includes a solid state storage including a plurality of banks, a first controller that directs one or more commands to a queue of a set of a plurality of queues, and a second controller configured to receive the one or more commands from the plurality of queues. The one or more commands are separated into the set of the plurality of queues based on a command type of each command of the one or more commands, and each set of the plurality of queues includes a first queue configured to store management commands and a second queue configured to store other commands. Each bank of the plurality of banks corresponds to a different set of the plurality of queues. The second controller is configured to generate subcommands based on the commands and direct the subcommands to a bank of the solid state storage.

Apparatus, system, and method for managing commands of solid-state storage using bank interleave

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing a non-volatile storage medium. A storage controller receives a message that identifies data that no longer needs to be retained on the non-volatile storage medium. The data may be identified using a logical identifier. The message may comprise a hint, directive, or other indication that the data has been erased and/or deleted. In response to the message, the storage controller records an indication that the contents of a physical storage location and/or physical address associated with the logical identifier do not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage medium.

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for efficiently managing commands in a solid-state storage device that includes a solid-state storage arranged in two or more banks. Each bank is separately accessible and includes two or more solid-state storage elements accessed in parallel by a storage input/output bus. The solid-state storage includes solid-state, non-volatile memory. The solid-state storage device includes a bank interleave that directs one or more commands to two or more queues, where the one or more commands are separated by command type into the queues. Each bank includes a set of queues in the bank interleave controller. Each set of queues includes a queue for each command type. The bank interleave controller coordinates among the banks execution of the commands stored in the queues, where a command of a first type executes on one bank while a command of a second type executes on a second bank.

Data of a vector storage request pertaining to one or more disjoint, non-adjacent, and/or non-contiguous logical identifier ranges are stored contiguously within a log on a non-volatile storage medium. A request consolidation module modifies one or more sub-requests of the vector storage request in response to other, cached storage requests. Data of an atomic vector storage request may comprise persistent indicators, such as persistent metadata flags, to identify data pertaining to incomplete atomic storage requests. A restart recovery module identifies and excludes data of incomplete atomic operations.

Systems, methods, and interfaces for vector input/output operations

One apparatus includes a storage division selection module configured to select a storage division of a solid-state storage medium for recovery. The solid-state storage medium includes a plurality of storage divisions. Each storage division includes a plurality of storage locations. The apparatus also includes an erase module configured to erase the selected storage division. The apparatus includes a storage division recovery module configured to store a sequence indicator in the erased storage division. The sequence indicator is indicative of an ordered sequence of the plurality of storage divisions, and the sequence indicator is determined by reading information stored with data on the plurality of storage divisions.

Systems and methods for storage space recovery

Data is stored on a non-volatile storage media in a sequential, log-based format. The formatted data defines an ordered sequence of storage operations performed on the non-volatile storage media. A storage layer maintains volatile metadata, which may include a forward index associating logical identifiers with respective physical storage units on the non-volatile storage media. The volatile metadata may be reconstructed from the ordered sequence of storage operations. Persistent notes may be used to maintain consistency between the volatile metadata and the contents of the non-volatile storage media. Persistent notes may identify data that does not need to be retained on the non-volatile storage media and/or is no longer valid.

Systems and methods for persistent address space management

A storage controller is configured to implement an atomic storage operation comprising a plurality of separate storage operations on a non-volatile storage medium. The storage controller may store persistent indicators to identify data that pertains to the atomic storage operation. An invalid shutdown may occur before the atomic storage operation is complete. A restart and recovery operation comprises a first scan of the non-volatile storage medium to identify data of the failed atomic storage operation. A physical trim note is stored on the non-volatile storage medium to identify the data of the failed atomic storage operation. The data may be identified by media address. Storage metadata is reconstructed in a second scan, which excludes the data and/or operations of the failed atomic storage operation.

Systems, methods, and interfaces for managing persistent data of atomic storage operations

An apparatus and system are disclosed for a storage area network ('SAN'). In one embodiment, a computer system includes an internal storage device and an internal storage controller. In this embodiment, the internal storage controller is configured to implement a SAN that includes at least the internal storage device and a storage device external to the computer system. In this embodiment, the internal storage controller is further configured to service a storage request received from a client that involves data stored by the internal storage device. In this embodiment, the internal storage controller is configured to communicate with the external storage device via a network.

Apparatus, system, and method for a storage area network

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing eviction of data. A cache write module stores data on a non-volatile storage device sequentially using a log-based storage structure having a head region and a tail region. A direct cache module caches data on the non-volatile storage device using the log-based storage structure. The data is associated with storage operations between a host and a backing store storage device. An eviction module evicts data of at least one region in succession from the log-based storage structure starting with the tail region and progressing toward the head region.

Apparatus, system, and method for managing eviction of data

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for indexing data of an append-only, log-based structure. A storage controller writes a plurality of data packets to a storage medium by sequentially appending the data packets to a log-based structure of the storage medium. The data packets may be associated with different logical identifiers belonging to a logical address space that is independent of physical storage locations on the storage medium. An indexing module writes an index segment associated with the plurality of data packets to the log-based structure. The index segment may include index entries for determining the logical identifiers of the data packets. The indexing module records, on the storage medium, information indicating where the index segment is written on the storage medium.

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Arvada, CO, United States of America

Michael Zappe