Control block management in storage devices

Abstract

Storage devices store not only host data, but also control data related to operations of the storage device associated with the data. Control data is stored within blocks of memory called control blocks. As storage devices are configured to communicate with numerous hosts and namespaces, proper management of the available control blocks can avoid numerous problems such as mixed control block usage that punish certain hosts based on actions of other, non-related hosts. Methods and devices that efficiently manage control blocks include a control block management logic configured to process a request to generate a new namespace and parse the namespace request to determine the number of control blocks required. These separate control blocks for the requested namespace can be partitioned. Finally, control block activity for the requested namespace is directed only to the partitioned control blocks. Thus, the various control block activity between hosts is separate and not mixed.