Patent · US Active

Managing unreliable memory in data storage systems

US9003224B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
1References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 2012
Grant dateApr 7, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 28, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/1048
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A data storage system configured to manage unreliable memory units is disclosed. In one embodiment, the data storage system maintains an unreliable memory unit list designating memory units in a non-volatile memory array as reliable or unreliable. The unreliable memory unit list facilitates management of unreliable memory at a granularity level finer than the granularity of a block of memory. The data storage system can add entries to the unreliable memory unit list as unreliable memory units are discovered. Further, the data storage system can continue to perform memory access operations directed to reliable memory units in blocks containing other memory units determined to be unreliable. As a result, the operational life of the data storage system is extended.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.