KR20140041408A - Selecting storage locations for storing data based on storage location attributes and data usage statistics - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of selecting a physical storage location for storing data is provided. The method involves selecting a physical storage location for storing data storage by matching an attribute of the physical storage location with usage statistics of the data.

Description

Selecting storage location for data storage based on storage location attributes and data usage statistics {SELECTING STORAGE LOCATIONS FOR STORING DATA BASED ON STORAGE LOCATION ATTRIBUTES AND DATA USAGE STATISTICS}

The present invention relates to selecting a physical storage location. More specifically, the present invention relates to selecting a physical storage location for data storage based on storage location attributes and data usage statistics.

Data is physically stored in a physical storage location within the physical storage medium. Examples of such physical storage media include magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, solid state drives, and the like. Physical storage media can also include hybrids, which are combinations of two or more different types of physical storage media. For example, the physical storage medium may be implemented as a combination of a solid state drive and a rotating platter drive.

Data physically stored on a physical storage medium is organized in disk files maintained by the operating system. The disk file is divided into a plurality of logical blocks, where each logical block is mapped or assigned to a physical storage location within the physical storage medium. Data organized within a particular logical block can be accessed by reading or writing to a physical storage location assigned to that particular logical block. Data organized within a particular logical block may be referred to herein as data logically stored on a particular logical block.

The approach described in this section is an approach that can be pursued, but it is not necessarily the approach that was previously anticipated or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, no approach described in this section should be assumed to be qualified as a prior art merely by inclusion in this section.

A method for data positioning is provided. In one or more embodiments, the method involves selecting a physical storage location for storing data logically stored in a logical block of the file system. The selection of the physical storage location is based on (a) usage statistics for the data and (b) storage location attributes.

In one embodiment, frequently accessed data is stored in a physical storage location with a fast access speed, long life to failure, and / or storage of associated data.

Although specific components are described herein by performing the steps of the method, in other embodiments, agents or mechanisms acting on behalf of the designated components may perform the steps of the method. In addition, embodiments may be discussed with respect to components on a single system, but such embodiments may be implemented as components distributed across a plurality of systems. In addition, while the present invention may be discussed in the context of certain physical storage devices or specific physical storage types, embodiments may be any physical storage device or physical storage type (eg, rotating disk drive, solid state drive (SSD), NAS). (Network Attached Storage), Storage Area Network (SAN), Hybrid Drive, etc.

The embodiment also includes any system (s) or device (s) including means for performing the method steps described herein. Embodiments also include a computer readable medium having instructions that when executed by a processor cause the method steps described herein to be performed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings without limitation, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements.
1 illustrates an example system for selecting a storage location in accordance with one or more embodiments.
2 illustrates a flowchart for positioning data in accordance with one or more embodiments.
3 illustrates a block diagram of a computer system that can be used to implement one or more embodiments.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

Several features are described below, each of which can be used independently of one another or in combination with any combination of other features. However, individual features may not address any of the problems discussed above, or may address only one of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above may not be sufficiently addressed by the features described herein. Although a title is provided, information related to a particular title may be found elsewhere in this specification even if it is not found in the section having the title.

System architecture

Although specific system architectures are described herein, other embodiments of the present invention are applicable to any architecture that can be used for data positioning. 1 illustrates an example system 100 for data positioning in accordance with one or more embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes a data positioning engine 108, a storage driver (s) 112, and one or more data stores 114. The system 100 may also include other hardware and / or software components that are not shown but may be used in the implementation of one or more embodiments. For example, an operating system that maintains disk files may be communicatively coupled to the data positioning engine 108 or the storage driver (s) 112. Each of these components may be located on the same device or connected by wired and / or wireless segments and networks (eg, the Internet, intranets, extranets, local area networks, wide area networks, and the like). It may be located on separate devices or on separate devices connected by other means. In one embodiment, the system 100 may be configured differently. For example, the data positioning engine 108 may be logically located between the storage driver 112 and the data store 114. In another embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may be implemented as a component of the storage driver 112.

In one or more embodiments, the system 100 is implemented using a client-server topology. The system may also be accessible from another machine using one or more interfaces. In one or more embodiments, the system may be accessible through a network connection, such as the Internet, by one or more users. Information and / or services provided by the system can also be stored and accessed via a network connection.

Data store

Data store 114 generally represents a physical storage medium that includes one or more storage devices having a physical storage location where data 104 can be stored. Portions of the data store 114 may be directly connected to the system 100 or may be connected via a network 116 or other suitable interface. The data store 114 may include any type of storage device known in the art. For example, the data store 114 may include a cache, a random access memory (RAM), a secondary storage device, a traditional rotating platter drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a hybrid combination of a traditional rotating platter drive and an SSD, a SAN. It may include a separate storage system such as a storage area network (NAS) or a network attached storage (NAS) device.

In one embodiment, each storage device in the data store 114 may include different types of storage locations. For example, the SSD in the data store 114 may include different cells, such as a single level cell (SLC), a multi-level cell (MLC), or a combination thereof. Thus, the physical storage location in the data store 114 available for storage by the system 100 may be on a single storage device or on multiple storage devices in varying configurations across or within a single storage device. Can be.

Physical storage location attribute

In one embodiment, the physical storage location and / or data storage device within the data store 114 may vary in physical storage location attribute 110. Examples of physical storage location attributes include sequential write speed, sequential read speed, random write speed, random read speed, lifetime, input / output operations per second (IOPS), and the like. The lifetime of a physical storage location or data storage device generally represents the estimated lifetime of the physical storage location or data storage device before failure. For example, the lifetime of a physical storage location or data storage device can be estimated by the number of writes that can be performed before failure (hereinafter referred to as “number of writes before failure”) or by the estimated number of reads that can be performed before failure ( In the following description, the term " number of readings before failure " The number of writes before this failure and / or the number of reads before failure can be estimated based on, for example, statistics based on the use of similar devices. The estimated number of writes before failure and the estimated number of reads before failure can be received from the manufacturer or other source. The estimated number of records before failure and the estimated number of reads before failure can include accurate information. For example, a physical storage location, area of physical storage location, or device may be programmed to fail after a certain number of reads and / or writes. The estimate may be a certain number or virtually infinite. For example, the storage device can tolerate virtually infinite number of writes without failure. The lifetime of the physical storage location may be a value calculated based on a combination of the estimated number of reads before failure and the estimated number of writes before failure.

In one embodiment, the estimated lifetime of a physical storage location or data storage device may be a length of time for use of the physical storage location or data storage device. The physical storage location or the lifetime of the storage device may vary based on any factor (eg, manufacturer, age, operating environment, etc.). In addition, the physical storage location attribute 110 may include a particular physical storage location or a history of a particular storage device. Actual use of a physical storage location generally refers to the number of times the physical storage location has been accessed (eg, the number of times that has been written to or read from the physical storage location), the time the data storage device has been used, and the like.

In one embodiment, the physical storage location attribute for the physical storage location may include data already stored at the physical storage location. For example, data stored in a particular physical memory block loaded into RAM from an auxiliary storage device (eg, a rotating platter drive) may include data logically stored in an associated logical block. In one embodiment, the selection procedure for selecting a physical storage location for data may take into account other data already stored within the physical storage location.

In one embodiment, storing data related to the same physical storage location (eg, within the same physical memory block or within the same set of physical memory blocks) can improve performance. For example, reading related data within a single physical memory block includes loading the single physical memory block auxiliary storage into RAM. Reading related data within the plurality of physical memory blocks may involve loading the plurality of physical memory blocks into the RAM from auxiliary storage.

Logic block

In one embodiment, logical blocks are partitioned within disk files used for organization of data 104. The logical block may contain any amount of data. In one embodiment, logical blocks are pages that can be referenced individually and loaded from secondary storage.

In one embodiment, data organized within a particular logical block may be referred to herein as data logically stored on that particular logical block. Accessing a logical block is hereafter considered to include accessing any data logically stored within that logical block. Data logically stored in a logical block is physically stored in a physical storage location assigned to that logical block.

In one embodiment, the operating system may access the data 104 stored in the data store 114 by referring to the logical block that logically stores the data 104. Based on the mapping from the disk file to the physical storage medium, the physical storage location assigned to the logical block can be identified. For example, the table may represent an address of a physical storage location for the logical block. In another embodiment, an offset may be added to the address of the logical block to obtain the address of the physical memory location mapped to that logical block. Once the address of the physical memory location is determined, data can be read or written to the physical memory location.

Usage statistics ( usage statistics )

In one embodiment, usage statistics 102 are associated with logical blocks. Usage statistics 102 associated with a particular logical block include statistics related to any data logically stored within that particular logical block.

In one embodiment, the usage statistics for a particular logical block include the frequency of access to that particular logical block. For example, the usage statistics may include the write access frequency associated with the particular logical block. The write access frequency associated with a particular logical block can be calculated by tallying all write accesses to any data logically stored within that particular logical block. The write access frequency associated with a particular logical block can be calculated by averaging the number of write accesses to any data logically stored within that particular logical block per period of time. The write access frequency associated with a particular logical block may be calculated based on the number of write accesses to any data logically stored within that particular logical block, relative to the total number of write accesses.

Read access frequency may also be calculated using similar example computation techniques. In one embodiment, the access frequency may be based on a combination of write access frequency and read access frequency.

In one embodiment, the usage statistics for a particular logical block include the timing of access to any data logically stored within the particular logical block. For example, access to any data logically stored within the particular logical block may be performed before, after, or after an event (e.g., at system startup, system shutdown, system shutdown, system sleep, system restart). In units, it may be immediately after data generation.

Data positioning engine

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 in the system 100 generally represents software and / or hardware that includes logic to select a physical storage location for storing data.

In one embodiment, selecting a physical storage location as mentioned herein may include selecting a physical storage location type or a physical storage location attribute. The selected physical storage location includes any physical storage location of the physical storage location type or having the physical storage location attribute. For example, selecting a physical storage location may include selecting a solid state drive portion of a hybrid drive that includes a solid state drive and a rotating platter drive. Another example includes selecting a particular region of the rotating platter drive from a plurality of regions on the rotating platter drive. Another example includes selecting a minimum writing speed and selecting any physical storage location (eg, area or device) that has at least the minimum writing speed.

In one embodiment, selecting a physical storage location as referred to herein may include selecting a physical address of the physical storage location to store data logically stored in a particular logical block.

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may be an application running on one or more servers, and in some embodiments is a peer-to-peer application or a single computing system (e.g., For example, a personal computer, handheld device, kiosk, car-mounted computer, or any other system having a storage device).

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may be implemented in the system 100 as a component of the storage driver 112. In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may be implemented between an operating system (not shown) and a storage driver 112 in the system 100. In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may be disposed between the storage driver 112 and the data store 114 in the system 100.

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may overwrite the selection of the physical storage location made by the storage driver 112. For example, the data positioning engine 108 may receive a selection of physical storage locations from the storage driver to store data logically stored in a particular logical block. The data positioning engine 108 may alternately select physical storage locations and store data in such alternate physical storage locations in accordance with one or more embodiments.

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may identify a set of contiguous physical storage locations for storing data logically stored in a particular logical block. The data positioning engine 108 may identify a set of physical storage locations by identifying a physical storage location start address and / or a physical storage location end address.

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 may be configured to identify a physical storage device within the data store 114 to store data 104 (eg, two or more storage devices are used). If possible). The data positioning engine 108 may also be configured to select a region or specific storage location address within the data store 114 to store the data 104.

Storage driver

In one embodiment, storage driver (s) 112 retrieves and stores data 104 from data store 114 based on a set of instructions received directly or indirectly from data positioning engine 108.

In one embodiment, the storage driver (s) 112 receives the physical storage location type or physical storage location attribute identified by the data positioning engine 108. The storage driver 112 then selects an address of a physical storage location that matches the physical storage location type or physical storage location attribute to store the data 104.

In one embodiment, the data positioning engine 108 provides data 104 and may specify a physical storage location for storing data on a physical storage medium. The physical storage location received by the storage driver 112 may include a storage device, an area of the storage device, a logical storage location address, or a physical storage location address. In one embodiment, the storage driver 112 may determine a physical storage location address based on the physical storage location available within the designated area or within the designated device.

In one embodiment, the storage driver 112 transmits information and data identifying the physical storage location to the data positioning engine 108 for storage of data by the data positioning engine 108.

Selection of storage location based on usage statistics and storage location attributes related to logical blocks

2 illustrates a flowchart for data positioning in accordance with one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, one or more steps described below may be omitted, repeated, and / or performed in a different order. Thus, the specific arrangement of steps shown in FIG. 2 should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

In one embodiment, access to data logically stored in a particular logical block is monitored to determine usage statistics for the particular logical block (step 202). Access to data logically stored in a particular logical block can be monitored at one or more different system levels. For example, access to data can be monitored at the application level, operating system level, storage driver level, or hardware level.

In one embodiment, the file request may be monitored at the operating system level. For example, for each file request received by the operating system, the corresponding logical block of the disk file is identified. Information indicative of access type, access time, and logical block may be recorded.

In one embodiment, access to data may be monitored at the storage driver level. For example, a request may be recorded to determine a physical storage location address based on a logical block (eg, by pointer, by mapping, by operation, etc.). Logical blocks within this request can be written.

In one embodiment, access to data may be monitored at the hardware level. For example, the physical memory location can be monitored for read access or write access. Each time data is read from or written to a physical storage address, the corresponding logical block to which the physical address is assigned can be determined and written.

Access to data logically stored in logical blocks can be monitored at different levels (eg, between an operating system and a storage driver or between a storage driver and physical memory).

In one embodiment, any logged information may be aggregated as usage statistics (eg, access frequency, access type, access time, etc.). The usage statistics may include a pattern identified in the logged information. For example, the pattern may indicate that data logically stored in a particular logical block is read at 9:00 AM every day.

In one embodiment, the access time of data may be related to an event (eg, at system shutdown, system startup, system shutdown, system power saving, system restart, and so on). For example, the usage statistics may include identifying a pattern of reading data logically stored in a particular logical block during system startup and writing data logically stored in a specific logical block during system shutdown. The pattern may relate to data access before, after or during an event. For example, an event can include a specific system state. During the time the system is in a particular system state, data logically stored in a particular logical block may be read continuously.

In one embodiment, information relating to physical storage location attributes for available physical storage locations is obtained (step 204). Information relating to physical storage location attributes may be provided by the manufacturer of the storage device (or by another entity). For example, the physical storage location attribute may be provided on a solid state drive (SSD) sold with the storage device. The physical storage location attribute of the storage device can also be stored on the storage device, so that the physical storage location attribute can be read from the storage device by the system accessing the storage device.

In one embodiment, a test may be performed on the storage device to determine attributes of different physical storage locations within the storage device. For example, a sequence of reads and / or writes can be done on different areas of the rotating platter to determine the read and / or write speeds of the different areas within a traditional rotating platter drive. Another example involves testing the read and write speeds of a single level cell in an SSD and a multi-level cell in the same SSD. The test may indicate that the single level cell is faster. Another example involves tracking the number of times a physical storage location or a set of physical storage locations are accessed before they fail, specifically to determine the lifetime associated with the physical storage location or with the storage device as a whole.

In one embodiment, the physical storage location is selected to store data logically stored in the particular logical block based on (a) usage statistics for the particular logical block and (b) physical storage location attributes.

In one embodiment, a physical storage location having a high read and / or write access rate is selected to store data logically stored in a logical block associated with a high access frequency. In addition, physical storage locations with low read and / or write access rates are selected to store data logically stored in logical blocks associated with low access frequencies.

In an embodiment, a long lifetime physical storage location is selected for storing data logically stored in logical blocks associated with high access frequencies. In addition, physical storage locations with short lifetimes are selected to store data logically stored in logical blocks associated with low access frequencies.

In one embodiment, data logically stored in a logical block may be stored in a fast storage location in response to determining that the data is expected to be read within a specific time window from storage of the data. The physical storage location may be selected to store data logically stored in a logical block based on the time or event at which the data is stored. For example, if usage statistics indicate that data logically stored in a particular logical block is read at 9:00 AM every day and the data is stored between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, the data is stored in a physical storage location with a high read rate. Can be stored.

In one embodiment, different types of usage statistics (eg, access frequency, access type, access time, etc.) and / or different types of storage location attributes (eg, speed, age, etc.) are logically stored in a particular logical block. Can be evaluated in combination to determine a physical storage location for storing the stored data. For example, certain data logically stored in a particular logical block may be read frequently, but not often. Physical storage locations with high estimated read counts and high read rates until failure can be selected to store specific data. The physical storage location may be selected even if the estimated storage number or low writing speed before the physical storage location fails.

In one embodiment, the selection of the physical storage location is based on a comparison of all available storage locations. For example, among the available storage locations, the upper quartile of the fastest or longest lasting storage locations matches the upper quartile of the data that is most frequently accessed.

Another example involves the simultaneous use of traditional platter drives and solid state drives. Traditional platter drives generally have a high or estimated life. However, traditional platter drives tend to be slow. In comparison, solid state drives generally have a low lifespan, but provide higher read / write speeds than traditional platter drives. In one embodiment, the background process may continue to write to a data set (eg, log file) logically stored in a particular logical block, and may rarely read the data. In this case, it may be determined that the writing speed for data logically stored in a particular logical block is not important, based on the request of the writing by a lower priority background process. Even if write access is frequently requested, this determination can be made based on the fact that read access is rarely required. Traditional platter drives with a slow write speed may be suitable because they will allow a very high number of writes without failure and the write speed is not critical. Solid state drives may not be suitable in this example because solid state drives are more likely to fail serial writes and will not require the higher write speeds of solid state drives.

Once a suitable physical storage location for storage of data is selected, the data is stored at the selected physical storage location (step 208). Storing data in a physical storage location may involve instructing the storage driver to store the data in any physical storage location that matches a particular storage location attribute (eg, minimum lifetime).

In one embodiment, storing data in the physical storage location may involve instructing a storage driver to store the data in any physical storage location within a particular area of memory. For example, a particular storage device or specific area within the storage device may be selected. The storage driver can then select a specific address of the physical storage location to store the data.

In one embodiment, storing data at the physical storage location may involve instructing the storage driver to store the data at a specific address of the physical storage location.

Data store replication

In one embodiment, a copy of data may be stored in a plurality of physical storage locations (eg, a plurality of different devices and / or a plurality of areas of a single device). For example, data logically stored in logical blocks of a disk file may be stored simultaneously on a rotating platter drive and a solid state drive.

For example, data may be requested from a first data source, such as a rotating platter drive. In response to the request, it is determined that the requested data is also stored on the solid state drive. The data can be read from a solid state drive instead of a rotating platter drive. One or more factors may cause a new data source to be selected instead of the requested data source. For example, reading data from a solid state drive can be faster than reading data from a rotating platter drive. In another example involving consecutive read requests, the rotating platter drive may be selected as a data source instead of the requested solid state drive due to the lifetime of the rotating platter drive.

In one embodiment, a particular physical storage location may be selected based on the current use of the system. For example, a plurality of storage devices that store the requested data can be evaluated to determine the current use or current input / output request queue. The storage device with the lowest current use or the highest current availability can be selected as the data source to retrieve the data. For example, while other storage devices are available, one of the storage devices with data may already be scheduled for upcoming computer tasks.

Hardware overview

According to one embodiment, the techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computing devices. The dedicated computing device may be hard-wired in hardware to perform the technique, or one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) continuously programmed to perform the technique. Or digital electronic devices such as the electronic device, or one or more general-purpose hardware processors programmed to perform techniques according to program instructions in firmware, memory, other storage devices, or a combination thereof. These dedicated computing devices may combine custom programming with custom hardware-embedded logic, ASICs, or FPGAs to achieve the technology. The dedicated computing device may be a desktop computer system, a portable computer system, a handheld device, a networking device or any other device including hardware-built and / or program logic for implementing the technology.

For example, FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 300 in which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. Computer system 300 includes a bus 302 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor 304 coupled with bus 302 to process information. Hardware processor 304 may be, for example, a general purpose microprocessor.

Computer system 300 also includes main memory 306 such as random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device coupled to bus 302 for storing instructions and information to be executed by processor 304. Main memory 306 may also be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 304. When such instructions are stored in a non-transitory storage medium accessible from processor 304, computer system 300 becomes a dedicated machine adapted to perform the operations specific to the instructions.

Computer system 300 further includes read-only memory (ROM) 308 or other static storage device coupled to bus 302 for storing static information and instructions for processor 304. A storage device 310, such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk, is provided to store information and commands and coupled to the bus 302.

Computer system 300 may be coupled via bus 302 to a display 312, such as a CRT, for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 314 comprising alphanumeric and other keys is coupled to the bus 302 to convey information and instruction selections to the processor 304. Another type of user input device is a cursor control 316 such as a mouse, trackball or cursor arrow keys to convey direction information and command selections to the processor 304 and to control cursor movement on the display 312. This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, the first axis (eg x-axis) and the second axis (eg y-axis), which allows the device to position in the plane.

Computer system 300 utilizes custom hardware embedded logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware, and / or program logic to program computer system 300 to be a dedicated machine, or in combination with computer system 300 to be a dedicated machine. To implement the techniques described herein. According to one embodiment, this technique is performed by the computer system 300 in response to the processor 304 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory 306. Such instructions may be read into main memory 306 from another storage medium, such as storage 310. Execution of the sequence of instructions contained in main memory 306 causes processor 304 to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardware embedded circuitry may be used in place of or in conjunction with software instructions.

The term “storage medium” as used herein refers to any non-transitory medium that stores data and / or instructions that operate a machine in a particular way. Such storage media may include non-volatile media and / or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 310. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory 306. Common forms of storage media include, for example, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, solid state drives, magnetic tapes, or any other magnetic data storage media, CD-ROMs, any other optical data storage media, hole patterns And any other physical medium, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge.

The storage medium is separate from the transmission medium, but can be used with the transmission medium. Transmission media is involved in transferring information between storage media. For example, the transmission medium includes coaxial cables, copper wires, and optical fibers, including wires that include bus 302. The transmission medium may also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those that occur during radio wave and infrared data communications.

Various forms of media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor 304 for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be delivered on a magnetic disk or solid state drive of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the command into its dynamic memory and send the command over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 300 may receive data on a telephone line and convert the data into an infrared signal using an infrared transmitter. The infrared detector can receive the data carried in the infrared signal, and a suitable circuit can place the data over the bus 302. Bus 302 delivers data to main memory 306, from which processor 304 retrieves and executes instructions. Instructions received by main memory 306 may optionally be stored on storage 310 before or after execution by processor 304.

Computer system 300 also includes a communication interface 318 coupled to bus 302. The communication interface 318 provides a bidirectional data communication connection to the network link 320 that is connected to the local network 322. For example, communication interface 318 may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or modem that provides a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, communication interface 318 may be a LAN card that provides a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 318 transmits and receives electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

Network link 320 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link 320 may provide a connection over local network 322 to data equipment operated by host computer 324 or ISP (Internet Service Provider) 326. ISP 326 then provides data communication services over a world wide packet data communication network, now commonly referred to as " Internet " Local network 322 and the Internet 328 both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. Signals over the various networks and signals over the network link 320 and the communication interface 318, which transfer digital data to and from the computer system 300, are exemplary forms of transmission media.

Computer system 300 may send messages and receive data, including program code, via network (s), network link 320, and communication interface 318. In the Internet example, server 330 may send the requested code for the application program via the Internet 328, ISP 326, local network 322, and communication interface 318.

The received code may be executed by the processor 304 when received, and / or stored in storage 310 or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to a plurality of specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention and what the applicant intends as the scope of the present invention are defined solely by the scope of the claims appended hereto and their equivalents, including any subsequent modifications.

Claims (16)

In a computer implemented method,
Determining usage statistics associated with logical blocks in the file system;
selecting a first physical storage location from among a plurality of physical storage locations for allocation to the logical block based on (a) at least one attribute associated with a first physical storage location and (b) the usage statistics associated with the logical block. step; And
Causing the logical block to be assigned to the first physical storage location. The method of claim 1,
Receiving a request to read data logically stored in the logical block, the data being stored in the first physical storage location and a second physical storage location; And
And reading the data from the first physical storage location based at least on certain attributes associated with the first physical storage location. The method of claim 1,
Receiving a request to read data stored at a second physical storage location;
Determining that the data is also stored in the first physical storage location; And
And reading the data from the first physical storage location based at least on certain attributes associated with the first physical storage location. The method of claim 3,
And wherein said particular attribute is a current use of said first physical storage location. The method of claim 1,
Determining the usage statistics comprises monitoring access to any data logically stored in the logical block. The method of claim 1,
Determining the usage statistics comprises monitoring access to one or more physical storage locations allocated to the logical block while the monitoring is performed. The method of claim 1,
Determining the usage statistics comprises monitoring a data access request referencing the logical block from an operating system. The method of claim 1,
The usage statistics are:
A read frequency associated with any data logically stored in the logical block;
A write frequency associated with any data logically stored in the logical block; And
Access timing associated with any data logically stored in the logical block
Computer implemented method comprising one or more of the. The method of claim 1,
And said data logically stored in a logical block is the smallest unit of memory that can be individually requested from an auxiliary storage device. The method of claim 1,
Selecting the first physical storage location comprises selecting a contiguous physical memory space for storing data logically stored in a logical memory block. The method of claim 1,
And the at least one attribute comprises one or more of a read access rate of the first physical storage location or a write access rate of the first physical storage location. The method of claim 1,
The at least one attribute comprises: at least one of: an estimated number of write accesses before failure for the first physical storage location or an estimated number of read accesses before failure for the first physical storage location. Way. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the at least one attribute comprises data stored at the first physical storage location before the first physical storage location is selected. The method of claim 1,
Causing the logical block to be assigned to the first physical storage location comprises: mapping the logical block to the first physical storage location with mapping of the plurality of logical blocks to the plurality of physical storage locations. Way. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising: instructions for performing the steps of any one of claims 1 to 14 when executed by one or more processors. An apparatus comprising one or more processors and configured to perform the steps of any of claims 1-14.

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