Modular sequential writing of data to data storage devices

A system for improving utilization of data storage media a data storage system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, including instructions, which when executed by the processor are operable to provide:
• a file system operative
• to control data storage to one or more data storage devices and manage allocation of storage areas on the one or more data storage devices for storage of data;
• to receive a request to write data from an application to one of the one or more data storage devices;
• to translate a logical address for the data to a sequentialized address in the one data storage device at which the data will be written, wherein the one data storage device has writes areas with a write area size and erase areas with an erase area size;
• to assign a first write start address to align with a first erase area, where the data to be written is not an integral multiple of the erase area size if a write area size of the one data storage device is smaller than the erase area size of the one data storage device, and is distinct from a read size of the one data storage device;
• and
• to mark all sectors of the first erase area as allocated and associated with the data;
• and
• a data storage system host layer operative
• to translate communications between the file system and the one or more data storage devices;
• and
• to write a first portion of the data to the first write start address on a given one of the one or more data storage devices resulting in the first erase area being partially written.

A computer readable storage device, comprising computer storage media, including instructions, which when executed by a processor are operable to perform a method of improving utilization of data storage media, comprising:

• receiving a request to write data from an application to a data storage device;
• translating, via a file system, a logical address for the data to a sequentialized address in the data storage device at which the data will be written, wherein the data storage device includes write areas having a write area size, erase areas having an erase area size, and a read size;
• if the write area sixe of the data storage device is smaller than the erase area size of the data storage device, and distinct from the read size of the data storage device, assigning a first write start address to align with a first erase area;
• writing a first portion of the data to the first write start address;
• marking all sectors of the first erase area as allocated and associated with the data;
• upon receiving a command to delete the data, sending an erase command for an entirety of the erase area;
• if the data storage device allows byte-aligned writes, and the first portion is to an end of a file, marking, in a file system metadata, all sectors of the first erase area as allocated and associated with the data;
• updating a size of the data to include the first portion of the data;
• upon writing a second portion of the data, using the size of the data to determine a next writable address within the same erase area for the data;
• after sending the first portion, sending the second portion of the data to a second address other than the next write address;
• after sending the second portion of the data, sending a third portion of the data to append additional data to the next write address associated with the data to be written to the data storage device;
• if the first portion is directed to a partially-written erase area, the partially-written erase area including a next writable start address, allowing a writing of the first portion to an address other than the partially-written erase area;
• determining a second erase area, logically contiguous to and following the partially-written erase area, is empty;
• allowing a writing of the first portion to an address other than the partially-written erase area and the second erase area;
• marking all sectors of the second empty erase area as allocated;
• and
• writing any portion of the data of a length extending past the end of the partially-written erase area into the second erase area.

A computer-implemented method of improving utilization of data storage media, comprising:

• receiving a request to write data from an application to a sequentialized address on a data storage device;
• the data storage device having, for the sequentialized address, writes areas that includes a write area size, erase areas that includes an erase area size, and a read size,
• the write area size being smaller than the erase area size,
• the read size being distinct from both the write area size and erase area size,
• wherein the data to be written is not an integral multiple of the erase area size;
• assigning a first write start address to align with a first erase area;
• writing a first portion of the data to the first write start address resulting in the first erase area being partially written, wherein the first write start address is at a logical address that is not aligned with any erase area of the data storage device;
• and
• marking all sectors of the partially-written first erase area as allocated and associated with the data.