Crash log storage and retrieval using boot partitions in solid state systems

A data storage system for use with a host device, comprising:

• a non-volatile memory (NVM) device;
• and
• a processing system including a data storage controller and a volatile memory, the processing system configured to
• detect a failure within the data storage system,
• store failure information representative of the failure within a boot partition of the data storage system, the boot partition accessible by the host device without the host device enabling the data storage controller, the boot partition including at least one of an NVM boot partition within the NVM device and a volatile memory boot partition within the volatile memory,
• identify, in response to an access attempt by the host device, a location from which to transfer the stored failure information to the host device, the location within at least one of the NVM boot partition of the NVM device and the volatile memory boot partition of the volatile memory, and
• transfer the stored failure information to the host device based on the identified location.

A data storage system for use with a host device, comprising:

• a non-volatile memory (NVM) device;
• and
• a processing system including
• a data storage controller,
• a random access memory (RAM),
• a failure detector configured to detect a failure within the data storage system,
• a failure-responsive data storage controller configured to store failure information representative of the failure within a boot partition of the data storage system, the boot partition accessible by the host device without the host device enabling the data storage controller, the boot partition including at least one of an NVM boot partition of the NVM device and a virtual boot partition of the RAM,
• a determination component configured to determine, in response to an access attempt by the host device, a location from which to transfer the stored failure information to the host device, the location within at least one of the NVM boot partition of the NVM device and the virtual boot partition of the RAM, and
• a transference controller configured to transfer the stored failure information to the host device based on the determination made by the determination component.

An apparatus for use in a data storage system having a non-volatile memory (NVM) device and a volatile memory, comprising:

• means for processing host access requests to the NVM device;
• means for establishing a boot partition, the boot partition accessible by a host device without the host device enabling the means for processing, the boot partition including at least one of an NVM boot partition established within the NVM device and a volatile memory boot partition established within the volatile memory;
• means for detecting a failure within the data storage system;
• means for storing failure information representative of the failure at a location within the boot partition;
• means, operative in response to an access attempt by the host device, for determining a location from which to transfer the stored failure information, the location within at least one of the NVM boot partition and the volatile memory boot partition;
• and
• means for transferring the stored failure information to the host device based on the determination.