# US 11,029,857 B2 · Offloading device maintenance to an external processor in low-latency, non-volatile memory > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,857 B2 - Document ID: US11029857B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/839,873 - Filed: 2020-04-03 - Published: 2020-07-23 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Applicants: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Inventors: Michael Nishimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029857B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors} - G06F 3/061: {Improving I/O performance} - G06F 3/0647: {Migration mechanisms} - G06F 3/0652: {Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket} - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G06F 3/0683: {Plurality of storage devices} - G06F 3/0688: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays} - G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling} - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F 2213/0026: PCI express - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A set of device maintenance related data is received from each of a plurality of non-volatile memory modules. Each of the plurality of non-volatile memory modules comprise a plurality of non-volatile memory devices. Based at least in part on said set of device maintenance related data a maintenance operation to be performed is determined. The determined device maintenance related operation is performed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A data storage system, comprising: a control module connected to each non-volatile memory module in a plurality of non-volatile memory modules each comprising a plurality of non-volatile memory devices, the control module comprising a processor external to said non-volatile memory modules, the processor being configured to: receive from each of said non-volatile memory modules a set of device maintenance related data, wherein the set of device maintenance related data includes a read disturb count of a cell of a plurality of cells of a non-volatile memory device; determine based at least in part on said set of device maintenance related data a maintenance operation to be performed; select a count limit based on a first neighboring cell or a second neighboring cell, wherein the count limit is updated based on a location of a neighboring cell on the non-volatile memory device, a temperature of the non-volatile memory device, and a version of 3D media; and perform the determined device maintenance related operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, further comprising the plurality of non-volatile memory modules. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein the external processor is connected by a PCIe bus to said non-volatile memory modules. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein each non-volatile memory device has data which are overwritten in place. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein each non-volatile memory module further comprises a module microprocessor, and wherein the module microprocessor is configured to send the maintenance related data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system recited in claim 5, wherein the external processor is further configured to send to each module microprocessor associated with each non-volatile memory module persistence training. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system recited in claim 6, wherein the persistence training includes a persistence algorithm in the event non-volatile memory module power is lost. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system recited in claim 7, wherein a persistence algorithm includes redundancy instructions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein the maintenance operation comprises scrubbing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system recited in claim 9, wherein said set of device maintenance related data comprises scrubbing data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system recited in claim 10, wherein scrubbing data comprises an indication related to how much error correction has been exercised. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein the control module runs software on an external processor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein the maintenance operation is determined across two or more non-volatile memory modules. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein said set of device maintenance related data comprises wear data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system recited in claim 14, wherein the maintenance operation comprises determining based at least in part on the wear data a migration from a first non-volatile memory module to a first non-volatile memory module, possibly overwriting in place. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system recited in claim 14, wherein the maintenance operation comprises determining based at least in part on the wear data a migration from a first non-volatile memory module to a second non-volatile memory module, possibly overwriting in place. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system recited in claim 1, wherein said set of device maintenance related data comprises location data of objects across two or more non-volatile memory modules. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system recited in claim 17, wherein the location data of objects includes physical layout data and disturb tracking. ### Claim 19 A method of storing data, comprising: receiving from each of a plurality of non-volatile memory modules a set of device maintenance related data, wherein each of the plurality of non-volatile memory modules comprise a plurality of non-volatile memory devices, and wherein the set of device maintenance related data includes a read disturb count of a cell of a plurality of cells of a non-volatile memory device; determining based at least in part on said set of device maintenance related data a maintenance operation to be performed; selecting a count limit based on a first neighboring cell or a second neighboring cell, wherein the count limit is updated based on a location of a neighboring cell on the non-volatile memory device, a temperature of the non-volatile memory device, and a version of 3D media; and performing the determined device maintenance related operation. ### Claim 20 A computer program product for data storage, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for: receiving from each of a plurality of non-volatile memory modules a set of device maintenance related data, wherein each of the plurality of non-volatile memory modules comprise a plurality of non-volatile memory devices, and wherein the set of device maintenance related data includes a read disturb count of a cell of a plurality of cells of a non-volatile memory device; determining based at least in part on said set of device maintenance related data a maintenance operation to be performed; selecting a count limit based on a first neighboring cell or a second neighboring cell, wherein the count limit is updated based on a location of a neighboring cell on the non-volatile memory device, a temperature of the non-volatile memory device, and a version of 3D media; and performing the determined device maintenance related operation.