Storage system and method for enabling host-driven regional performance in memory

A storage system comprising:

• a non-volatile memory;
• a volatile memory;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• receive an indication from a host as to a preferred logical region of the non-volatile memory;
• based on the indication, change a caching policy specifying which pages of a logical-to-physical address map stored in the non-volatile memory are to be cached in the volatile memory, wherein priority is given to pages of the logical-to-physical address map that cover the preferred logical region over other pages of the logical-to-physical address map;
• cache, in the volatile memory, the pages of the logical-to-physical address map that cover the preferred logical region;
• and
• prevent the pages of the logical-to-physical address map that cover the preferred logical region from being removed from the volatile memory until a different indication is received from the host to set a new preferred logical region.

A storage system comprising:

• a non-volatile memory;
• a volatile memory;
• means for receiving an instruction from a host device as to a preferred logical area of the non-volatile memory;
• means for modifying, based on the instruction, a caching policy specifying which pages of a logical-to-physical address map stored in the non-volatile memory are to be cached in the volatile memory, wherein priority is given to pages of the logical-to-physical address map that cover the preferred logical area over other pages of the logical-to-physical address map;
• means for caching, in the volatile memory, the pages of the logical-to-physical address map that cover the preferred logical area;
• and
• means for preventing the pages of the logical-to-physical address map that cover the preferred logical area from being removed from the volatile memory until a different instruction is received from the host device to set a new preferred logical area.