Addressable non-volatile random access memory
AssigneePure Storage, Inc.
InventorsJohn Davis, John Hayes, Brian Gold, Shantanu Gupta, Zhangxi Tan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-volatile solid-state storage is provided. The non-volatile solid state storage includes a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) addressable by a processor external to the non-volatile solid state storage. The NVRAM is configured to store user data and metadata relating to the user data. The non-volatile solid state storage includes a flash memory addressable by the processor. The flash memory is configured to store the user data responsive to the processor directing transfer of the user data from the NVRAM to the flash memory.
Claims20
A storage system, comprising:
- a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) addressable by a first controller internal to non-volatile solid-state storage of the storage system, and by a second controller external to the non-volatile solid-state storage, the NVRAM configured to store user data and metadata relating to the user data, wherein the NVRAM is configured to store metadata corresponding to user data stored external to the non-volatile solid-state storage;
- and
- the non-volatile solid state storage addressable by the first controller and by the second controller, the non-volatile solid state storage configured to store the user data responsive to the second controller directing transfer of the user data from the NVRAM to the non-volatile solid state storage.
A storage cluster, comprising:
- a plurality of storage nodes, each of the plurality of storage nodes having nonvolatile solid-state memory for storage of user data, the nonvolatile solid-state memory comprising:
- a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) configured to receive the user data and metadata from a processor of a storage node of the plurality of storage nodes, the NVRAM and the nonvolatile solid-state memory addressable by the processor, wherein the NVRAM is configured to include a portion dedicated to metadata corresponding to user data stored external to the non-volatile solid-state storage;
- and
- a controller configured to manage the user data in the nonvolatile solid-state memory, wherein the NVRAM and the nonvolatile solid-state memory are addressable by the controller.
A method, comprising:
- writing user data from a storage node of the storage cluster to a non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM) of a non-volatile solid-state storage;
- writing metadata associated with user data from a differing storage node of the storage cluster to the NVRAM;
- writing the user data from the NVRAM to non-volatile solid-state storage, wherein each of the NVRAM and the nonvolatile solid-state memory is addressable as a distinct resource by a controller of the storage node, wherein each of the NVRAM and the nonvolatile solid-state memory is addressable as the distinct resource by a controller of the non-volatile solid-state storage, and wherein the writing the user data from the NVRAM to the non-volatile solid-state storage is directed by the controller of the storage node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.