Use of error correction pointers to handle errors in memory

A method for reading data from a memory comprising:

• reading data from a codeword stored in a memory;
• performing an error correction code (ECC) process on the codeword;
• determining that the ECC process failed to successfully decode the codeword to recover the data;
• responsive to the determination that the ECC process failed, reading error correction pointer (ECP) information associated with the codeword from one or more ECPs;
• and
• decoding the codeword to recover the data based on the ECP information.

A system for reading data from a memory, the system comprising:

• a memory to store a plurality of codewords including a first codeword;
• a read module coupled to the memory and configured to:
• read the first codeword from the memory;
• determine that the codeword was successfully decoded;
• determine a number of hard errors in the first codeword responsive to the determination that the codeword was successfully decoded;
• determine that the number of hard errors in the first codeword exceeds a threshold;
• and
• responsive to the determination that the number of hard errors in the first codeword exceeds the threshold, store error correction pointer (ECP) information associated with hard errors of the first codeword in one or more ECPs.