# US 2021/0240612 A1 · Storage System and Method for Automatic Data Phasing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0240612 A1 - Document ID: US20210240612A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/781,688 - Filed: 2020-02-04 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-04 - Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Ramanathan Muthiah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240612A1 ## CPC - G06F 12/0246: {in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory} - G06F 12/0253: {Garbage collection, i.e. reclamation of unreferenced memory} - G06F 12/10: Address translation - G06F 2212/1036: Life time enhancement - G06F 2212/1044: Space efficiency improvement - G06F 2212/7201: Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages - G06F 2212/7205: Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control - G06F 2212/7208: Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A storage system and method for automatic data phasing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a storage system is configured to receive, from a host, data to be written in the memory and an indication of an expected lifespan of the data; and determine whether to perform a garbage collection operation on the data based on the expected lifespan of the data. Other embodiments are provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage system comprising: a memory; and a controller configured to: receive, from a host, data to be written in the memory and an indication of an expected lifespan of the data; and determine whether to perform a garbage collection operation on the data based on the expected lifespan of the data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to invalidate the data in a logical-to-physical address table after the expected lifespan of the data has elapsed even though the data is otherwise valid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The storage system of claim 2, wherein invalidating the data in the logical-to-physical address table even though the data is otherwise valid indicates that the expected lifespan of the data has elapsed and causes the controller to forego performing garbage collection on the data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The storage system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to store the indication in an entry in the logical-to-physical address table associated with the data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The storage system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to inform the host that the data has been invalidated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to forego performing the garbage collection operation on the data even though the expected lifespan of the data has not elapsed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive an indication of an updated expected lifespan of the data from the host. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine how the data should be stored based on the expected lifespan of the data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The storage system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine how the data should be stored by choosing one or more of the following: a data protection method, an endurance parameter, a trim parameter, and a region of the memory to store the data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a three-dimensional memory. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the storage system is configured to be integrated in the host. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The storage system of claim 1, wherein the storage system is configured to be removably connected with the host. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: performing the following in a storage system comprising a memory: receiving, from a host, data to be written in the memory, the data having an indicated lifetime; after the lifetime of the data has expired, invalidating the data in a logical-to-physical address table even though the data is otherwise valid; and performing garbage collection on valid data in the logical-to-physical address table, wherein invalidating the data in the logical-to-physical address table even though the data is otherwise valid causes the data to avoid garbage collection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising informing the host that the data has been invalidated. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, from the host, an updated lifetime of the data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: the indication comprises a tag in a write command; and the method further comprises storing the tag in an entry associated with the data in the logical-to-physical address table. ### Claim 17 A storage system comprising: a memory; means for receiving data to be written in the memory and an indication of a lifetime of the data; and means for foregoing garbage collection on the data in response to the lifetime of the data expiring. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The storage system of claim 17, further comprising: means for after the lifetime of the data has expired, invalidating the data in a logical-to-physical address table even though the data is otherwise valid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The storage system of claim 18, further comprising: means for informing the host that the data has been invalidated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The storage system of claim 17, further comprising: means for receiving a new indication of a different lifetime of the data.