Storage device that executes migrating data and operating method of the storage device

1 . A storage device comprising:

a memory including a plurality of data sections; and

a controller configured to:

execute, in response to a request from an external device, migrating valid data stored in one or more source data sections among the plurality of data sections to one or more destination data sections among the plurality of data sections, and

write, when the valid data is migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections, meta data for the migrated valid data to the memory,

wherein the controller is further configured to divide the plurality of data sections into a first data area accessible by the external device and a second data area which is reserved for a background operation and inaccessible by the external device,

wherein the source data sections are included in the first data area,

wherein the destination data sections are included in the second data area,

wherein

after a) the valid data has been migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections and b) after meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, the source data sections from which the valid data has been migrated are available to store new data,

after the valid data has been migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections, the controller sets a state of the source data sections to a first state prohibiting writing of the new data to the source data sections until the meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, and

after the meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, the controller sets the state of the source data sections to a second state permitting the writing of the new data to the source data sections.

2 . The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

set a first source data section among the source data sections to the first state after all valid data is migrated from the first source data section to the destination data sections, and

set the first source data section to the second state after writing meta data on the valid data migrated from the first source data section to the destination data sections to the memory is completed.

3 . The storage device according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

prohibit the writing of the new data to the first source data section when the first source data section is in the first state, thereby preventing loss of the meta data when power off occurs, and

allow the writing of the new data to the first source data section when the first source data section is in the second state.

4 . A method for operating a storage device, the method comprising:

determining one or more source data sections and one or more destination data sections among a plurality of data sections included in a memory; and

migrating, in response to a request from an external device, valid data stored in the source data sections to the destination data sections,

wherein

source data sections from which the valid data has been migrated are available to store new data after a) the valid data has been migrated from the source data sections in an area reserved for background operations to the destination data sections in another area accessible by the external device and b) after meta data for the migrated valid data has been written to the memory,

after the valid data has been migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections, the controller sets a state of the source data sections to a first state prohibiting writing of the new data to the source data sections until the meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, and

after the meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, the controller sets the state of the source data sections to a second state permitting the writing of the new data to the source data sections.

5 . The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein the migrating the valid data comprises:

setting a first source data section among the source data sections to the first state after all valid data is migrated from the first source data section to the destination data sections;

setting the first source data section to the second state after writing meta data on the valid data migrated from the first source data section to the destination data sections to the memory is completed; and

dividing the plurality of data sections into a first data area accessible by the external device or a second data area which is reserved for a background operation and inaccessible by the external device,

wherein the source data sections are included in the first data area, wherein the destination data sections are included in the second data area, and

wherein, when the valid data is migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections, the source data sections are included in the second data area and the destination data sections are included in the first data area.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

prohibiting the writing of the new data to the first source data section when the first source data section is in the first state, thereby preventing loss of the meta data when power off occurs; and

allowing the writing of the new data to the first source data section when the first source data section is in the second state.

7 . The method according to claim 4 ,

further comprising dividing the plurality of data sections into a first data area accessible by the external device or a second data area which is reserved for a background operation,

wherein the source data sections are included in the first data area, and

wherein the destination data sections are included in the second data area.

8 . A system comprising:

a storage device including a plurality of data sections; and

a host configured to control the storage device based on a Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS) scheme;

wherein the host is further configured to:

set a plurality of logical areas,

migrate target data from M source logical areas among the plurality of logical areas to N target logical areas among the plurality of logical areas while host garbage collection is being executed, M and N are natural numbers and N being less than or equal to M, and

execute, when migrating the target data between the logical areas is completed, a checkpoint operation to store in the storage device meta data for the target data, and

wherein the storage device is configured to:

migrate the target data from source data sections, which correspond to the M source logical areas among the plurality of data sections, to destination data sections, which correspond to the N target logical areas among the plurality of data sections, and

store therein the meta data when migrating the target data between the data sections is completed,

wherein the storage device includes a first data area accessible by the host and a second data area which is reserved for a background operation and inaccessible by the host,

wherein the source data sections are included in the first data area,

wherein the destination data sections are included in the second data area,

wherein

a) after the valid data is migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections and b) after meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, the source data sections from which the valid data has been migrated are available to store new data,

after the valid data has been migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections, the controller sets a state of the source data sections to a first state prohibiting writing of the new data to the source data sections until the meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, and

after the meta data for the valid data migrated from the source data sections to the destination data sections has been written to the memory, the controller sets the state of the source data sections to a second state permitting the writing of the new data to the source data sections.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the host is further configured to:

set, after the target data is migrated from a first source logical area among the M source logical areas to the N target logical areas, the first source logical area to a write-protected state, and

set, after a checkpoint operation on the target data migrated from the first source logical area to the N target logical areas is completed, the first source logical area to a writable state.