Memory management storage to a host device

1. A method comprising:

in a data storage device with a non-volatile memory and a controller operative to manage the non-volatile memory and to generate management data for managing the non-volatile memory, performing when the storage device is coupled to a host device:

determining whether there is a need to back up the management data;

if it is determined that there is a need to back up the managements data, initiating the back up by originating at the controller a direct memory access (DMA) transfer of the management data to the host device wherein the DMA transfer includes sending, to a host processor or to a host DMA controller, an instruction to transfer the management data into a host memory;

determining if there is a need to retrieve the management data; and

if it is determined that there is a need to retrieve the management data and

the management data is retrievable from the host device, initiating a DMA retrieval of the management data, wherein initiating the DMA retrieval includes sending, to the host processor or to the host DMA controller, an instruction to retrieve the management data from the host memory, and receiving from the host device the management data retrieved from the host memory.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the management data is transferred to the host device as encrypted management data, and wherein a key for decrypting the encrypted management data is not provided to the host device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the management data for the non-volatile memory includes a logical address to physical address mapping table.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device includes a volatile memory and wherein the controller originates the DMA transfer to the host device as a virtual extension of the volatile memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller originates the DMA transfer to the host device when the data storage device is to be powered down.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller originates the DMA retrieval from the host device when the data storage device receives power.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DMA transfer of the management data from the data storage device to the host device is initiated using the instruction to transfer the management data and wherein the instruction includes transfer parameters indicate the management data to be transferred.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device is an embedded memory device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host memory comprises RAM.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises a DMA controller.

11. A data storage device comprising:

a non-volatile memory; and

a controller coupled to the non-volatile memory, wherein the controller is operative to manage the non-volatile memory and to generate management data for managing the non-volatile memory, wherein the controller is operative, when the data storage device is coupled to a host device, to perform operations including:

determining whether there is a need to back up the management data;

if it is determined that there is a need to back up the managements data, initiating the back up by sending, to a host processor or to a host DMA controller, an instruction to transfer the management data into a host memory;

determining if there is a need to retrieve the management data;

if it is determined that there is a need to retrieve the management data and the management data is retrievable from the host memory, initiating a DMA retrieval of the management data from the host device by sending, to the host processor or to the host DMA controller, an instruction to retrieve the management data from the host memory; and

receiving from the host device the management data retrieved from the host memory.

12. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to encrypt the management data and to transfer the encrypted management data to the host device without providing to the host device a key for decrypting the encrypted management data.

13. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the management data for the non-volatile memory includes a logical address to physical address mapping table.

14. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the data storage device includes a volatile memory and wherein the controller is configured to originate data management transfer to use the host memory as a virtual extension of the volatile memory.

15. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to originate transfer of the management data to the host device when the data storage device is to be powered down.

16. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to originate the DMA retrieval of the management data from the host device to the data storage device when the data storage device receives power after transferring the management data to the host device and being powered down.

17. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the controller includes a DMA controller.

18. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the transfer of the management data from the data storage device to the host device by sending the instruction to the host device, wherein the instruction includes transfer parameters.

19. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the data storage device includes one of:

a removable memory; and

an embedded memory.

20. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the host memory comprises RAM.