MASS STORAGE DEVICE CAPABLE OF FINE GRAINED READ AND/OR WRITE OPERATIONS
A mass storage device controller is described. The controller is to process first and second read requests received at an I/O interface of a mass storage device. The first read request includes a first logical block address. The first read request is to provide a first block stored within non volatile storage media of the mass storage device at the I/O interface. The first block is identified by the first logical block address. The second read request includes a second logical block address and specifies one or more bytes within a second block identified by the second block address and stored within the non volatile storage media. The second read request is to provide the one or more bytes at the I/O interface.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a mass storage device controller to process first and second read requests received at an I/O interface of a mass storage device, the first read request including a first logical block address, the first read request to provide a first block stored within non volatile storage media of the mass storage device at the I/O interface, the first block identified by the first logical block address, the second read request including a second logical block address and specifying one or more bytes within a second block identified by the second block address and stored within the non volatile storage media, the second read request to provide the one or more bytes at the I/O interface.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second read requests are different commands.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second read requests are same commands with different input parameters.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non volatile storage media comprises FLASH memory chips.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more bytes comprises a single byte.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further to process a third read request, the third read request including a third logical block address and specifying a contiguous plurality of bytes that begin within a third block identified by the third block address and stored within the non volatile storage media, the plurality of bytes extending into a next block within the non volatile storage media, the third read request to provide the plurality of bytes at the I/O interface.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is to process first and second write requests received at the I/O interface, the first write request including a third logical block address and a third block, the first write request to write the third block within the non volatile storage media, the second write request including a fourth logical block address and one or more bytes to be written within a fourth block identified by the fourth block address, the fourth write request to write the one or more byte within the fourth block within the non volatile storage media.
8 . A computing system, comprising:
one or more general purpose processing cores;
a main memory;
a memory controller between the one or more general purpose processing cores and the main memory;
a peripheral control hub coupled to the memory controller;
a mass storage device coupled to the peripheral control hub, the mass storage device comprising:
an I/O interface;
non volatile storage media;
a controller to process first and second read requests received at the I/O interface, the first read request including a first logical block address, the first read request to provide a first block stored within the non volatile storage media at the I/O interface, the first block identified by the first logical block address, the second read request including a second logical block address and specifying one or more bytes within a second block identified by the second block address and stored within the non volatile storage media, the second read request to provide the one or more bytes at the I/O interface.
9 . The mass storage device of claim 8 wherein the first and second read requests are different commands.
10 . The mass storage device of claim 8 wherein the first and second read requests are same commands with different input parameters.
11 . The mass storage device of claim 8 wherein the non volatile storage media comprises FLASH memory chips.
12 . The mass storage device of claim 8 wherein the one or more bytes comprises a single byte.
13 . The mass storage device of claim 8 wherein the controller is further to process a third read request, the third read request including a third logical block address and specifying a contiguous plurality of bytes that begin within a third block identified by the third block address and stored within the non volatile storage media, the plurality of bytes extending into a next block within the non volatile storage media, the third read request to provide the plurality of bytes at the I/O interface.
14 . The mass storage device of claim 8 wherein the controller is to process first and second write requests received at the I/O interface, the first write request including a third logical block address and a third block, the first write request to write the third block within the non volatile storage media, the second write request including a fourth logical block address and one or more bytes to be written within a fourth block identified by the fourth block address, the fourth write request to write the one or more byte within the fourth block within the non volatile storage media.
15 . A machine readable storage medium comprising stored program code that when processed by one or more processors of a computing system cause the computing system to perform a method, comprising:
sending a first command to a mass storage device to read a block from the mass storage device;
writing a page having information within the block into a main memory;
sending a second command to the mass storage device to write only a byte of information from the page to the block stored within the mass storage device.
16 . The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises refraining from reading less than a second block of information from the mass storage device unless the second block's corresponding page is within the main memory.
17 . The machine readable medium of claim 15 further comprising sending a third command to the mass storage device to read only a byte of information from the block within the mass storage device.
18 . The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the first and second commands are different commands.
19 . The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the first and second commands are same commands with different input parameters.
20 . The machine readable medium of claim 19 wherein the input parameters specify an offset from a starting end of a block and a number of bytes.