IP Library Granted Patent US 11,106,391
Granted Patent B2
US 11,106,391 · App. 15/962,719 · Granted Aug 31, 2021

Managing a memory system including memory devices with different characteristics

Inventors: Michael B. Danielson (Georgetown, TX); Paul A. Suhler (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F3/0659G06F3/0604G06F3/0653G06F3/0688
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,106,391
App. No.
15/962,719
Granted
Aug 31, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first set of characteristics corresponding to a first memory device and a second set of characteristics corresponding to a second memory device are received. A first usage threshold for the first memory device based on the first set of characteristics and a second usage threshold for the second memory device based on the second set of characteristics are determined. Data is stored at the first memory device or the second memory device based on the first usage threshold for the first memory device and the second usage threshold for the second memory device.

Claims (61)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first set of characteristics corresponding to a first memory device of a plurality of memory devices and a second set of characteristics corresponding to a second memory device of the plurality of memory devices;

determining a first usage threshold for the first memory device based on the first set of characteristics and a second usage threshold for the second memory device based on the second set of characteristics, the first usage threshold and the second usage threshold having different threshold values and associated with a same type of usage for the first memory device and the second memory device;

receive data for storage from a host system coupled to the system;

in response to determining that the first usage threshold is greater than a respective usage of the first memory device and the second usage threshold is greater than a respective usage of the second memory device, determine whether to store the data at the first memory device or the second memory device based on at least one of one or more characteristics of the data or a relative magnitude of the first usage threshold to the second usage threshold;

storing, by a processing device, data at the first memory device or the second memory device based on the at least one of the one or more characteristics of the data or the relative magnitude of the first usage threshold to the second usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the respective usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold:

refraining from storing subsequent data to the first memory device; and

operating the first memory device in a read-only mode by performing read operations on data stored at the first memory device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first usage threshold corresponds to a first endurance of the first memory device to store the data and wherein the second usage threshold corresponds to a second endurance of the second memory device to store the data.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether a first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold or a second usage of the second memory device exceeds the second usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold or the second usage of the second memory device exceeds the second usage threshold, providing a notification to a host system associated with the plurality of memory devices that identifies the first usage of the first memory device exceeding the first usage threshold or the second usage of the second memory device exceeding the second usage threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that a first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold, determining to not store subsequent data to the first memory device, wherein the subsequent data is stored at the second memory device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of characteristics comprise data density, access speed, a number of total bytes written or a number of write operations performed with respect to the first memory device and wherein the second set of characteristics comprise data density, access speed, a number of total bytes written or a number of write operations performed with respect to the second memory device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a request for sets of characteristics for each memory device of the plurality of memory devices, wherein to receive the first set of characteristics corresponding to the first memory device of the plurality of memory devices and the second set of characteristics corresponding to the second memory device of the plurality of memory devices is in response to transmitting the request for the sets of characteristics for each memory device of the plurality of memory devices.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first memory device is different than the second memory device and wherein an endurance of the first memory device to store data is different than an endurance of the second memory device to store data.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive a first set of characteristics corresponding to a first memory device of a plurality of memory devices and a second set of characteristics corresponding to a second memory device of the plurality of memory devices;

determine a first usage threshold for the first memory device based on the first set of characteristics and a second usage threshold for the second memory device based on the second set of characteristics, the first usage threshold and the second usage threshold having different threshold values and associated with a same type of usage for the first memory device and the second memory device;

receive data for storage from a host system coupled to the system;

in response to determining that the first usage threshold is greater than a respective usage of the first memory device and the second usage threshold is greater than a respective usage of the second memory device, determine whether to store the data at the first memory device or the second memory device based on at least one of one or more characteristics of the data or a relative magnitude of the first usage threshold to the second usage threshold;

store data at the first memory device or the second memory device based on the at least one of the one or more characteristics of the data or the relative magnitude of the first usage threshold to the second usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the respective usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold:

refrain from storing subsequent data to the first memory device; and

operate the first memory device in a read-only mode by performing read operations on data stored at the first memory device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first usage threshold corresponds to a first endurance of the first memory device to store the data and wherein the second usage threshold corresponds to a second endurance of the second memory device to store the data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the processing device is further to:

determine whether a first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold or a second usage of the second memory device exceeds the second usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold or the second usage of the second memory device exceeds the second usage threshold, provide a notification to a host system associated with the plurality of memory devices that identifies the first usage of the first memory device exceeding the first usage threshold or the second usage of the second memory device exceeding the second usage threshold.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the processing device is further to:

determine that a first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold, determine to not store subsequent data to the first memory device, wherein the subsequent data is stored at the second memory device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the processing device is further to:

transmit a request for sets of characteristics for each memory device of the plurality of memory devices, wherein to receive the first set of characteristics corresponding to the first memory device of the plurality of memory devices and the second set of characteristics corresponding to the second memory device of the plurality of memory devices is in response to transmitting the request for the sets of characteristics for each memory device of the plurality of memory devices.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of memory devices; and

a processing device, operatively coupled with the plurality of memory devices, to:

receive a first set of characteristics corresponding to a first memory device of the plurality of memory devices and a second set of characteristics corresponding to a second memory device of the plurality of memory devices;

determine a first usage threshold for the first memory device based on the first set of characteristics and a second usage threshold for the second memory device based on the second set of characteristics, the first usage threshold and the second usage threshold having different threshold values and associated with a same type of usage for the first memory device and the second memory device;

receive data for storage from a host system coupled to the system;

in response to determining that the first usage threshold is greater than a respective usage of the first memory device and the second usage threshold is greater than a respective usage of the second memory device, determine whether to store the data at the first memory device or the second memory device based on at least one of one or more characteristics of the data or a relative magnitude of the first usage threshold to the second usage threshold;

store data at the first memory device or the second memory device based on the at least one of the one or more characteristics of the data or the relative magnitude of the first usage threshold to the second usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the respective usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold:

refrain from storing subsequent data to the first memory device; and

operate the first memory device in a read-only mode by performing read operations on data stored at the first memory device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first usage threshold corresponds to an endurance of the first memory device to store the data and wherein the second usage threshold corresponds to an endurance of the second memory device to store the data.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further to:

determine whether a first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold or a second usage of the second memory device exceeds the second usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold or the second usage of the second memory device exceeds the second usage threshold, provide a notification to a host system associated with the plurality of memory devices that identifies the first usage of the first memory device exceeding the first usage threshold or the second usage of the second memory device exceeding the second usage threshold.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further to:

determine that a first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold; and

in response to determining that the first usage of the first memory device exceeds the first usage threshold, determine to not store subsequent data to the first memory device, wherein the subsequent data is stored at the second memory device.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first set of characteristics comprise data density, access speed, a number of total bytes written or a number of write operations performed with respect to the first memory device and wherein the second set of characteristics comprise data density, access speed, a number of total bytes written or a number of write operations performed with respect to the second memory device.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further to:

transmit a request for sets of characteristics for each memory device of the plurality of memory devices, wherein to receive the first set of characteristics corresponding to the first memory device of the plurality of memory devices and the second set of characteristics corresponding to the second memory device of the plurality of memory devices is in response to transmitting the request for the sets of characteristics for each memory device of the plurality of memory devices.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first memory device is different than the second memory device and wherein a first endurance of the first memory device to store data is different than a second endurance of the second memory device to store data.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first memory device is a flash based memory and the second memory device is a non-flash based memory.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050713/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 9 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 9, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047282/0463 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2018
From: DANIELSON, MICHAEL B.; SUHLER, PAUL A.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 045636/0746 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190332317A1 · Oct 31, 2019