Method and device for optimization of data caching

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

caching a data entry into a cache, the data entry including data from a persistent storage device, a physical address of the data, a logical address of the data, and access state information, the data being accessible to a requestor issuing an access request using either the physical address or the logical address; and

managing usage and status of the data entry based on the access state information, including:

upon performing a flush operation, transitioning the data entry from a rewrite state to a synchronized state, the data entry in the rewrite state being directly rewriteable, the data entry in the synchronized state being subject to later deletion to make room for a new data entry in the cache; and

upon performing a snapshot, deduplication and/or compression operation, transitioning the data entry from a unique state to a shared state, the data entry in the shared state being associated with a plurality of distinct logical addresses, and the data entry in the unique state being writeable and, upon being written when in a unique-synchronized state, transitioning from the unique-synchronized state to a unique-rewrite state.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the access state information identifies two access state dimensions as unique/shared and rewrite/synchronized, resulting in four access states being unique-rewrite, unique-synchronized, shared-rewrite, and shared-synchronized.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the unique-rewrite state is entered in response to both (1) a write miss that results in the caching of the data entry in the cache and (2) a write hit when the data entry is in the cache in the unique-synchronized state.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the data entry is cached in the cache in response to both (1) a write miss, which sets the access state to the unique-rewrite state, and (2) a read miss, which sets the access state to the shared-synchronized state.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein caching the physical address and the logical address into the cache comprises caching the physical address and the logical address using a two-dimensional hash table, the two-dimensional hash table including a first dimensional hash table for mapping the physical address to the logical address and the data by using the physical address as a key, and a second dimensional hash table for mapping the logical address to the physical address by using the logical address as a key.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the access state information provides for respective conditions in which:

the logical address corresponds to one physical address or is prevented from corresponding to any physical addresses; and

the physical address corresponds to at least one logical address or is prevented from corresponding to any logical addresses.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the access state information includes a unique/shared indicator, and:

if the physical address corresponds to the logical address only, the unique/shared indicator is set to a unique state; and

if the physical address corresponds to a plurality of logical addresses, or it is undetermined whether the physical address corresponds to the logical address only, the unique/shared indicator is set to a shared state.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein:

in response to performing at least one of a snapshot operation and a deduplication operation on the data in the storage device, the unique/shared indicator is set to the shared state.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein caching the data from the storage device into the cache comprises:

in response to a request for a read operation on the data, determining whether the data is cached in the cache; and

in response to determining that the data is absent from the cache:

duplicating the data from the storage device into the cache; and

setting the unique/shared indicator to the shared state.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein accessing the data cached in the cache comprises:

in response to the access request being a rewrite request, determining whether the unique/shared indicator is in the unique state or the shared state;

in response to determining that the unique/shared indicator is in the unique state, directly performing a rewrite operation on the data in the cache; and

in response to determining that the unique/shared indicator is in the shared state,

caching data for rewriting in a further position in the cache, and

setting a separate indicator indicating whether the data for rewriting is directly rewritable to a positive state.

11. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer instructions, the at least one memory and the computer instructions being configured, with the processor, to cause the electronic apparatus to:

cache a data entry into a cache, the data entry including data from a persistent storage device, a physical address of the data, a logical address of the data, and access state information, the data being accessible to a requestor issuing an access request using either the physical address or the logical address; and

manage usage and status of the data entry based on the access state information, including:

upon performing a flush operation, transitioning the data entry from a rewrite state to a synchronized state, the data entry in the rewrite state being directly rewriteable, the data entry in the synchronized state being subject to later deletion to make room for a new data entry in the cache; and

upon performing a snapshot, deduplication and/or compression operation, transitioning the data entry from a unique state to a shared state, the data entry in the shared state being associated with a plurality of distinct logical addresses, and the data entry in the unique state being writeable and, upon being written when in a unique-synchronized state, transitioning from the unique-synchronized state to a unique-rewrite state.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the access state information identifies two access state dimensions as unique/shared and rewrite/synchronized, resulting in four access states being unique-rewrite, unique-synchronized, shared-rewrite, and shared-synchronized.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the unique-rewrite state is entered in response to both (1) a write miss that results in the caching of the data entry in the cache and (2) a write hit when the data entry is in cache in the unique-synchronized state.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the data entry is cached in the cache in response to both (1) a write miss, which sets the access state to the unique-rewrite state, and (2) a read miss, which sets the access state to the shared-synchronized state.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein caching the physical address and the logical address into the cache comprises caching the physical address and the logical address using a two-dimensional hash table, the two-dimensional hash table including a first dimensional hash table for mapping the physical address to the logical address and the data by using the physical address as a key, and a second dimensional hash table for mapping the logical address to the physical address by using the logical address as a key.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the access state information provides for respective conditions in which:

the logical address corresponds to one physical address or is prevented from corresponding to any physical addresses; and

the physical address corresponds to at least one logical address or is prevented from corresponding to any logical addresses.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the access state information includes a unique/shared indicator, and:

if the physical address corresponds to the logical address only, the unique/shared indicator is set to a unique state; and

if the physical address corresponds to a plurality of logical addresses, or it is undetermined whether the physical address corresponds to the logical address only, the unique/shared indicator is set to a shared state.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 17 , wherein:

in response to performing at least one of a snapshot operation and a deduplication operation on the data in the storage device, the unique/shared indicator is set to the shared state.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 17 , wherein caching the data from the storage device into the cache comprises:

in response to a request for a read operation on the data, determining whether the data is cached in the cache; and

in response to determining that the data is absent from the cache:

duplicating the data from the storage device into the cache; and

setting the unique/shared indicator to the shared state.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 17 , wherein accessing the data cached in the cache comprises:

in response to the access request being a rewrite request, determining whether the unique/shared indicator is in the unique state or the shared state;

in response to determining that the unique/shared indicator is in the unique state, directly performing a rewrite operation on the data in the cache; and

in response to determining that the unique/shared indicator is in the shared state,

caching data for rewriting in a further position in the cache, and

setting a separate indicator indicating whether the data for rewriting is directly rewritable to a positive state.