IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,073,079
Granted Patent B2
US 12,073,079 · App. 18/044,976 · Granted Aug 27, 2024

Zone hints for zoned namespace storage devices

Inventors: Scott Chao-Chueh Lee (Bellevue, WA); Vadim Makhervaks (Bellevue, WA); Madhav Himanshubhai Pandya (Redmond, WA); Ioan Oltean (Redmond, WA); Laura Marie Caulfield (Woodinville, WA); Lee Edward Prewitt (Mercer Island, WA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G06F3/0604G06F3/061G06F3/0631G06F3/0644G06F3/0679G06F12/0246
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,073,079
App. No.
18/044,976
Granted
Aug 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Zone hints for use with a zoned namespace (ZNS) storage device. Zone hints include one or more of a first hint indicating that a zone is part of a group of a plurality of zones, a second hint indicating that the zone is to be fast-filled, or a third hint indicating that the zone is associated with a background operation. The first hint is structured to instruct the ZNS storage device to allocate to the zone a first storage resources that are physically adjacent to second storage resources reserved for others of the plurality of zones. The second hint is structured to instruct the ZNS storage device to bypass a staging area when writing to the zone. The third hint is structured to instruct the ZNS storage device to deprioritizing at least one operation writing to the zone, or to bypass the staging area when writing to the zone.

Claims (39)

1. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes a processor, for utilizing a hint for a zone when interacting with a zoned namespace storage device, the method comprising:

determining that the zone is to be defined on the zoned namespace storage device, the zone for storing at least a portion of a dataset; and

sending a message to the zoned namespace storage device, the message:

instructing the zoned namespace storage device to create the zone; and

providing a hint for the zone to the zoned namespace storage device, the hint for the zone comprising at least one of:

a first hint indicating that the zone is part of a group of zones comprising a plurality of zones, the first hint structured to instruct the zoned namespace storage device to allocate to the zone a first portion of storage resources that is physically adjacent to a second portion of second storage resources reserved for others of the group of zones;

a second hint indicating that the zone is to be fast-filled, the second hint structured to instruct the zoned namespace storage device to bypass a staging area when writing to the zone; or

a third hint indicating that the zone is associated with a background operation, the third hint structured to instruct the zoned namespace storage device to deprioritize an operation writing to the zone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hint is the first hint.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, as a result of receiving the first hint, the zoned namespace storage device allocates to the zone the first portion of storage resources that is physically adjacent to the second portion of second storage resources allocated to others of the group of zones.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hint is the second hint.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, as a result of receiving the second hint, the zoned namespace storage device bypasses the staging area when writing to the zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hint is the third hint.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, as a result of receiving the third hint, the zoned namespace storage device deprioritizes the operation writing to the zone.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message provides the hint for the zone based at least on communicating a command with respect to the zone to the zoned namespace storage device or setting a hint-specific field within metadata associated with the zone.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first hint includes a zone group identifier, and each zone in the group of zones associated with the zone group identifier.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first hint includes an identity of each zone in the group of zones.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the hint for the zone based on identifying an attribute of the dataset.

12. A zoned namespace storage device, comprising:

physical data storage resources; and

logic that configures the zoned namespace storage device to at least:

based at least on identifying an instruction received from a computer system, create a record of a zone; and

based at least on identifying a hint for the zone, perform at least one of:

when the hint for the zone is a first hint indicating that the zone is part of a group of zones comprising a plurality of zones, allocate to the zone a first portion of the physical data storage resources that is physically adjacent to a second portion of the physical data storage resources reserved for others of the group of zones;

when the hint for the zone is a second hint indicating that the zone is to be fast-filled, bypass a staging area when writing to the zone; or

when the hint for the zone is a third hint indicating that the zone is associated with a background operation, deprioritize an operation writing to the zone.

13. The zoned namespace storage device of claim 12 , wherein the hint for the zone is the first hint, and wherein the zoned namespace storage device allocates to the zone the first portion of the physical data storage resources that is physically adjacent to the second portion of the physical data storage resources reserved for others of the group of zones.

14. The zoned namespace storage device of claim 12 , wherein the hint for the zone is the second hint, and wherein the zoned namespace storage device bypasses the staging area when writing to the zone.

15. The zoned namespace storage device of claim 12 , wherein the hint for the zone is the third hint, and wherein the zoned namespace storage device deprioritizes the operation writing to the zone.

16. The zoned namespace storage device of claim 12 , wherein the hint for the zone is identified from a command received from the computer system, or from a hint-specific field within metadata associated with the zone.

17. The zoned namespace storage device of claim 12 , wherein the first hint includes a zone group identifier, and each zone in the group of zones is associated with the zone group identifier.

18. The zoned namespace storage device of claim 12 , wherein the first hint includes an identity of each zone in the group of zones.

19. A computer program product comprising a hardware storage device having stored thereon instructions that are executable by a processor to cause a computer system to at least:

instruct a zoned namespace storage device to create a zone for storing at least a portion of a dataset; and

provide a hint for the zone to the zoned namespace storage device, the hint for the zone comprising at least one of:

a first hint indicating that the zone is part of a group of zones comprising a plurality of zones, the first hint structured to instruct the zoned namespace storage device to allocate to the zone a first portion of storage resources that is physically adjacent to a second portion of second storage resources reserved for others of the group of zones;

a second hint indicating that the zone is to be fast-filled, the second hint structured to instruct the zoned namespace storage device to bypass a staging area when writing to the zone; or

a third hint indicating that the zone is associated with a background operation, the third hint structured to instruct the zoned namespace storage device to deprioritize an operation writing to the zone.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein providing the hint for the zone is based at least on communicating a command with respect to the zone to the zoned namespace storage device, or setting a hint-specific field within metadata associated with the zone.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2023
From: LEE, SCOTT CHAO-CHUEH; MAKHERVAKS, VADIM; PANDYA, MADHAV HIMANSHUBHAI; OLTEAN, IOAN; CAULFIELD, LAURA MARIE; PREWITT, LEE EDWARD
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 062952/0048 →
Priority Claims (1)
LU LU102091 · Sep 29, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
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