Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to select a block size for allocating blocks to namespaces based on a storage capacity of the non-volatile storage media. Various requests by a host to create namespaces are received by the controller via the host interface. After each request is received, the controller allocates blocks to the requested namespace using the selected block size. The controller can select the block size at the time of initial manufacture or operation, and/or can dynamically select various block sizes during operation of the storage device. Dynamic selection of the block size can be based on signaling from sensors of the storage device and/or host.

Abstract: A computer storage device having: a host interface; a controller; non-volatile storage media; and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to: divide a contiguous logical address capacity into blocks according to a predetermined block size; and maintain a data structure to identify free blocks are available for allocation to new namespaces and blocks that have been allocated to namespaces in use. Based on the content of the data structure, non-contiguous blocks can be allocated to a namespace; and logical addresses in the namespace can be translated to physical addresses for addressing the non-volatile storage media of the storage device.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to: receive, via the host interface, a request from a host to allocate a namespace of a quantity of non-volatile memory; generate, in response to the request, a namespace map identifying a plurality of blocks of addresses having a same predetermined block size, and a partial block of addresses having a size smaller than the predetermined block size; and convert, using the namespace map, logical addresses in the namespace communicated from the host to physical addresses for the quantity of the non-volatile memory. For example, the request for allocating the namespace can be in accordance with an NVMe protocol.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to select a block size for allocating blocks to namespaces based on a storage capacity of the non-volatile storage media. Various requests by a host to create namespaces are received by the controller via the host interface. After each request is received, the controller allocates blocks to the requested namespace using the selected block size. The controller can select the block size at the time of initial manufacture or operation, and/or can dynamically select various block sizes during operation of the storage device. Dynamic selection of the block size can be based on signaling from sensors of the storage device and/or host.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to: limit a crypto key to be used in data access requests made in a first namespace allocated on the non-volatile storage media of the computer storage device; store data in the first namespace in an encrypted form that is to be decrypted using the crypto key; free a portion of the non-volatile storage media from the first namespace, the portion storing the data; and make the portion of the non-volatile storage media available in a second namespace without erasing the data stored in the portion of the non-volatile storage media.

Abstract: A memory system having non-volatile media and a controller configured to process requests from a host system to store data in the non-volatile media or retrieve data from the non-volatile media. The non-volatile media has a set of memory units. The memory system stores an indicator indicating whether the memory system is operating in a user mode or a manufacturing mode. A defect manager of the memory system identifies a threshold based on the indicator, monitors an error rate in reading data from the non-volatile media and, in response to the error rate reaching the threshold, screens the non-volatile media for defective memory units.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to maintain a free block pool. The free block pool includes full blocks having a same block size, and partial blocks having a size smaller than the block size. The controller receives a request from a host to allocate a namespace having a requested size. In response to the request, full blocks from the free block pool are allocated to the namespace. The controller determines that a difference between a total size of the full blocks allocated and the requested size is less than the block size. In response to this determination, the controller selects a next block from the free block pool to allocate to the namespace. The selected next block is allocated to the namespace.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to: receive, via the host interface, a request from a host to allocate a namespace of a quantity of non-volatile memory; generate, in response to the request, a namespace map identifying a plurality of blocks of addresses having a same predetermined block size, and a partial block of addresses having a size smaller than the predetermined block size; and convert, using the namespace map, logical addresses in the namespace communicated from the host to physical addresses for the quantity of the non-volatile memory. For example, the request for allocating the namespace can be in accordance with an NVMe protocol.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to: store a namespace map mapping blocks of logical block addresses in a namespace to blocks from a logical address capacity of the non-volatile storage media; adjust the namespace map to change the size of the namespace; and translate logical addresses in the namespace to physical addresses for the non-volatile storage media using the namespace map.

Abstract: A computer storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. The firmware instructs the controller to: store a namespace map mapping blocks of logical block addresses in a namespace to blocks from a logical address capacity of the non-volatile storage media; adjust the namespace map to change the size of the namespace; and translate logical addresses in the namespace to physical addresses for the non-volatile storage media using the namespace map.

Abstract: A memory system having non-volatile media and a controller configured to process requests from a host system to store data in the non-volatile media or retrieve data from the non-volatile media. The non-volatile media has a set of memory units. The memory system stores an indicator indicating whether the memory system is operating in a user mode or a manufacturing mode. A defect manager of the memory system identifies a threshold based on the indicator, monitors an error rate in reading data from the non-volatile media and, in response to the error rate reaching the threshold, screens the non-volatile media for defective memory units.

Abstract: A memory system having a set of media, a plurality of inter-process communication channels, and a controller configured to run a plurality of processes that communicate with each other using inter-process communication messages transmitted via the plurality of inter-process communication channels, in response to requests from a host system to store data in the media or retrieve data from the media. The memory system has a message manager that examines requests from the host system, identifies a plurality of combinable requests, generates a combined request, and provides the combined request to the plurality of processes as a substitute of the plurality of combinable requests.

Abstract: A computer system having a host in communication with a data storage device is coupled to the host via a peripheral bus and a host interface. The data storage device has a controller, non-volatile storage media; and firmware containing instructions configures the operations of the controller. The host transmits a sequence of commands to the storage device to read data items from, or write data items to, the non-volatile storage media. The storage device examines a subset of the commands to determine whether or not data items identified in the subset are addressed sequentially and optimizes processing of at least a portion of the sequence of commands based on a result of a determination of whether or not data items identified in the subset are addressed sequentially.

Abstract: A computer having a plurality of accounts and a storage device having a host interface, a controller, non-volatile storage media, and firmware. Each account has a namespace identifier that identifies the allocation of a portion of the non-volatile storage media to the account. The storage device stores a namespace map that defines the mapping between the logical addresses in a namespace identified by the namespace identifier and the logical addresses, in a capacity of the storage device, that correspond to the portion of the non-volatile storage media allocated to and accessible to the account. The account accesses the portion of the non-volatile storage media via the logical addresses in the namespace. The firmware of the storage device configures the controller to convert, using the namespace map, the logical addresses in the namespace to the physical addresses of the portion of the non-volatile storage media.

Abstract: A computer system having a host in communication with a data storage device that is coupled to the host via a peripheral bus and a host interface. The data storage device has a controller, non-volatile storage media; and firmware containing instructions to configure the operations of the controller. The computer system allows a user of the system to specify a service option for operating the data storage device beyond its end of normal service life. The user selected option is stored in the computer system and controls the operations of the storage device beyond its end of service life.

Abstract: A memory system having a set of media, a set of resources, and a controller configured via firmware to use the set of resources in processing requests from a host system to store data in the media or retrieve data from the media. The memory system has a workload manager that analyzes activity records in an execution log for a time period where each of the activity records can indicate whether a processor of the controller is in an idle state during a time slot in the time period. The workload manager identifies idle time slots within the time period during which time slots one or more lightly-loaded processors in the plurality of processors are in the idle state, and adjusts a configuration of the controller to direct tasks from one or more heavily-loaded processors to the one or more lightly-loaded processors.

Abstract: A memory system having a set of media, a plurality of inter-process communication channels, and a controller configured to run a plurality of processes that communicate with each other using inter-process communication messages transmitted via the plurality of inter-process communication channels, in response to requests from a host system to store data in the media or retrieve data from the media. The memory system has a message manager that examines requests from the host system, identifies a plurality of combinable requests, generates a combined request, and provides the combined request to the plurality of processes as a substitute of the plurality of combinable requests.

Abstract: A memory system having memory components and a processing device to: communicate with a host system to obtain, from the host system, at least one host specified parameter during booting up of the host system; execute first firmware to process requests from the host system using the at least one host specified parameter, the requests including storing data into the memory components and retrieving data from the memory components; install second firmware while running the first firmware; store the at least one host specified parameter; and reboot into executing the second firmware using the at least one host specified parameter, without rebooting of the host system.

Abstract: A computer system having a host coupled to a storage device via a peripheral component interconnect express bus. The host communicates with the storage device in accordance with a non-volatile memory host controller interface specification. The storage device stores versions of meta data sequentially in a portion of a volatile memory that is protected against power failure using a power hold-up module. In response to a sudden power loss, the power hold-up module provides sufficient energy to support operations to copy the content from the portion of the volatile memory into a non-volatile memory. During a startup process, the content is retrieved from the non-volatile memory; and a binary search is performed to locate, within the content, the latest, valid version of the meta data to continue operations interrupted by the power loss.

Abstract: A computer system having a host in communication with a data storage device is coupled to the host via a peripheral bus and a host interface. The data storage device has a controller, non-volatile storage media; and firmware containing instructions configures the operations of the controller. The host transmits a sequence of commands to the storage device to read data items from, or write data items to, the non-volatile storage media. The storage device examines a subset of the commands to determine whether or not data items identified in the subset are addressed sequentially and optimizes processing of at least a portion of the sequence of commands based on a result of a determination of whether or not data items identified in the subset are addressed sequentially.