Abstract: A device includes one or more data storage media having a main storage area, and includes a non-volatile cache memory and a controller. The controller stores a plurality of data packets into a plurality of physical locations in the main storage area. Each of the data packets is associated with a different logical block address (LBA), and each of the physical locations is associated with a different physical location address (PLA). The controller generates mapping information that links the different LBAs to the different PLAs. Upon detecting a soft error when reading a data packet stored in a physical location, the controller relocates the data packet associated with the soft error to a physical location of the non-volatile cache memory. The controller also marks the physical location as a suspect location. The controller updates the mapping information to reflect the relocation of the data packet associated with the soft error.

Abstract: A storage media comprising a first storage subset with a first value of a storage media characteristic and a second storage subset with a second value of the storage media characteristic, the first value of a storage media characteristic being substantially different than the second value of the storage media characteristic and a storage controller configured to allocate a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs) between the first storage subset and the second storage subset based on a predetermined criterion in view of the first value of the storage media characteristic and the second value of the storage media characteristic.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory. In accordance with some embodiments, a data object is stored in a first non-volatile tier of a multi-tier memory structure. A metadata unit is generated to describe the data object, the metadata unit having a selected granularity. The metadata unit is stored in a different, second non-volatile tier of the multi-tier memory structure responsive to the selected granularity.

Abstract: A data storage device includes one or more storage media that include multiple physical storage locations. The device also includes at least one cache memory having a logical space that includes a plurality of separately managed logical block address (LBA) ranges. Additionally, a controller is included in the device. The controller is configured to receive data extents addressed by a first LBA and a logical block count. The controller is also configured to identify at least one separately managed LBA range of the plurality of separately managed LBA ranges in the at least one cache memory based on LBAs associated with at least some of the received data extents. The controller stores the at least some of the received data extents in substantially monotonically increasing LBA order in at least one physical storage location, of the at least one cache memory, assigned to the identified at least one LBA range.

Abstract: Host read operations affecting a first logical block address of a data storage device are tracked. The data storage device includes a main storage and a non-volatile cache that mirrors a portion of data of the main storage. One or more criteria associated with the host read operations are determined. The criteria are indicative of future read requests of second logical block address associated with the first logical block address. Data of the at least the second logical block address is copied from the main storage to the non-volatile cache if the criteria meets a threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a heat-assisted magnetic recording head configured to write to and read from a magnetic recording medium. The head comprises a reader and a writer including a near-field transducer (NFT). The reader comprises a center which is laterally offset relative to a center of the writer to define a reader-writer offset (RWO) therebetween. A magnetic recording medium comprises a plurality of tracks. The plurality of tracks comprises at least one track used as a region to test for a shift in the RWO. A processor is coupled to the recording head and configured to detect the RWO shift.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory. In accordance with some embodiments, a data object is stored in a first non-volatile tier of a multi-tier memory structure. A metadata unit is generated to describe the data object, the metadata unit having a selected granularity. The metadata unit is stored in a different, second non-volatile tier of the multi-tier memory structure responsive to the selected granularity.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory, such as a flash memory. In accordance with some embodiments, a memory module has a plurality of solid-state non-volatile memory cells. A controller communicates a first command having address information and a first operation code. The first operation code identifies a first action to be taken by the memory module in relation to the address information. The controller subsequently communicates a second command having a second operation code without corresponding address information. The memory module takes a second action identified by the second command using the address information from the first command.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller capable of being coupled to a host interface and a memory device. The memory device includes two or more non-hierarchical, non-volatile memory units having different minimum addressable data unit sizes. The controller is configured to at least perform determining a workload indicator of a data object being stored in the memory device via the host interface. The controller selects one of the memory units in response to the workload indicator of the data object corresponding to the minimum addressable data unit size of the selected memory unit corresponding to the workload indicator. The data object is stored in the selected memory unit in response thereto.

Abstract: Torn write mitigation circuitry determines if a write operation to memory is in progress at or about a time of power loss. In response to the write operation being in progress at or about the time of the power loss, the torn write mitigation circuitry causes torn write data and metadata to be stored to a non-volatile cache. The torn write data comprise data left in a degraded or uncorrectable state as a result of the loss of power. The metadata describe the torn write data.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory. In accordance with some embodiments, input write data having a selected logical address are stored in a rewriteable non-volatile (NV) buffer. A copy of the input write data is transferred to an NV main memory using a sloppy write process. A verify operation is subsequently performed to verify successful transfer of the copy of the input write data to the NV main memory using a hash value generated responsive to the input write data in the NV buffer.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording head is configured to write data to and read data from a magnetic recording medium. The head comprises a reader and a writer including a near-field transducer (NFT). The reader comprises a center which is laterally offset relative to a center of the writer to define a reader-writer offset (RWO) therebetween. A controller is configured to control the writer to write data to data tracks of the medium, detect a shift in the RWO, and in response to the detected shift in the RWO, control the writer to write data to a plurality of tracks defining a reserved band during an open period of the reserved band.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing a memory, such as but not limited to a flash memory. In accordance with some embodiments, user data and associated metadata are stored in a memory. The metadata are arranged as a first sequence of snapshots of the metadata at different points in time during the operation of the memory, and a second sequence of intervening journals which reflect updates to the metadata from one snapshot to the next. Requested portions of the metadata are recovered from the memory using a selected snapshot in the first sequence and first and second journals in the second sequence.

Abstract: An example method includes providing at least two data storage areas in a memory, providing a first amount of over-provisioning for a first of the at least two data storage areas and a second amount of over-provisioning for a second of the at least two data storage areas, categorizing data based on a characteristic of the data, and storing the data in one of the at least two data storage areas based on the categorization.

Abstract: Quality of service indicators are provided from a host via a host interface. The quality of service indicators relate to data stored in a non-volatile data storage via the host. Workload indicators related to the quality of service indicators are measured, and a weighting is assigned to the host in response to a correlation between the quality of service indicators and the measured workload indicators. The weighting is applied to the quality of service indicators when responding to data access requests from the host.

Abstract: A device includes one or more data storage media having a main storage area. The device also includes a non-volatile cache memory and a controller. The controller stores a plurality of data packets into a plurality of physical locations in the main storage area of the one or more data storage media. Each of the plurality of data packets is associated with a different logical block address (LBA), and each of the plurality of physical locations is associated with a different physical location address. The controller generates mapping information that links the different LBAs associated with the different data packets to the different physical location addresses associated with the different physical locations.

Abstract: A storage media comprising a first storage subset with a first value of a storage media characteristic and a second storage subset with a second value of the storage media characteristic, the first value of a storage media characteristic being substantially different than the second value of the storage media characteristic and a storage controller configured to allocate a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs) between the first storage subset and the second storage subset based on a predetermined criterion in view of the first value of the storage media characteristic and the second value of the storage media characteristic.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory, such as a flash memory. In accordance with some embodiments, a memory has a plurality of solid-state non-volatile memory cells. A processing circuit is connected to the memory and configured to direct the execution of a plurality of read error recovery routines in response to at least one uncorrectable read error in a data set retrieved from the memory. The recovery routines are executed in a selected order based on an elapsed recovery time parameter for each of the recovery routines and an estimated probability of success of each of the recovery routines.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory, such as a flash memory. In accordance with some embodiments, the apparatus has a solid-state non-volatile memory and a processing circuit configured to write data to a selected location of the memory. The data are arranged in the form of multi-bit code words each comprising a user data payload and associated parity data configured to correct one or more bit errors in the user data payload. The processing circuit adjusts at least a selected one of a size of the code words, a size of the user data payloads or a size of the parity data responsive to at least a selected one of an accumulated count of access operations upon the selected location or an error rate associated with the selected location.

Abstract: An example method includes providing at least two data storage areas in a memory, providing a first amount of over-provisioning for a first of the at least two data storage areas and a second amount of over-provisioning for a second of the at least two data storage areas, categorizing data based on a characteristic of the data, and storing the data in one of the at least two data storage areas based on the categorization.