Host controlled hybrid storage device

Abstract

A host based caching technique may be used to determine caching policies for a hybrid hard disk drive. Because the host based caching may make use of knowledge about what data is being cached, improved performance may be achieved in some cases.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a storage controller to access a first nonvolatile storage device and a second nonvolatile storage device as a single drive having a capacity of a combination of a capacity of the first nonvolatile storage device and a capacity of the second nonvolatile storage device, the first nonvolatile storage device to have less capacity and faster access time as compared to the second nonvolatile storage device; and   a host processor to execute caching control to read and write directly to the first nonvolatile storage device and move data between the first nonvolatile storage device and the second nonvolatile storage device depending on frequency of access of the data.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first nonvolatile storage device comprises flash memory and the second nonvolatile storage device comprises a rotating magnetic memory. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first nonvolatile storage device comprises phase change memory and the second nonvolatile storage device comprises flash memory. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the storage controller comprises part of a peripheral component control chipset. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the caching control is to determine whether to transfer data from the first nonvolatile storage device to the second nonvolatile storage device based on a file type of the data. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the caching control is to provide information about data for host directed storage to cause the first and second nonvolatile storage device to selectively store data. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the caching control is to provide an explicit indication with a logical block address (LBA) to keep the LBA in the first nonvolatile storage device. 
     
     
         38 . A system comprising:
 a combined storage device including a first nonvolatile storage device and a second nonvolatile storage device as a single drive having a capacity of a combination of a capacity of the first nonvolatile storage device and a capacity of the second nonvolatile storage device, the first nonvolatile storage device to have less capacity and faster access time as compared to the second nonvolatile storage device;   a storage controller to access the combined storage device; and   a host processor to execute caching control to read and write directly to the first nonvolatile storage device and move data between the first nonvolatile storage device and the second nonvolatile storage device depending on frequency of access of the data.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the first nonvolatile storage device comprises flash memory and the second nonvolatile storage device comprises a rotating magnetic memory. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the first nonvolatile storage device comprises phase change memory and the second nonvolatile storage device comprises flash memory. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the storage controller comprises part of a peripheral component control chipset. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the caching control is to determine whether to transfer data from the first nonvolatile storage device to the second nonvolatile storage device based on a file type of the data. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the caching control is to provide information about data for host directed storage to cause the first and second nonvolatile storage device to selectively store data. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the caching control is to provide an explicit indication with a logical block address (LBA) to keep the LBA in the first nonvolatile storage device. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 38 ,
 wherein the host processor comprises a multicore processor, at least one core of the processor to access data of the combined storage device; or,   further comprising a network adapter coupled to exchange data between the combined storage device and a remote network location; or   further comprising a display communicatively coupled to the processor.   
     
     
         46 . A method comprising:
 reading and writing data directly to a first nonvolatile storage device of a combined storage device having the first nonvolatile storage device and a second nonvolatile storage device as a single drive having a capacity of a combination of a capacity of the first nonvolatile storage device and a capacity of the second nonvolatile storage device, the first nonvolatile storage device to have less capacity and faster access time as compared to the second nonvolatile storage device; and   controlling, with software executing on a host processor, movement of the data between the first nonvolatile storage device and the second nonvolatile storage device depending on frequency of access of the data.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the first nonvolatile storage device comprises flash memory and the second nonvolatile storage device comprises a rotating magnetic memory. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the first nonvolatile storage device comprises phase change memory and the second nonvolatile storage device comprises flash memory. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the storage controller comprises part of a peripheral component control chipset. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein controlling movement of the data comprises determining whether to transfer data from the first nonvolatile storage device to the second nonvolatile storage device based on a file type of the data.