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Memory management in flash-memory disks with data compression

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Memory Management (IWMM 1995)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 986))

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Abstract

This paper describes the design and implementation of a memory management method, Link-Fit, which allows transparent hardware data compression to be incorporated in a flash-memory based disk. Link-Fit is compared with the standard method for flash-memory management, which writes sequentially and uses copying compaction for storage reclamation. Flash-memory is different from DRAM on three accounts, it is non-volatile, it must be explicitly erased on a block basis before it can be rewritten, and it has a relatively low write performance. Data compression can improve the effective capacity, and hence the $/MB ratio by a factor of two. Likewise the write performance can be improved by a factor of two, since only half the amount of data must be written to the non-volatile store. As a result of using data compression the memory manager must handle variable sized blocks efficiently, in terms of both time overheads and storage utilisation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Electronic Systems Design Group, Loughborough University of Technology, LE11 3TU, Leicestershire, England

    Morten KjelsØ & Simon Jones

Authors
  1. Morten KjelsØ
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  2. Simon Jones
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Editor information

Henry G. Baler

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© 1995 Springer-Verlag

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KjelsØ, M., Jones, S. (1995). Memory management in flash-memory disks with data compression. In: Baler, H.G. (eds) Memory Management. IWMM 1995. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 986. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-60368-9_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-60368-9_36

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-60368-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45511-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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