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Loop transformations for flash memory: cost models and performance effects

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Abstract

Loop optimization, made of a sequence of loop transformations, plays an important role in performance improvement in data centric applications. Programs using flash memory are no exception to this, but, under certain conditions careless applications of specific loop transformations might cause unexpected results, due to the characteristics of flash memory and underlying management systems. In this article, we analyze how loop transformations affect the performance in flash translation layers (FTLs). First, we choose four loop structures which have distinct reference patterns and propose a cost model for each structure, reflecting the properties of flash memory. Then, using these cost models, we investigate how loop transformations affect the block associative sector translation (BAST)’s and fully associative sector translation (FAST)’s internal operations and analyze the performance effect of loop transformations experimentally. As a result, we find that some of the major loop transformations cause unexpected performance effects in those major FTLs under certain conditions.

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Notes

  1. To simplify the analysis and cost models, our work does not consider any layers interleaved between applications and FTL. We believe that such an assumption is reasonable starting point of complex models analysis. In addition, this assumption is immediately applicable for explicit I/O operations [19, 20]. In Fig. 1, iowrite() indicates a function to request explicit write operations [19].

  2. lbn is calculated by dividing the lpn by the number of pages in a block. In Fig. 3, the spare area has lpn, and the number of pages per block is 4. Thus, the lbn within pbn, 10, is 1 (4 div 4).

    Fig. 3
    figure 3

    Distinct FTL designs between BAST and FAST [4]

    Full size image

  3. The immature state means that a log block has available space.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2010-0013386).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Software Research Center, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    Joon-Young Paik

  2. College of Information Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea

    Tae-Sun Chung

  3. Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    Eun-Sun Cho

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  1. Joon-Young Paik
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  2. Tae-Sun Chung
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  3. Eun-Sun Cho
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Correspondence to Eun-Sun Cho.

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Paik, JY., Chung, TS. & Cho, ES. Loop transformations for flash memory: cost models and performance effects. Des Autom Embed Syst 17, 627–667 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10617-014-9144-7

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