BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a scheme for managing reliability of memory systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

The computer environment paradigm has shifted to ubiquitous computing systems that can be used anytime and anywhere. As a result, the use of portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and notebook computers has rapidly increased. These portable electronic devices generally use a memory system having memory device(s), that is, data storage device(s). The data storage device is used as a main memory device or an auxiliary memory device of the portable electronic devices.

Memory systems using memory devices provide excellent stability, durability, high information access speed, and low power consumption, since they have no moving parts. Examples of memory systems having such advantages include universal serial bus (USB) memory devices, memory cards having various interfaces such as a universal flash storage (UFS), and solid state drives (SSDs).

System reliability is one of the most important aspects of memory systems. If memory systems have better capability of handling reliability of stored data therein, the performance and quality of service (QoS) of such memory systems may be improved. Thus, memory systems with better reliability management is desired. In this context, embodiments of the present invention arise.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present invention include a data processing system including a host capable of handling reliability management of memory systems and a reliability management method thereof.

In one aspect, a data processing system includes a plurality of memory systems and a host including a reliability manager coupled to the plurality of memory systems. The reliability manager is configured to analyze characteristics of data associated with a select memory system among the plurality of memory systems; determine a reliability control mode and one or more reliability schemes among a plurality of reliability schemes to be applied to the select memory system based on the characteristics; and provide reliability management information indicating the reliability control mode to the select memory system. The plurality of reliability schemes includes error correction code (ECC), read retry, intra redundancy and refresh schemes.

In another aspect, a method for operating a host coupled to a plurality of memory systems includes: analyzing characteristics of data associated with a select memory system among the plurality of memory systems; determining a reliability control mode and one or more reliability schemes among a plurality of reliability schemes to be applied to the select memory system based on the characteristics; and providing reliability management information indicating the reliability control mode to the select memory system. The plurality of reliability schemes includes error correction code (ECC), read retry, intra redundancy and refresh schemes.

Additional aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

