Review on Developments in Nand Flash Page Replacement Algorithms

Abstract

The non volatility, low power consumption and high density of NAND flash memories, made them an inevitable part of electronic industry. Due to the high wear out nature exhibited by flash systems, the algorithms used for page replacement in traditional memory systems are not suitable for flash page replacement. Along with the objective to maintain high hit rate, flash page replacement algorithms should aim at decreasing the page write count and maintain wear levelling. This paper presents major algorithms proposed for flash memory page replacement. The major contribution of this work is a relative study on various strategies, performance matrices and evaluation tools used for flash page replacement algorithm. The study shall help the researchers to identify the pros and cons of various flash page replacement algorithms, to identify the major gaps in between and to identify some commendable tools that can be used for flash page replacement algorithm evaluation. The gaps identified need to be addressed seriously in the near future.