[SOLVED] What triggers "Garbage Collection"

[Steven_36]

When an OS (operating system) is NOT using TRIM, here is my question:
Given the fact an SSD recognizes:
a.) Free Space
b.) Valid data
c.) Stale data

1.) Does Garbage Collection actually delete Stale data on its own accord?
2.) What exactly TRIGGERS Garbage Collection to delete the aforementioned Stale data?

Rephrasing (and some background) for clarity, I know that Garbage Collection is always moving Valid data and corralling (like a cowboy) Stale data into "blocks" so that the blocks of Stale data can be deleted when the time comes (obviously, "delete" actually means "clear the block" so data may be written to it)......... So, what exactly triggers (or will trigger) the Garbage Collection function to clear those blocks?

(There are several "detailed information replete with pretty illustrations explaining Garbage Collection" that have proliferated all over the net.... however, none of them actually explain what triggers Garbage Collection on a non-trim-enabled OS.)

Thank you!

 

[Bob.B]

When an OS (operating system) is NOT using TRIM, here is my question:
Given the fact an SSD recognizes:
a.) Free Space
b.) Valid data
c.) Stale data

1.) Does Garbage Collection actually delete Stale data on its own accord?
2.) What exactly TRIGGERS Garbage Collection to delete the aforementioned Stale data?

Rephrasing (and some background) for clarity, I know that Garbage Collection is always moving Valid data and corralling (like a cowboy) Stale data into "blocks" so that the blocks of Stale data can be deleted when the time comes (obviously, "delete" actually means "clear the block" so data may be written to it)......... So, what exactly triggers (or will trigger) the Garbage Collection function to clear those blocks?

(There are several "detailed information replete with pretty illustrations explaining Garbage Collection" that have proliferated all over the net.... however, none of them actually explain what triggers Garbage Collection on a non-trim-enabled OS.)

Thank you!

I suspect the trigger will vary depending on the firmware in the drive.
So as not to confuse myself my answer was.....it is enabled when the drive goes idle.

 

[Steven_36]

Thank you, but I'm curious if Garbage Collection REALLY deletes data on its own? ("deletes" = "clears the blocks of pages to make available for writing") On a new, mostly empty drive, does it really delete of its own accord Or does it wait until the disk is FULL and THEN start deleting? Again, we are talking about an SSD in an OS that does not have TRIM support.

 

[Bob.B]

Thank you, but I'm curious if Garbage Collection REALLY deletes data on its own? ("deletes" = "clears the blocks of pages to make available for writing") On a new, mostly empty drive, does it really delete of its own accord Or does it wait until the disk is FULL and THEN start deleting? Again, we are talking about an SSD in an OS that does not have TRIM support.

Beats me.
Best I can tell you is hit up google do some reading and get confused.

 

[Steven_36]

Bob, yes, it beats me too (that's why I posted here). And yes, I have spent 2+ months "hitting up google" reading the the articles that are copied and pasted everywhere. Thank you anyway, Bob, for trying. Hopefully we'll get an engineer (or budding engineer) reading this thread.

 

[Endre]

Thank you, but I'm curious if Garbage Collection REALLY deletes data on its own? ("deletes" = "clears the blocks of pages to make available for writing") On a new, mostly empty drive, does it really delete of its own accord Or does it wait until the disk is FULL and THEN start deleting? Again, we are talking about an SSD in an OS that does not have TRIM support.

I’m curious, what OS are you using?

 

[USAFRet]

GC, in a nutshell:

Garbage Collection and TRIM in SSDs Explained – An SSD Primer - The SSD Review

'Garbage Collection in SSDs' is a contributed article that was submitted by LSI and authored by Kent

www.thessdreview.com