NVMe Copy Command Acceleration

A data storage device includes a memory device and a controller coupled to the memory device. When a copy command is received by the controller from a host device, the controller reads the relevant data from one or more first locations of the memory device. The data is the processed by an Rx path, where the data is decoded, decrypted, and verified. Rather than providing the data back to the host device or being made available to the host device, a copy accelerator loops the data from the Rx path to a Tx path, where protection information is generated and added to the data and the data is encrypted and encoded. The data is then programmed back to the memory device in a second location. By using the copy accelerator, a latency associated with performing copy command operations and other data management operations may be decreased.