Method and apparatus for upgrading disk drive firmware in a RAID storage system
US6816950B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 9, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 19, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99955
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for logging information regarding write operations directed to the disk being upgraded while the single disk is inoperable during the upgrade process. When the upgrade of the disk is complete, the logged information is used to update the information stored on the upgraded disk. The logged information is sufficient to update the disk contents without requiring a time consuming total reconstruction of the entire content of the disk. In one exemplary preferred embodiment, the logged information identifies a logical block numbers of the disk that are impacted by write operations processed while the disk firmware was being upgraded. Only the data corresponding to the logged logical block numbers needs be reconstructed from the redundant data on other disks of the array. This method of data reconstruction is a less time consuming process than a total reconstruction of all data on the upgraded disk.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.