System for monitoring and reporting aircraft data storage status

An apparatus for monitoring and reporting data storage status of one or more line replaceable units installed in an aircraft and each including a data storage device, the apparatus comprising:

• a status retrieval interface connectible to the one or more line replaceable units, each generating a storage status in response to a data operation thereon, the storage status including total capacity, and a current occupied space separately delineated according to constituent data types;
• a status database connected to the status retrieval interface, the storage statuses from each of the one or more line replaceable units being recorded therein in conjunction with a timestamp;
• a status aggregator connected to the status database, a status report being generated from one or more storage statuses over one or more aircraft flights from the line replaceable units in response to an externally triggered aircraft status change event independent of the data operation and including an aircraft identifier and line replaceable unit identifiers;
• and
• a ground side system interface periodically connectible to a base station that is independent of the apparatus for monitoring and reporting data storage status, the status report including each of the storage statuses recorded in the status database being downloadable to the base station during a limited time duration between the aircraft flights over a temporary communication link.

An apparatus for monitoring and reporting data storage status of one or more line replaceable units installed in an aircraft and each including a data storage device, the apparatus comprising:

• an air side system interface connectible to a data storage monitor installed on the aircraft independent of the apparatus for monitoring and reporting data storage status and collects storage statuses updated after completion of a data operation over one or more aircraft flights from the one or more line replaceable units, the data storage status being reported to the data storage monitor in response to an externally triggered aircraft status change event independent of the data operation, storage statuses including total capacity and a current occupied space separately delineated according to constituent data types;
• a storage status database connected to the air side system interface, the storage statuses retrieved from the data storage monitor being recorded therein;
• an application interface periodically connectible to an external management application, the storage status logs from the storage status database being retrievable by the external management application through the application interface during a limited time duration between the aircraft flights over a temporary communication link;
• and
• an alarm that generates notifications to a predefined destination based upon an evaluation of the storage status logs against one or more alert rules.