External storage access mode
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsTsue-Yi Huang, Chia-Cheng Lin, Thong Thai, Chao-Shen Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A target computing device includes a storage device, a target port, and firmware. The target port is connectable to a host port of a host computing device. The firmware is to operate the target computing device in an external storage access mode in which the storage device is externally accessible without the target computing device fully operating. The host computing device accesses via the host port the storage device as an external storage device.
Claims19
A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program code executable by a host computing device to perform processing comprising:
- detecting connection of a host port of the host computing device to a target port of a target computing device that is not currently fully operating;
- detecting that the target computing device is operable in an external storage access mode in which a storage device of the target computing device is externally accessible at the target port without the target computing device fully operating;
- in response to the target computing device operating in the external storage access mode, accessing via the host port the storage device as an external storage device;
- in response to detecting the connection of the host port to the target port, detecting that power reserves of the host computing device are sufficient to provide power to the target computing device via the host port to operate in the external storage access mode;
- and
- in response to detecting that the power reserves are sufficient and in response to detecting that the target computing device is operable in the external storage access mode, providing the power to the target computing device via the host port and instructing the target computing device to operate in the external storage access mode, the target computing device receiving the power and responsively operating in the external storage access mode.
A method comprising:
- connecting a target port of a target computing device that is not currently fully operating to a host port of a host computing device that is fully operating;
- informing, by the target computing device, the host computing device that the target computing device is operational in an external storage access mode in which a storage device of the target computing device is externally accessible at the target port without the target computing device fully operating;
- determining, by the host computing device, whether the power reserves of the host computing device are sufficient to provide power to the target computing device via the host port to operate in the external access mode;
- and
- in response to determining that the power reserves of the host computing device are sufficient to provide power to the target computing device:
- providing, by the host computing device the power to the target computing device via the host port, and
- operating, by the target computing device, in the external storage access mode, the host computing device accessing via the host port the storage device as an external storage device.
A target computing device comprising:
- a storage device;
- a target port to connect to a host port of a host computing device;
- and
- firmware to receive an instruction from the host computing device to operate the target computing device in an external storage access mode in which the storage device is externally accessible without the target computing device fully operating, the host computing device accessing via the host port the storage device as an external storage device, the host computing device sending the instruction in response to a determination regarding a power requirement to operate the target computing device in the external storage access mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.