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US 2002/0166027 A1Published application
Updating method of firmware of hard disk unit mounted on disk array device and disk array device with function for performing updating method
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsManabu Shirasawa, Mikio Fukuoka, Takao Satoh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Data recorded in a disk of a hard disk unit is copied to another hard disk unit. A proxy mode, for making the other hard disk unit which has been copied with the data to perform an I/O process to the hard disk unit in place thereof, is performed. Meanwhile, the firmware of the original hard disk unit is updated, and contents of the disk is set up to a latest updated state. Then, the operation in the proxy mode is stopped, and the operation is switched to an operation in a normal mode where the I/O process is directly performed to the original hard disk unit.
Claims16
An updating method of firmware stored within a hard disk unit in a disk array device,
- said updating method being applicable to a disk array device which is mounted with a plurality of hard disk units, each of which comprising a mechanical section of such as a disk and a head, and an electronic circuit section mounted with such as various control functions and signal process functions of the mechanical section and an external interface function of a predetermined standard, and which is structured to comprise means for storing data in said hard disk unit, said data being received from another device which is connected via a predetermined communication means such as a LAN,
- said updating method comprising:
- a step for copying data recorded in a disk of a hard disk unit A, of which firmware is to be updated, to another hard disk unit B;
- a step for stopping an I/O process performed to said hard disk unit A after said copying, and switching to an operation in a proxy mode in which said hard disk unit B performs the I/O process to the hard disk unit A in place of the hard disk unit A;
- a history management step for storing a data-modification history due to said I/O process during operation in said proxy mode;
- a step for updating the firmware of the hard disk unit A during operation in said proxy mode;
- a step for operating the hard disk unit A with the firmware having been updated;
- a step for setting up contents of the disk of the hard disk unit A, which has started operation with the new firmware, to a latest updated state by said modification history and data recorded in a disk of the hard disk unit A or B;
- and
- a step for stopping the operation in said proxy mode after completion of said set-up, and switching to an operation in a normal mode in which said I/O process is directly performed to the hard disk unit A.
7 more elements
An updating method of firmware stored within a hard disk unit in a disk array device,
- said updating method being applicable to a disk array device which is mounted with a plurality of hard disk units, each of which comprising a mechanical section of such as a disk and a head, and an electronic circuit section mounted with such as various control functions and signal process functions of the mechanical section and an external interface function of a predetermined standard, and which is structured to comprise means for storing data with a mechanism of RAID 2 to 5 structured by said hard disk units, said data being received from another device which is connected via a predetermined communication means such as a LAN,
- said updating method comprising:
- a step for stopping an I/O process performed to a hard disk unit A of which firmware is to be updated, and switching the I/O process performed to the hard disk unit A to an operation in a proxy mode performed by utilizing data of the hard disk unit A restored by data-restoration information which is stored in one or more disks of another hard disk unit group B structuring a RAID together with the hard disk unit A;
- a history management step for storing a data-modification history due to said I/O process during operation of said proxy mode;
- a step for updating the firmware of the hard disk unit A during operation in said proxy mode;
- a step for operating the hard disk unit A with the firmware having been updated;
- a step for setting up contents of the disk of the hard disk unit A, which has started operation with the new firmware, to a latest updated state by said modification history and said data-restoration information;
- and
- a step for stopping the operation in said proxy mode after said set up is complete, and switching to an operation in a normal mode in which said I/O process is directly performed to the hard disk unit A.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.