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AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsTodd L. Carpenter, David Abzarian, Mark Myers, David J. Steeves, Jr.
Estimating the term…
Described is a technology by which a single physical storage device such as a USB flash memory device is able to boot different computing devices via corresponding different operating systems. The storage device includes a selection mechanism that determines which virtual disk (corresponding to a LUN) is seen by the host as the currently active LUN having sector 0, and therefore is the boot disk. The selection mechanism also may select which (if any) other LUNs are visible to the host. The selection mechanism and accompanying indicator may be operated when the storage device is disconnected, e.g., via manual switches and/or LEDs, buttons and/or a display (e.g., via internal power). Also described is allowing each LUN to have a user-friendly name.
In a computing environment, a system comprising, a storage device configured with two or more logical unit numbers (LUNs) wherein at least two of the two or more LUNs are each capable of being an active LUN with respect to booting the host computing device, a logical unit number (LUN) controller configured to control access to the two or more LUNs when hosted by a host computing device, a selection mechanism coupled to the LUN controller, the selection mechanism configured to determine whether to provide access to each LUN of the two or more LUNs by the host computing device, and wherein the selection mechanism is further configured to determine which of the LUNs is currently the active LUN.
In a computing environment, a method comprising, determining which logical unit numbers (LUN) of two or more logical unit numbers (LUNs) is a currently active LUN, receiving a boot request, providing access to the currently active LUN for booting the host, and in response to receiving an indication that access to at least one other LUN of the two or more LUNs is permitted, providing access to the at least one other LUN.
A data storage device, comprising, a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) each configured to store code or data, or both code and data, the plurality of LUNs including at least a first LUN configured to boot a first host computing device and a second LUN configured to boot a second host computing device, a controller that controls a logical connection of each the plurality of LUNs to a host computing device, and a selection mechanism configured to set which of the at least the first LUN and the second LUN is to be logically connected as a currently active LUN for use in booting a computing device when connected thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.