Protected area growth and OS partition resizing of a hard drive

• US 20020129217A1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Technologies EMEA Limited
• Original Assignee: StorageSoft, Inc. (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Nichols, Anthony Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 6,748,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device

Abstract

A computer having storage apparatus with protected and drive data areas and with an operating system stored in the storage apparatus. The computer is controlled to select a hard drive of the storage apparatus and determine if the selected hard drive has a protected area for storing diagnostic programs and data in combination with a drive data area for storing user information. The computer has operating apparatus for adjusting sizes of the selected hard drive protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of a user of the computer and for reallocating storage of data in the adjusted data areas.

Claims

1. A computer having storage apparatus with an operating system stored therein wherein the computer comprises

apparatus for selecting a hard drive of the storage apparatus and determining if the selected hard drive has a protected area for storing diagnostic programs and data in combination with a drive data area for storing user information, and

operating means for adjusting sizes of the selected hard drive protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of a user of the computer and reallocating storage of data in the adjusted drive data area.

2. The computer set forth in claim 1 wherein the selecting apparatus comprises

means for reading an identity of the hard drive from the hard drive and determining if the hard drive supports the protected area in combination with the drive data area.

3. The computer set forth in claim 2 wherein the selecting apparatus comprises

means for issuing a read native max command to the identified hard drive to read the size of the protected and drive data areas of the identified hard drive.

4. The computer set forth in claim 3 wherein the selecting apparatus comprises

setup means for reading the entire protected and drive date areas of the identified hard drive by issuing a set native max command to the hard drive.

5. The computer set forth in claim 4 wherein the selecting apparatus comprises

reading means for reading boot engineering extension records stored in the protected area on the identified hard drive and checking the records for previously recorded structures stored in the protected area.

6. The computer set forth in claim 5 wherein the selecting apparatus comprises

determining means for determining a start location of the protected area on the identified hard drive from the read boot engineering extension records.

7. The computer set forth in claim 6 wherein the operating means comprises

calculating means for calculating a size of a new protected area in accordance with computer user requirements.

8. The computer set forth in claim 7 wherein the operating means comprises calculating means for calculating a size of a new drive data area in accordance with the computer user requirements.

9. The computer set forth in claim 8 wherein the operating means comprises

means for determining if the operating system has data stored in the calculated new protected area of the identified hard drive.

10. The computer set forth in claim 9 wherein the operating means comprises

means for moving data stored in the calculated new protected area to the calculated new drive data area of the identified hard drive.

11. The computer set forth in claim 10 wherein the operating means comprises

means for updating the file allocation table chain of the identified hard drive.

12. The computer set forth in claim 11 wherein the operating means comprises

means for revising the file directory entry file allocation table pointer to indicate the updated file allocation table chain.

13. The computer set forth in claim 6 wherein the boot engineering extension records reading means comprises

means for checking a last sector of the identified hard drive for structures stored in the identified hard drive protected area.

14. The computer set forth in claim 8 wherein the operating means comprises

means for computing new sizes required for partition table, file allocation table and boot engineering extension records.

15. The computer set forth in claim 14 wherein the operating means comprises

means for revising entries for the new sized partition table, file allocation table and boot engineering extension records.

16. The computer set forth in claim 15 wherein the operating means comprises

means for changing data entries of the selected hard drive protected area to conform to the calculated protected area.

17. The computer set forth in claim 16 wherein the operating means comprises

means for modifying the drive data area to the calculated drive data area using the set native max command.

18. The computer set forth in claim 17 wherein the operating means comprises

means for rebooting the computer.

19. A computer having a hard drive with an operating system stored therein wherein the computer comprises

selecting means for selecting the hard drive and determining if the selected hard drive has a protected area for storing protected data in combination with a drive data area for storing data of a user of the computer,

calculating means for calculating sizes of new protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of the computer user and for resetting sizes of the selected hard drive data storage data areas to the calculated new protected and drive data areas,

moving and updating means for moving user data stored in the calculated new protected area to the calculated new drive data area of the selected hard drive and for updating data location tables within the calculated new drive data area of the selected hard drive, and

rebooting means for rebooting the computer to establish the new protected and user data areas on the selected hard drive.

20. A computer having storage apparatus with an operating system stored therein wherein the computer comprises

means for reading an identity of a hard drive of the storage apparatus and determining if the identified hard drive supports a protected area in combination with a drive data area,

means for issuing a read native max command to the identified hard drive to read the size of the identified hard drive protected and drive data areas,

setup means for reading the entire protected and drive date areas of the identified hard drive by issuing a set native max command to the identified hard drive,

reading means for reading boot engineering extension records stored in the protected area on the identified hard drive and for checking the records of structures previously stored in the protected area,

determining means for determining a start location of the protected area on the identified hard drive from the read boot engineering extension records,

calculating means for calculating a size of a new protected area in accordance with computer user requirements,

calculating means for calculating a size of a new drive data area in accordance with the computer user requirements,

means for determining if the operating system has data stored in the calculated new protected area of the identified hard drive,

means for moving the data stored in the calculated new protected area to the calculated new drive data area of the identified hard drive,

means for updating the file allocation table chain of the identified hard drive,

means for revising the file directory entry file allocation table pointer to indicate the updated file allocation table chain,

means for computing new sizes required for partition table, file allocation table and boot engineering extension records,

means for revising entries for the new sized partition table, file allocation table and boot engineering extension records,

means for changing data entries of the identified hard drive protected area to conform to the calculated protected area,

means for modifying the drive data area to the calculated drive data area using the set native max command, and

means for rebooting the computer.

21. A method for resizing data areas of storage apparatus of a computer having operating system information stored therein comprising the steps of

selecting a hard drive of the storage apparatus and determining if the selected hard drive has a protected area for storing diagnostic programs and data in combination with a drive data area for storing information of a user of the computer, and

adjusting sizes of the selected hard drive protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of the computer user and reallocating data stored in the original protected and drive data areas into the resized protected and drive data areas.

22. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 21 wherein the selecting step comprises the step of

reading an identity of the selected hard drive and determining if the identified hard drive unit supports a protected area in combination with a drive data area.

23. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 22 wherein the selecting step comprises the step of

issuing a read native max command to the identified hard drive to read the size of the protected and drive data areas of the identified hard drive.

24. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 23 wherein the selecting step comprises the step of

reading the entire protected and drive data areas of the identified hard drive by using a set native max command.

25. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 24 wherein the selecting step comprises the step of

examining boot engineering extension records stored on the identified hard drive protected area and checking records thereof for structures previously stored in the protected area.

26. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 25 wherein the selecting step comprises the step of

determining a start location of the protected area on the identified hard drive from the examined boot engineering extension record.

27. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 26 wherein the selecting step comprises the step of

checking a last sector of the identified hard drive for structures stored in the identified hard drive protected area.

28. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 27 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

calculating a size of a new protected area in accordance with computer user requirements.

29. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 28 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

computing a size of a new drive data area in accordance with the computer user requirements.

30. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 29 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

determining if the operating system has data stored in the calculated new protected area of the identified hard drive.

31. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 30 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

computing new sizes required for partition table, file allocation table and boot engineering extension records.

32. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 31 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

moving data stored in the calculated new protected area to the calculated new drive data area of the identified hard drive.

33. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 32 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

updating the file allocation table chain of the identified hard drive.

34. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 33 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

revising the file directory entry file allocation table pointer to indicate the updated file allocation table chain.

35. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 34 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

revising entries for the new sized partition table, file allocation table and boot engineering extension records.

36. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 35 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

changing data entries of the identified hard drive protected area to conform to the calculated protected area.

37. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 36 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

modifying the drive data area to the calculated drive data area using the set native max command.

38. The method of resizing the data storage area of the computer storage apparatus set forth in claim 37 wherein the adjusting step comprises the step of

rebooting the computer.

39. A method for resizing data areas of storage apparatus of a computer having operating system information stored therein comprising the steps of:

selecting a hard drive of the computer storage apparatus and determining if the selected hard drive has a protected data area for storing protected data and a drive data area for storing data of the computer user,

calculating sizes of new protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of the computer user and resetting the sizes of the selected hard drive protected and drive data areas to the calculated new protected and drive data areas,

moving and updating user data stored in the calculated new protected data area to the calculated new drive data area of the selected hard drive and updating data location tables within the calculated new drive data area of the selected hard drive, and

rebooting the computer to establish the new protected and drive data areas on the selected hard drive.

40. A storage medium for enabling operation of a computer to resize data areas of storage apparatus having operating system information stored therein wherein the storage medium has a method stored therein comprising the steps of

selecting a hard drive of the storage apparatus and determining if the selected hard drive has a protected area for storing diagnostic programs and data in combination with a drive data area for storing information of a user of the computer, and

adjusting the selected hard drive protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of the computer user and reallocating storage of data in the adjusted protected and drive data areas.

41. A storage medium for enabling operation of a computer to resize data areas of storage apparatus having operating system information stored therein wherein the storage medium has a method stored therein comprising the steps of

selecting a hard drive of the computer storage apparatus and determining if the selected hard drive has a protected data area for storing protected data and a drive data area for storing data of the computer user,

calculating sizes of new protected and drive data areas in accordance with requirements of the computer user and resetting the sizes of the selected hard drive protected and drive data areas to the sizes of the calculated new protected and drive data areas,

moving and updating user data stored in the calculated new protected data area to the calculated new drive data area of the selected hard drive and updating data location tables within the calculated new drive data areas of the selected hard drive, and

rebooting the computer to establish the new protected and user data areas on the selected hard drive.

42. A computer having a hard drive with an operating system stored therein wherein the computer comprises

processor apparatus for selecting the hard drive and adjusting sizes of protected and drive areas of the selected hard drives in accordance with requirements of a user of the computer and for reallocating storage of data in the adjusted protected and drive data areas.