Method and system for storing field replaceable unit dynamic information using tagged data elements

• US 20030217043A1
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jumper, Gregory S., Weiss, Steven E., Gilstrap, Raymond J., Gang, Fongyan, Gordon, David S., Hain, Daniel J., Abramovitz, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/413,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217043A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method includes providing a field replaceable unit having a memory device. A first data element including dynamic information associated with the service life of the field replaceable unit is generated. A first tag is generated for the first data element. The first tag is prepended to the first data element to generate a first tagged data element. The first tagged data element is stored in the memory device. A computing system includes a field replaceable unit having a memory device configured to store a first tagged data element, the first tagged data element including a first data element including dynamic information associated with the service life of the field replaceable unit and a first tag associated with the first data element.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a field replaceable unit having a memory device;

generating a first data element including dynamic information associated with a service life of the field replaceable unit;

generating a first tag for the first data element;

prepending the first tag to the first data element to generate a first tagged data element; and

storing the first tagged data element in the memory device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second data element including static information associated with the identity of the field replaceable unit;

generating a second tag for the second data element;

prepending the second tag to the second data element; and

storing the second data element in the memory device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data element further comprises generating the first data element including at least one of installation data, operational history data, status data, error data, upgrade/repair data, and customer data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the second data element further comprises generating the second data element including manufacturing data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dividing the memory device into a first segment and a second segment;

storing the first tagged data element in the first segment; and

storing the second tagged data element in the second segment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a first type of protection for the first segment; and

providing a second type of protection for the second segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the first type of protection further comprises providing a read-write type of protection.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the second type of protection further comprises providing a read-only type of protection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first tag further comprises generating the first tag including a unique name parameter and a length parameter based on the size of the first data element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the first tag further comprises generating the first tag including a tag type parameter associated with the tag.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data element further comprises generating a field.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data element further comprises generating a record.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data element further comprises generating a record including a plurality of fields.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data element further comprises generating a record including at least one sub-record.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data element further comprises generating the first data element including a plurality of sub-data elements without associated tags distinct from the first tag.

16. A computing system comprising a field replaceable unit including a memory device configured to store a first tagged data element, the first tagged data element including a first data element including dynamic information associated with the service life of the field replaceable unit and a first tag associated with the first data element.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory device is further configured to store a second tagged data element, the second tagged data element including a second data element including static information associated with the identity of the field replaceable unit and a second tag associated with the second data element.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein first data element further comprises at least one of installation data, operational history data, status data, error data, upgrade/repair data, and customer data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the second data element further comprises manufacturing data.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory device comprises a first segment configured to store the first tagged data element and a second segment configured to store the second tagged data element.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first segment has a first type of protection and the second segment has a second type of protection.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first type of protection further comprises a read-write type of protection.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the second type of protection further comprises a read-only type of protection.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the first tag further comprises a unique name parameter and a length parameter based on the size of the first data element.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first tag further comprises a tag type parameter associated with the tag.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data element further comprises a field.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data element further comprises a record.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data element further comprises a record including a plurality of fields.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data element further comprises a record including at least one sub-record.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data element further comprises a plurality of sub-data elements without associated tags distinct from the first tag.

31. A computing system, comprising:

a field replaceable unit including a memory device; and

a controller configured to generate a first data element including dynamic information associated with the service life of the field replaceable unit, generate a first tag for the first data element, prepend the first tag to the first data element to generate a first tagged data element, and store the first tagged data element in the memory device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a second data element including static information associated with the identity of the field replaceable unit, generate a second tag for the second data element, prepend the second tag to the second data element, and store the second data element in the memory device.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein first data element further comprises at least one of installation data, operational history data, status data, error data, upgrade/repair data, and customer data.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the second data element further comprises manufacturing data.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the memory device comprises a first segment and a second segment, and the controller is configured to store the first tagged data element in the first segment and store the second tagged data element in the second segment.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the first segment has a first type of protection and the second segment has a second type of protection.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the first type of protection further comprises a read-write type of protection.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the second type of protection further comprises a read-only type of protection.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the first tag further comprises a unique name parameter and a length parameter based on the size of the first data element.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the first tag further comprises a tag type parameter associated with the tag.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the first data element further comprises a field.

42. The system of claim 31, wherein the first data element further comprises a record.

43. The system of claim 31, wherein the first data element further comprises a record including a plurality of fields.

44. The system of claim 31, wherein the first data element further comprises a record including at least one sub-record.

45. The system of claim 31, wherein the first data element further comprises a plurality of sub-data elements without associated tags distinct from the first tag.

46. A computing system, comprising:

a field replaceable unit having a memory device;

means for generating a first data element including dynamic information associated with the service life of the field replaceable unit;

means for generating a first tag for the first data element;

means for prepending the first tag to the first data element to generate a first tagged data element; and

means for storing the first tagged data element in the memory device.