Process, apparatus, and system for passing data between partitions in a storage device

• US 20030229768A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Mikio, Itoh, Kishiko, Kawano, Seiichi, Sasaki, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A process, apparatus, and system are disclosed that allow information to be passed between software modules in different partitions in an environment for a predetermined operating system (OS) and an area hidden from the operating system (OS) in a storage device, such as hard disk drive (HDD). The computer system may include a hard disk drive (HDD) that meets a protected area run time interface extension services (PARTIES) specification and that has an access environment for an operating system (OS) and a PARTIES partition. The PARTIES partition is an area hidden from the operating system (OS). The computers system also includes a CMOS/NVRAM that provides a work area for communication between a user mode module, operating in the access environment for the operating system (OS) in a user data management application, and a management mode module, operating in an environment corresponding to the hidden area.

Claims

1. An apparatus for passing data between partitions in a storage device, the apparatus comprising:

a first operating system installed on a first partition of the storage device;

a second operating system installed on a second partition of the storage device, the second partition hidden from the first operating system;

a user mode module configured to operate on the first operating system and store in a memory module information that is associated with user data to be backed up; and

a management mode module configured to operate on the second operating system and store the user data in the second partition of the storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user mode module is further configured to allocate a recovery area of the first partition of the storage device for the user data stored in the second partition of the storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the management mode module is further configured to save the user data in an allocated recovery area of the first partition of the can storage device in response to a recovery request from the user mode module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage device is configured to meet one of a protected area run time interface extension services (PARTIES) specification and an equivalent PARTIES specification.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information to be stored in the memory module comprises passing instructions that indicate a procedure for passing data between the first and second partitions of the storage device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information to be stored in the memory module comprises status data associated with the user data that is to be backed up to the second partition of the storage device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information to be stored in the memory module comprises recovery data associated with a recovery request from the user mode module for the user data stored in the second partition of the storage device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a hard disk drive.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a hard disk drive.

9. A system for passing data between partitions in a storage device, the system comprising:

a storage device that is configured to meet one of a protected area run time interface extension services (PARTIES) specification and an equivalent PARTIES specification;

a first partition operating a first operating system and a second partition, hidden from the first operating system, operating a second operating system;

a memory module configured to store passing instructions that indicate a procedure for passing user data between the partitions of the storage device and status data associated with the user data to be backed up on one of the partitions of the storage device;

a user mode module configured to operate on the first operating system and store in the memory module information that is associated with the user data to be backed up; and

a management mode module configured to operate on the second operating system and store the user data in the second partition of the storage device.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a basic input/output system (BIOS) configured to support the booting up of the second operating system on the second partition of the storage device and to create a system management BIOS (SMBIOS) data area.

11. A process for passing data between partitions in a storage device, the process comprising:

operating a first operating system installed on a first partition of the storage device;

operating a second operating system on a second partition of the storage device, the second partition hidden from the first operating system;

storing in a memory module information associated with user data to be backed up; and

storing the user data in the second partition of the storage device.

12. The process of claim 11, further comprising allocating a recovery area of the first partition of the storage device for the user data stored in the second partition of the storage device.

13. The process of claim 11, further comprising saving the user data in an allocated recovery area of the first partition in response to a recovery request from the user mode module.

14. The process of claim 11, wherein the storage device is configured to meet one of a protected area run time interface extension services (PARTIES) specification and an equivalent PARTIES specification.

15. The process of claim 11, further comprising storing in the memory module passing instructions that indicate a procedure for passing data between the first and second partitions of the storage device.

16. The process of claim 11, further comprising storing in the memory module status data associated with the user data to be backed up to the second partition of the storage device.

17. The process of claim 11, further comprising storing in the memory module recovery data associated with a recovery request from the user mode module for the user data stored in the second partition of the storage device.

19. A process for passing data between partitions in a storage device, the process comprising:

operating a first operating system installed on a first partition of the storage device;

operating a second operating system on a second partition of the storage device, the second partition hidden from the first operating system;

storing in a memory module information associated with user data to be backed up;

storing the user data in the second partition of the storage device;

allocating a recovery area of the first partition of the storage device for the user data stored in the second partition of the storage device; and

saving the user data in an allocated recovery area of the first partition in response to a recovery request from the user mode module.

20. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code configured to carry out a process for passing data between partitions in a storage device, the process comprising:

operating a first operating system installed on a first partition of the storage device;

operating a second operating system on a second partition of the storage device, the second partition hidden from the first operating system;

storing in a memory module information associated with user data to be backed up; and

storing the user data in the second partition of the storage device.

21. An apparatus for passing data between partitions in a storage device, the apparatus comprising:

means for operating a first operating system installed on a first partition of the storage device;

means for operating a second operating system on a second partition of the storage device, the second partition hidden from the first operating system;

means for storing in a memory module information associated with user data to be backed up; and

means for storing the user data in the second partition of the storage device.