System and method to backup data about devices in a network

• US 20100211546A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lannom Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lennox Manufacturing Inc. (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grohman, Wojciech M., Hadzidedic, Darko
• Application Number:
  US12/378,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system to backup data about a device in a network is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the system includes a storage system for the data about the device in a controller, a first subsystem for determining that the data should be transferred to the device, and a second subsystem for transferring the data to the device for use.

Claims

1. A system for backing up operating control data about a device connected to a controller in a network, comprising:

a storage system for the data about the device in the controller;

a first subsystem for determining that the data should be transferred to the device; and

a second subsystem for transferring the data to the device for use.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a subnet controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is an active subnet controller.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inactive subnet controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the storage subsystem for the data about the device in the controller is a first storage subsystem, and wherein the inactive subnet controller has a second storage subsystem for the data about the device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second subsystem interconnects a user interface and the device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second subsystem interconnects the controller and the device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage subsystem includes non-volatile memory.

9. A method for backing up operating control data for a device connected to a controller in a network, comprising the steps of:

transferring the data from the device to the controller;

storing the data in the controller;

determining that the data should be transferred back to the device for use; and

transferring the data from the controller to the device for use.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed with a user interface or gateway.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed with a thermostat.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller is a subnet controller.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller has non-volatile memory, and wherein the storing of data is storing the data in the non-volatile memory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of not terminating any process until the data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the process is a commissioning process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the commissioning process involves network configuration.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the commissioning process involves network verification.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising an inactive subnet controller.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of storing the data in the inactive subnet controller.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the data is transferred from a user interface to the device.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the data is transferred from a controller to the device.