STORAGE-SYSTEM-BASED DRIVER DISTRIBUTION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110173639A1
• Filed: 01/09/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martinez, Lisa R., Fleming, Mark S., Coronado, Juan A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,978,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/327
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A method for distributing drivers from a storage system to one or more host systems includes maintaining, in a storage system, a driver database containing drivers for different host systems. The drivers enable the different host systems to effectively communicate with the storage system. The method further determines whether a specific host system is configured with an appropriate driver. In the event the specific host system is not configured with the appropriate driver, the method retrieves the appropriate driver from the driver database. The method then transmits the appropriate driver from the storage system to the specific host system for installation thereon. By using the storage system as a central repository for the latest device drivers, the method ensures that connected host systems are always configured with the latest drivers. A corresponding apparatus, system, and computer program product are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for distributing drivers from a storage system to one or more connected host systems, the method comprising;

maintaining, in a storage system, a driver database containing drivers for different host systems, the drivers enabling the different host systems to communicate with the storage system;

determining whether a specific host system is configured with an appropriate driver;

retrieving the appropriate driver from the driver database in the event the specific host system is not configured with the appropriate driver; and

transmitting the appropriate driver from the storage system to the specific host system for installation thereon.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying at least one host system when at least one updated driver has been added to the driver database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein notifying comprises notifying all host systems connected to the storage system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein notifying comprises notifying only host systems that are affected by the at least one updated driver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a user to download an updated driver to the driver database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a host system is characterized by at least one of a server type and an OS type.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, in the storage system, host configuration information indicating which drivers are currently being utilized by each connected host system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically notifying a host system, connected to the storage system, what the appropriate driver is for the host system.

9. An apparatus for distributing drivers from a storage system to one or more connected host systems, the apparatus comprising;

a maintenance module to maintain, in a storage system, a driver database containing drivers for different host systems, the drivers enabling the different host systems to communicate with the storage system;

a determination module to determine whether a specific host system is configured with an appropriate driver;

a retrieval module to retrieve the appropriate driver from the driver database in the event the specific host system is not configured with the appropriate driver; and

a transmission module to transmit the appropriate driver from the storage system to the specific host system for installation thereon.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a notification module to notify at least one host system when at least one updated driver has been added to the driver database.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the notification module is configured to notify all host systems connected to the storage system.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the notification module is configured to notify only host systems that are affected by the at least one updated driver.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a download module to enable a user to download an updated driver to the driver database.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the appropriate driver is based on at least one of a server type and an OS type of the specific host system.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a gather module to gather, in the storage system, host configuration information indicating which drivers are currently being utilized by each connected host system.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a notification module to periodically notify connected host systems what the appropriate drivers are for the host systems.

17. A computer program product to distribute drivers from a storage system to one or more connected host systems, the computer program product comprising a computer-usable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code comprising:

computer-usable program code to maintain, in a storage system, a driver database containing drivers for different host systems, the drivers enabling the different host systems to communicate with the storage system;

computer-usable program code to determine whether a specific host system is configured with an appropriate driver;

computer-usable program code to retrieve the appropriate driver from the driver database in the event the specific host system is not configured with the appropriate driver; and

computer-usable program code to transmit the appropriate driver from the storage system to the specific host system for installation thereon.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer-usable program code to notify at least one host system when at least one updated driver has been added to the driver database.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein notifying comprises notifying all host systems connected to the storage system.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein notifying comprises notifying only host systems that are affected by the at least one updated driver.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer-usable program code to enable a user to download an updated driver to the driver database.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein a host system is characterized by at least one of a server type and an OS type.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer-usable program code to store, in the storage system, host configuration information indicating which drivers are currently being utilized by each connected host system.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer-usable program code to periodically notify a host system, connected to the storage system, what the appropriate driver is for the host system.

25. A system comprising;

a storage system;

a plurality of host systems connected to the storage system;

a driver database within the storage system and containing drivers for the plurality of different host systems, the drivers enabling the different host systems to communicate with the storage system; and

the storage system configured to transmit drivers from the driver database to the different host systems for installation thereon.