Method and system for providing a modular server on USB flash storage

• US 7,467,290 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kingston Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kingston Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Ben Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, TSE W
• Application Number:
  US10/875,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44573 Execute-in-place [XIP]

Abstract

A method and system for providing a modular server-on-a-USB-flash-storage is disclosed. The server-on-a-USB-flash-storage is installed on a computing device. The method and system include providing USB interface logic, USB Local Control Program, a flash memory and a set of control button connectors, light emitting diodes (LED) connectors and a liquid crystal display (LCD) connector. The USB Local Control Program is coupled with the USB interface logic and the flash memory. The USB interface logic interacts with the computing device and allows the computing device to detect the server board. The USB Local Control Program boots up the server and prepares the computing device for use as the server. The flash memory stores a server image for the server, which is provided to the computing device using the USB Local Control Program. The control button connectors allow the server to be turned on, shut down gracefully, or restored to its initial state, by a single press of buttons connected to these connectors. The LED and LCD connectors allow the system status to be displayed or shown. Different server images can be installed onto the same computing device, be it a workstation, a PDA or a notebook computer, by simply swapping in and out the USB flash storage while the computing device is still running or “hot.”

Claims

1. A system for providing a server-on-a-Universal Serial Bus (USB) for a computing device, the system comprising:

a bus interface logic to interface the computing device with the system, the bus interface logic allowing the computing device to communicate with the system;

a memory for storing a server image and a USB local control program, said USB local control program enabling the computing device to be used as a server and booting up said server, the server image being provided from said memory to the computing device by means of the USB local control program, the USB local control program providing hot swappable functionality to create different server environments, the server image includes a default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of a first control logic, an active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of the first control logic, the default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image and the active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image allows the server to track and utilize the firs control logic, a default compressed server image, an active server image, a default flash drive boot-up image, and an active flash boot-up image; and

the first control logic coupled to the bus interface logic comprising serial bus control logic, Flash memory control, interrupt logic, status and control decode, and display control.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an Init connector;

a shut-down connector;

a power-on control connector;

a status light emitting diode connector;

a direct-current power light emitting diode connector; and

a light-emitting-diode display connector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said memory in which said server image is stored is a flash memory.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second control logic, having an address decode and control for the local control program, a flash memory address decode and control, a liquid crystal display address decode and control, one button shut-down interrupt logic, ID status and control decode and one button Init interrupt logic.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a second button, said second control logic also including a logic for shut-down connector coupled to said second button said shut-down connector shutting down said server gracefully if said second button is activated for a particular period of time.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second control logic also includes logic for a power-on connector coupled to the computing device, the power-on connector providing power to the computing device provided that said memory is provided with power.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a light emitting diode (LED) connector,

said second control logic also including a logic for a status LED coupled to the LED connector for indicating the operating status of the server.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising a LED connector,

said second control logic also including a level detecting logic for a power-on LED coupled to the LED connector for indicating the power status of the server.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) connector,

said second control logic also including a logic for a liquid crystal display coupled to said LCD connector for displaying the operating status of the server.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein said bus interface logic, said second control logic, and said memory in which said server image is stored are all located on the same circuit board.

11. A system for providing a server-on-a-USB for a computing device, said system comprising:

a bus interface logic by which to interface the system with the computing device so that the computing device communicates with the system;

a USB local control program coupled to the bus interface logic and a flash memory for storing a server image, said USB local control program enabling the computing device to be used as a server and booting up said server, the server image being provided to the computing device by means of the USB local control program, the USB local control program providing hot swappable functionality to create different server environments, the server image includes a default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of a first control logic, an active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of the first control logic, the default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image and the active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image allows the server to track and utilize the first control logic, a default compressed server image, an active server image, a default flash drive boot-up image, and an active flash boot-up image; and

the first control logic coupled to the bus interface logic comprising serial bus control logic, Flash memory control, interrupt logic, status and control decode, and display control.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second control logic and a first push button, said second control logic including a first logic for a one-button init connector coupled to said first push button for restoring said server to a default state in response to said first push button being pressed for a particular period of time.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second push button, said second control logic also including a second logic for a shut-down connector coupled to said second push button, said shut-down connector shutting down said server gracefully provided that said second push button is pressed for a particular period of time.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said second control logic also includes a third logic for a power-on connector coupled to the computing device, said power-on connector providing power to the computing device provided that said memory is first provided with power.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a LED connector,

said second control logic also including a logic for a status LED coupled to said LED connector for indicating the operating status of the server.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a LED connector,

said second control logic also including a level detecting logic for a power-on LED coupled to said LED connector for indicating the power status of the server.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a LCD connector, said second control logic also including a logic for a liquid crystal display coupled to said LCD connector for displaying the operating status of the server.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said bus interface logic, said USB local control logic, said flash memory, said plurality of control button connectors, said plurality of LED connectors and said liquid crystal display connector are all located on the same circuit board.

19. A method for providing a server-on-a-USB for a computing device, said method comprising:

identifying a system having a memory and bus interface logic by which to interface the system with the computing device so that the system and the computing device communicate with one another;

storing a server image in the memory of the system;

accessing a USB local control program from said memory, said UBS local control program being coupled to said bus interface logic; and

using the USB local control program for providing the computing device with the server image from said memory and for booting up said server, the USB local control program providing hot swappable functionality to create different server environments, the server image includes a default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of a first control logic, an active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of the first control logic, the default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image allows the server to track and utilize the first control logic, a default compressed server image, an active server image, a default flash drive boot-up image, and an active flash boot-up image; and

coupling a the first control logic to the bus interface logic comprising serial bus control logic, Flash memory control, interrupt logic, status and control decode, and display control.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the operating status and power status of the server.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising hot-plug connecting the memory in which the server image is stored to the computing device while said computing device is operating.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising disconnecting said memory from the computing device while said computing device is operating.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising restoring the registry and environment of the computing device following the disconnection of said memory from said computing device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said memory is a USB flash memory.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising installing utilities and services at a specific location in said USB flash memory, the computing device automatically launching said utilities and services in a particular sequence depending upon a script file stored in said USB flash memory.

26. A system for providing a server-on-a-USB for a computing device, the system comprising:

a bus interface logic to interface the computing device with the system, the bus interface logic allowing the computing device to communicate with the system;

a memory for storing a server image and a USB local control program, said USB local control program enabling the computing device to be used as a server and booting up said server, the server image being provided from said memory to the computing device by means of the USB local control program, the USB local control program providing hot swappable functionality to create different server environments, the server image includes a default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of a first control logic, an active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of the first control logic, the default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image and the active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image allows the server to track and utilize the first control logic, a default compressed server image, an active server image, a default flash drive boot-up image, and an active flash boot-up image;

the first control logic coupled to the bus interface logic comprising serial bus control logic, Flash memory control, interrupt logic, status and control decode, and display control; and

a second control logic; and

a first button, the second control logic including a logic for a one-button init connector coupled to said first button for restoring said server to a default state in response to said first button being activated for a particular period of time;

wherein the second control logic also includes a logic for a power-on connector coupled to the computing device, the power-on connector providing power to the computing device provided that said memory is first provided with power.

27. A system for providing a server-on-a-Universal Serial Bus (USB) for a computing device, the system comprising:

a bus interface logic to interface the computing device with the system, the bus interface logic allowing the computing device to communicate with the system;

a memory for storing a server image and a USB local control program, said USB local control program including a system initialization and testing block, a local control program run-time main program, an LCD display driver, a flash memory driver, a shut-down interrupt service routine, and an init interrupt service routine, said USB local control program enabling the computing device to be used as a server and booting up said server, the USB local control program providing hot swappable functionality to create different server environments, the server image being provided from said memory to the computing device by means of the USB local control program, the server image includes a default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of a first control logic, an active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image of the first control logic, the default field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image and the active field configurable and field upgradeable bitmap image allows the server to track and utilize the first control logic;

default compressed server image, an active server image, a default flash drive boot-up image, and an active flash boot-up image; and

the first control logic coupled to the bus interface logic comprising serial bus control logic, Flash memory control, interrupt logic, status and control decode, and display control.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the USB local control program establishes a personalized key to extract the server image from the memory.