Offline caching of control transactions for storage devices

• US 7,581,036 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Golds, David P., Powell, Therron L., Carter-Schwendler, Carl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mamo; Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/964,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/6, 710/10, 710/73, 710/5, 725/46, 725/115, 725/134, 386/46
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

A system and method using hardware and software components enable a storage module to collect and maintain control transaction data (e.g., directives/events) when a storage device of the module is offline or in a low power configuration. The storage module contains a nonvolatile memory cache and a module controller, and also may include a separate power source, an output display and input mechanism so that when offline, the user may display and navigate among catalog information corresponding to stored content to set up deferred events related to the content. When reconnected to a general-computing host system, the host system obtains the control transaction data from the storage module, and processes the data into file-system related events and other events to perform actions to the storage device and/or to other resources coupled to the host computer system. The host system may also cache transaction control data on the storage module'"'"'s cache.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method of executing a control event directive for a storage device in an offline, low power, or reduced interrupt state by caching control transaction data corresponding to the control event directive and deferring execution thereof until the device is fully operational, the method comprising:

receiving, a control event for performing a function on a primary storage medium directly from a user, wherein the control event is received at the storage module when the primary storage medium is in a non-operational state and the storage module is selectively detached from a host computer system, and the storage module is configured such that an operational state of the primary storage medium of the storage module is received from the host computer system that is detachable from the storage module, wherein the operational state is received independent of the control event;

when the primary storage medium is in the non-operational state and selectively detached from the host computer system, storing the control transaction data set comprising the control event in a memory of the storage module that is separate from the primary storage medium in order to delay execution of directives for the control event until the operational state of the primary storage medium;

upon identifying the operational state of the primary storage medium, which is caused by at least selectively attaching the storage module to the host computer system, applying the control transaction data set by the storage module that provides the control transaction data set to the host computer system that is selectively detachable from the storage module; and

at the storage module, and after providing the control transaction data set to the host computer system, executing the directives of the control event by performing the function on the primary storage medium now in the operational state, which directives are executed at the storage module by the host computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises generating a file (I/O) request that is directed to the primary storage medium.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at least part of the control transaction data set when the storage module is decoupled from the host computer system.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing a user interface coupled to the storage module that is operational when the storage module is decoupled from the host computer system, and wherein receiving at least part of the control transaction data set comprises detecting interaction with the user interface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the user interface includes a display, and further comprising, presenting data on the display that is representative of the control event stored in the memory.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the user interface includes a display, and further comprising, presenting labeling data on the display that is representative of at least some of the content stored on the storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises deleting at least one file from the primary storage medium.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises backing up data from a data source to the primary storage medium.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set to the storage device comprises backing up data from the primary storage medium to a data destination.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises copying a file from the primary storage medium to a data destination.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises scheduling an event.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises installing a software program from data on the primary storage medium.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the control transaction data set comprises downloading and initiating a script onto the host computer system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage module is coupled to a host computer system, and further comprising, receiving at least part of the control transaction data set from the host computer system.

15. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

16. In a computing environment, a system for executing a control event directive for a storage device in an offline, low power, or reduced interrupt state by storing control transaction data corresponding to the control event directive and deferring execution thereof until the device is fully operational, the system comprising:

a host computer system; and

a storage module that selectively and removably couples to the host computer system, the storage module including

a storage device having an operational state and a non-operational state, wherein the operational and non-operational states are selectively provided by the host computer that is selectively and removably coupleable to the storage device;

a memory that comprises a control transaction data set of at least one cached control event configured to execute one or more directives on the storage device, the memory configured to receive and store the control transactional data set when the storage device is in the non-operational state such that execution of the one or more directives is delayed until the operational state of the storage device, wherein the operational state is independent of the control transaction data set; and

a controller coupled to the memory for outputting data corresponding to the control transaction data set to the host computer system when the storage module is coupled to the host computer system and the controller is enabled to receive the control transaction data set directly from a user as input on the storage module, such that the one or more directives are then applied to the storage device in accordance with the cached control event by the host computer system and without the controller managing the one or more directives.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a user interface that is operational to receive at least one command that corresponds to a control event when the storage module is decoupled from a host computer system.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the storage module includes a power source for powering the user interface and the controller when the storage module is decoupled from a host computer system.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the user interface comprises a display and an input mechanism.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the user interface includes a display that presents data representative of at least one control event stored in the memory.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the user interface includes a display that presents labeling data representative of at least some of the content stored on the storage device.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the storage module is hot-pluggable into a host computer system.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the storage module couples to a host computer system via a single communications link that handles input/output I/O communications to the storage device and control transaction data set communications to the controller, and wherein the storage module includes a bridge that separates the I/O communications from the control transaction data set communications.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the storage module couples to a host computer system via at least two distinct communications links, including at least one communications link that handles input/output (I/O) communications to and from the storage device and another communications link that handles control transaction data set communications from the controller.

25. At least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform a method of executing a control event directive for a storage device in an offline, low power, or reduced interrupt state by storing control transaction data corresponding to the control event directive and deferring execution thereof until the device is fully operational, the method comprising:

receiving, a control transaction data set comprising a control event to apply to the storage device and which control event is received directly from a user at the storage device, the control transaction data set being received when the storage device is in a non-operational state and the storage device is selectively detached from a host computer system, which host computer system can power a primary storage medium of the storage device;

storing the control transaction data set in a memory of the storage device while the storage device is selectively detached from the host computer, which control transaction data is accessible independent of whether the storage device is coupled to the host computer system and independent of the primary storage medium, the control transaction data set stored in order to delay execution of the control event until the storage device becomes operational and the primary storage medium is powered by the host computer system, and the operational state of the storage device being controlled by the host computer system independent of the control transaction data set;

detecting when the storage device is operational as a result of coupling the storage device to the host computer system, and when so coupled, accessing the control transaction data set in the memory; and

in response to detecting that the storage device is operational, outputting data corresponding to the control transaction data set to the host computer system, which host computer system then executes the control event on the now operational storage device such that execution of the control event is managed by the host computer system rather than the storage device.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein receiving the control transaction data set comprises receiving a command on a user interface that is operational independent of whether the storage device is coupled to a computer system.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the user interface includes a display, and further comprising, presenting data representative of at least one selectable control event.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the user interface includes a display, and further comprising, presenting labeling data representative of at least some of the content stored on the storage device.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein receiving a control transaction data set comprises receiving at least one control event from a host computer system.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in deleting at least one file from the storage device.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in backing up data from a data source to the storage device.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in backing up data from the storage device to a data destination.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in copying a file from the storage device to a data destination.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in scheduling an event.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in installing an application from data on the storage device.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein outputting the data corresponding the control transaction data set results in downloading and initiating a script onto the host computer system.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein detecting when the storage device is coupled to a suitable host computer system comprises evaluating an identifier of the host computer system.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein detecting when the storage device is coupled to a suitable host computer system comprises evaluating current user information of the host computer system.

39. In a computing environment, a system for executing a control event directive for a storage device in an offline, low power, or reduced interrupt state by storing control transaction data corresponding to the control event directive and deferring execution thereof until the device is fully operational, the system comprising:

a personal video recorder configurable to store video content and to detach from a host computer system, wherein the video recorder comprises;

a storage device used to store the video content, the storage device including at least one hard drive which is spun-up to provide an operational state for the storage device, wherein said operational state results from spinning-up the at least one hard drive as directed by the host computer system;

a memory that is separate from the storage device, and that comprises control event-related information, the memory being used for delaying execution of directives associated with the control-related information until the storage device is operational and the hard drive is spun-up as directed by the host computer system, wherein the control event-related information is provided to the host computer system upon the storage device entering the operational state;

a controller coupled to the memory and configured to provide selection of the control event-related information during the non-operational state of the storage device and directly from a user of the storage device while the storage device is detached from the host computer, wherein the controller does not manage execution of the directives associated with the control-related information;

a connection for selectively and directly coupling the personal video recorder to the host computer system for placing the storage device in an operational state, wherein the connection includes one or both of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) connection directly to the host computer system;

a user interface coupled to the controller, the user interface comprising an input mechanism and a display used for selecting the control event-related information locally on the personal video recorder; and

a power source that powers the user interface and the controller to enable access to the memory and control of the user interface for selection and entry of the control event-related information when the personal video recorder is not coupled to the host computer system and the storage device is in the non-operational state.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the memory, controller, interface and a user interface are incorporated into a cartridge that couples with the storage device.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the power source is incorporated into the cartridge.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein the storage device comprises a media reader having one or more removable media loaded therein.

43. The system of claim 39 wherein the display presents data representative of at least one control event.

44. The system of claim 39 wherein the display presents labeling data representative of at least some of the content stored on the storage device.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein the input mechanism provides a command to the controller, and wherein the controller configures the control transaction data set in response to the command.