Method for certifying erasure of one or more data storage disk drives

• US 8,082,403 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, Andrew Bonner, Cowman, Shane Patrick, Whelan, Pierce Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Sheng-Jen
• Application Number:
  US11/640,068
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/114, 711/154
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A method for certifying data storage disk drive erasure including a server with a software program for erasing the disks, a step of inserting the disk drive to be erased, erasing it, and creating a printable file usable for certifying the erasure.

Claims

1. A method for certifying erasure of data from a data storage disk drive unit comprising the steps of:

identifying that one or more data storage disk drive are failing;

wherein each of the one or more data storage disk drive are located in one or more machines;

providing a server having a host bus adapter with a software program capable of enabling the host bus adapter to selectively erase one or more of the failing disk drive units in the disk drive enclosure by communication of the server'"'"'s software program capable of selectively erasing to the disk array enclosure by the host bus adapter of the server;

wherein the server has an enclosure and wherein the host bus adapter is accessible via an externally accessible disk enclosure, wherein the externally accessible disk enclosure is external from the server enclosure and wherein the externally accessible disk enclosure facilitates disk drives to be inserted and removed from the disk enclosure;

removing the one or more failing data storage disk drives that are failing from the one or more machines;

inserting the one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure external to the server;

wherein the failing data storage disk is capable of communication with the host bus adapter;

erasing the inserted the one or more failing data storage disk drives, wherein the erasure of the one or more failing data storage disk drives may be cotemporaneous;

wherein the software program communicates with the host bus adapter causing the host bus adapter to erase the failing data storage disk drive;

wherein the server is enabled to have disks inserted while the server is on and erase the disks without rebooting the server;

and

creating, with the software program, a printable file indicating that the failing data storage disk drive unit has been erased, wherein the printable file is usable to show that the data storage disk drive unit has been erased.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the printable file is printed on a printer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the printable file is stored on the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the printable file or a copy of the printable file is electronically sent from the server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the external enclosure is enabled to read Fiber Channel Disks.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the inserted one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure are enabled to be selectively locked in the enclosure.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the inserted the one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure are associated with a status indicator.

6. A system comprising:

a server comprising an enclosure, a host bus adapter, and a software program;

wherein the server has an enclosure and wherein the host bus adapter is accessible via an externally accessible disk enclosure;

an external data storage disk drive enclosure communicatively coupled to the host bus adapter and the software program;

wherein the externally accessible disk enclosure is external from the server enclosure and wherein the externally accessible disk enclosure facilitates disk drives to be inserted and removed from the disk enclosure;

wherein the software program is capable of enabling the host bus adapter to selectively erase one or more of the failing disk drive units, wherein the one or more failing data storage disk drive units where located in, identified as, and removed from one or more machines, in the external disk drive enclosure by communication of the server'"'"'s software program capable of selectively erasing to the disk array enclosure by the host bus adapter of the server;

wherein the failing data storage disk is capable of communication with the host bus adapter;

wherein the server is enabled have disks inserted while the server is on and erase the disks without rebooting the server; and

wherein upon erasing a failing disk the software program, creates a printable file indicating that the failing data storage disk drive unit has been erased, wherein the printable file is usable to show that the data storage disk drive unit has been erased.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the inserting the one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure are enabled to be selectively locked in the enclosure.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the inserted the one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure are associated with a status indicator.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a server comprising an enclosure, a host bus adapter, and a software program;

wherein the server has an enclosure and wherein the host bus adapter is accessible via an externally accessible disk enclosure;

an external data storage disk drive enclosure communicatively coupled to the host bus adapter and the software program;

wherein the externally accessible disk enclosure is external from the server enclosure and wherein the externally accessible disk enclosure facilitates disk drives to be inserted and removed from the disk enclosure;

wherein the software program is capable of enabling the host bus adapter to selectively erase one or more of failing disk drive units, wherein the one or more failing data storage disk drive where located in, identified as, and removed from one or more machines, in the external disk drive enclosure by communication of the server'"'"'s software program capable of selectively erasing to the disk array enclosure by the host bus adapter of the server;

wherein the failing data storage disk is capable of communication with the host bus adapter;

wherein the server is enabled have disks inserted while the server is on and erase the disks without rebooting the server; and

wherein upon erasing a failing disk the software program, creates a printable file indicating that the failing data storage disk drive unit has been erased, wherein the printable file is usable to show that the data storage disk drive unit has been erased.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the inserted one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure are enabled to be selectively locked in the enclosure.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the inserted the one or more failing data storage disk drives to be erased into the disk enclosure are associated with a status indicator.