Systems and methods for automated diagnosis and repair of storage devices

• US 8,195,444 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Storage Appliance Corp.
• Original Assignee: Storage Appliance Corp.
• Inventors: Brunet, Jeffrey, Collins, Ian, Chowdhary, Yousuf, Li, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US11/699,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 703/13, 703/24, 703/25, 710/62, 710/313, 710/8, 710/10, 711/162, 711/E12.103, 707/654, 707/E17.005
• US Class Current: 703/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation

Abstract

A peripheral electronic device includes a health check application configured to execute automatically upon connection of the peripheral device to a data source, such as a personal computer. The health check application can diagnose problems and if necessary, repair the problems with the peripheral device, the data source, or both. Examples of problems include corrupted data and indications of software, firmware, and hardware failures or impending failures. In some instances, the health check application can provide a warning of an impending failure. The health check application, after initially executing, can be triggered in various ways to scan again for problems. In addition to finding and repairing problems, the health check application can also attend to maintenance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a communication interface;

a storage device including computer-readable instructions of a health check application; and

an emulation component in communication between the storage device and the communication interface and configured to;

represent the storage device as an auto-launch device;

receive auto-launch device commands from a data source addressed to the auto-launch device, translate the auto-launch device commands to storage device commands, and send the storage device commands to the storage device, and

receive storage device responses from the storage device, translate the storage device responses into auto-launch device responses, and send the auto-launch device responses to the data source.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface comprises a USB communication interface.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface comprises a Fire Wire communication interface.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage device comprises a HDD.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage device further includes computer-readable instructions of a backup application.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller chip in communication between the storage device and the communication interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the emulation component resides on the controller chip.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller chip comprises firmware including additional computer-readable instructions of the health check application.

9. A system comprising:

a communication interface;

a storage device;

a printed circuit board comprising a component in communication between the storage device and the communication interface and including computer-readable instructions of a health check application; and

an emulation component in communication between the storage device and the communication interface and configured to;

represent the storage device as an auto-launch device;

receive auto-launch device commands from a data source addressed to the auto-launch device, translate the auto-launch device commands to storage device commands, and send the storage device commands to the storage device, and

receive storage device responses from the storage device, translate the storage device responses into auto-launch device responses, and send the auto-launch device responses to the data source.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the storage device comprises additional computer-readable instructions of the health check application.