On-line client service method for storage apparatus

• US 8,656,227 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transcend Information Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Transcend Information Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Ren-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US13/178,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6.1, 714/6.31, 714/26, 714/42, 714/48, 717/172, 717/173
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

An on-line client service method for a storage apparatus includes establishing a link between a client host and the storage apparatus for detecting the current status of the storage apparatus, the client host generating a diagnostic result of the storage apparatus, the client host transmitting the diagnostic result to a far-end server, the far-end server determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally according to the diagnostic result. If the storage apparatus functions abnormally, the client host reloads a firmware provided by the far-end server to the storage apparatus, and determines whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the storage apparatus is reloaded with the firmware.

Claims

1. An on-line client service method for a storage apparatus, comprising:

establishing a link between a client host and the storage apparatus for detecting the current status of the storage apparatus;

generating a diagnostic result of the storage apparatus;

transmitting the diagnostic result to a far-end server;

determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally by the far-end server according to the diagnostic result;

reloading a firmware provided by the far-end server to the storage apparatus when the storage apparatus functions abnormally;

determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the firmware is reloaded; and

reinitializing the storage apparatus when the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the firmware is reloaded to the storage apparatus.

2. The on-line client service method of claim 1, wherein the storage apparatus stores a data group, and the data group is erased from the storage apparatus after the storage apparatus is reinitialized.

3. The on-line client service method of claim 2, wherein the firmware is stored in a first memory area of the storage apparatus, and the data group is stored in a second memory area of the storage apparatus.

4. The on-line client service method of claim 2, wherein the firmware is stored in a first storage component of the storage apparatus, and the data group is stored in a second storage component of the storage apparatus.

5. The on-line client service method of claim 1, wherein the storage apparatus stores a data group, and the data group remains storing in the storage apparatus after the storage apparatus is reloaded with the firmware.

6. The on-line client service method of claim 5, wherein the firmware is stored in a first memory area of the storage apparatus, and the data group is stored in a second memory area of the storage apparatus.

7. The on-line client service method of claim 5, wherein the firmware is stored in a first storage component of the storage apparatus, and the data group is stored in a second storage component of the storage apparatus.

8. The on-line client service method of claim 1, wherein when the link is successfully established between the client host and the storage apparatus, receiving a device identification information regarding the storage apparatus from the client host to determine the device model of the storage apparatus, and the firmware corresponds to the storage apparatus according to the device model.

9. The on-line client service method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether the storage apparatus is coupled to the client host through a data transmission interface, for determining whether the link is established between the client host and the storage apparatus.

10. The on-line client service method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the link is established between the client host and the storage apparatus, the client host downloading a client service application software through the network, for diagnosing the storage apparatus and generating the diagnostic result.

11. The on-line client service method of claim 1, wherein the far-end server determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally according to the diagnostic result comprises the far-end server transmitting the diagnostic result to a far-end database, for determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally.

12. An on-line client service method comprising:

accepting a storage apparatus by a client host to generate a diagnostic result of the storage apparatus;

determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally by transmitting the diagnostic result to a far-end server;

reloading a firmware provided by the far-end server to the storage apparatus when the storage apparatus functions abnormally, wherein the firmware corresponds to the storage apparatus;

checking whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the firmware is reloaded to the storage apparatus; and

reinitializing the storage apparatus when the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the firmware is reloaded to the storage apparatus by the client host.

13. The on-line client service method according to claim 12, wherein the step of accepting the storage apparatus by the client host, the diagnostic result is generated by a client service application software downloaded through a network to the client host.

14. An on-line client service method for a storage apparatus, comprising:

establishing a link between a client host and the storage apparatus for detecting the current status of the storage apparatus;

generating a diagnostic result of the storage apparatus;

transmitting the diagnostic result to a far-end server;

determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally by the far-end server according to the diagnostic result;

reloading a firmware provided by the far-end server to a first memory area of the storage apparatus when the storage apparatus functions abnormally;

determining whether the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the firmware is reloaded to the first memory area of the storage apparatus; and

reinitializing a second memory area of the storage apparatus when the storage apparatus functions abnormally after the firmware is reloaded.

15. The on-line client service method of claim 14, wherein the second memory area of the storage apparatus stores a data group, the data group is erased when the storage apparatus is reinitialized.

16. The on-line client service method of claim 15, wherein the data group remains storing in the second memory area of the storage apparatus after the first memory area of the storage apparatus is reloaded with the firmware.

17. The on-line client service method of claim 14, wherein the first memory area and the second memory area are different memory sections of the storage apparatus.

18. The on-line client service method of claim 14, wherein the first memory area and the second memory area are different physical storage components of the storage apparatus.