Electronic component having redundant product data stored externally

• US 10,656,991 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, Corville O., Helgeson, Lee N., Li, Jenny S., Sanders, Philip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Loan L. T.
• Application Number:
  US14/833,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0778 Dumping, i.e. gathering error/state information after a fault for later diagnosis
• 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 11/08 Error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation, e.g. by using checking codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time

Abstract

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for redundantly storing product data for an electronic component on an external device. Aspects include determining that product data stored in a primary storage device is corrupted and determining whether the product data is available on the external device that is in communication with the electronic component. Based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is available on the external device, aspects include obtaining product data from the external device to continue operation of the electronic component.

Claims

1. A computer program product for redundantly storing product data for an electronic component on an external device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

determining that product data stored in a primary storage device is corrupted, the product data comprising vital product data;

determining whether the product data is available on the external device, wherein the external device is in communication with the electronic component via a short-range wireless communications protocol and the external device is one of a smartphone, tablet or laptop that is configured to download product data for the primary storage device from the Internet;

based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is available on the external device, obtaining product data from the external device to continue operation of the electronic component, wherein the redundantly stored product data is available for a period of time that begins when it is determined that the product data in the primary storage device is corrupted and ends after a predetermined time period has elapsed; and

based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is not available on the external device, initiating a service call to repair or replace the electronic component and halting operation of the electronic component.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the product data stored on the external device is corrupted, wherein it is determined that the product data is not available on the external device based at least in part on determining that the product data stored in the external device is corrupted and it is determined that the product data is available on the external device based at least in part on determining that the product data stored in the external device is not corrupted.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising obtaining replacement product data by the external device based on a determination that the product data stored on the external device is corrupted.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising storing the product data obtained from the external device in a secondary storage device disposed on the electronic component.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communications protocol includes near field communications.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the shortrange wireless communications protocol includes Bluetooth.

5. A system for redundantly storing product data for an electronic component on an external device, comprising:

a processor disposed on the electronic component, the processor configured to;

determine that product data stored in a primary storage device of the electronic component is corrupted, the product data comprising vital product data;

determine whether the product data is available on the external device, wherein the external device is in communication with the electronic component via a short-range wireless communications protocol and the external device is one of a smartphone, tablet or laptop that is configured to download product data for the primary storage device from the Internet;

based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is available on the external device, obtain product data from the external device to continue operation of the electronic component, wherein the redundantly stored product data is available for a period of time that begins when it is determined that the product data in the primary storage device is corrupted and ends after a predetermined time period has elapsed; and

based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is not available on the external device, initiating a service call to repair or replace the electronic component and halting operation of the electronic component.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the product data stored on the external device is corrupted, wherein it is determined that the product data is not available on the external device based at least in part on determining that the product data stored in the external device is corrupted and it is determined that the product data is available on the external device based at least in part on determining that the product data stored in the external device is not corrupted.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the external device to obtain replacement product data based on a determination that the product data stored on the external device is corrupted.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the short-range wireless communications protocol includes near field communications.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the short-range wireless communications protocol includes Bluetooth.

12. A method for redundantly storing product data for an electronic component on an external device, the method comprising:

determining that product data stored in a primary storage device is corrupted, the product data comprising vital product data;

determining whether the product data is available on the external device, wherein the external device is in communication with the electronic component via a short-range wireless communications protocol and the external device is one of a smartphone, tablet or laptop that is configured to download product data for the primary storage device from the Internet;

based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is available on the external device, obtaining product data from the external device to continue operation of the electronic component, wherein the redundantly stored product data is available for a period of time that begins when it is determined that the product data in the primary storage device is corrupted and ends after a predetermined time period has elapsed; and

based on a determination that the product data stored in the primary storage device is corrupted and that the product data is not available on the external device, initiating a service call to repair or replace the electronic component and halting operation of the electronic component.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether the product data stored on the external device is corrupted, wherein it is determined that the product data is not available on the external device based at least in part on determining that the product data stored in the external device is corrupted and it is determined that the product data is available on the external device based at least in part on determining that the product data stored in the external device is not corrupted.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining replacement product data by the external device based on a determination that the product data stored on the external device is corrupted.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the product data obtained from the external device in a secondary storage device disposed on the electronic component.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the short-range wireless communications protocol includes near field communications.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the short-range wireless communications protocol includes Bluetooth.