METHODS AND DEVICES FOR BOOTING A NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE WITH TWO LOGICAL UNITS

• US 20140351463A1
• Filed: 06/29/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: LIN, JAMES S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,984,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• 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 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0671 In-line storage system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0674 Disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A data storage device may comprise data storage comprising a first logical unit configured to store user data and a second logical unit configured to store an operating system. A first interface may be configured to couple to a host and a second interface may be configured to couple to a network. In a first mode, the data storage device may be configured to expose the first logical unit to the host and render the second logical unit inaccessible and, in a second mode, the data storage device may be configured to allow access to both the first and the second logical units. The first mode may comprise a direct attached storage (DAS) mode and the second mode may comprise a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

Claims

1. A data storage device, comprising:

data storage comprising a first logical unit configured to store user data and a second logical unit configured to store an operating system;

a first interface configured to couple to a host; and

a second interface configured to couple to a network,

wherein, in a first mode, the data storage device is configured to expose the first logical unit to the host and render the second logical unit inaccessible and, in a second mode, the data storage device is configured to allow access to both the first and the second logical units.

2. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the first mode is enabled when a connection to the first interface is detected.

3. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the second mode is enabled when a connection to the first interface is not detected.

4. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the data storage comprises a plurality of disks.

5. The data storage of claim 4, wherein the plurality of disks are in a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration.

6. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the second mode is enabled when a connection to the first interface is detected

7. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the first mode comprises a direct attached storage (DAS) mode.

8. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

9. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein, in the second mode, the data storage device is further configured to boot the operating system stored in the second logical unit.

10. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the first logical unit spans a first predetermined range of logical block addresses (LBAs) and wherein the second logical unit spans a second predetermined range of LBAs that does not overlap with the first predetermined range of LBAs.

11. The data storage device of claim 1, further comprising a first controller and a second controller wherein the second controller is only active when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

12. The data storage device of claim 11, wherein the second controller is coupled to the second interface.

13. The data storage device of claim 12, wherein the first controller is selectively configured to be coupled to one of the first interface and the second controller.

14. The data storage device of claim 11, further comprising a multiplexer coupled to the first interface and to the second controller, the multiplexer being configured to couple the first interface to the first controller when the data storage device operates in the first mode and to couple the second controller to the first controller when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

15. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the second interface is configured to selectively couple to a wired network connection and to a wireless network connection.

22. The method of claim 16, data storage device of claim 1, wherein the data storage comprises a plurality of disks.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of disks are in a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration.

16. A method of operating a data storage device that comprises a first interface configured to couple to a host and a second interface configured to couple to a network, the method comprising:

configuring data storage of the data storage device to comprise a first logical unit and a second logical unit;

storing an operating system in the second logical unit; and

configuring the data storage device to operate in one of a first mode and a second mode wherein, in the first mode, only the first logical unit is exposed to the host to enable storage of user data therein and the second logical unit is inaccessible and wherein in the second mode, the data storage device is configured to allow access to both the first and the second logical units.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting a connection on the first interface and configuring the data storage device to operate in the first mode when the connection is detected on the first interface and configuring the data storage device to operate in the second mode when the connection is not detected on the first interface.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting a connection on the first interface and configuring the data storage device to operate in the second mode when the connection is detected on the first interface.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first mode comprises a direct attached storage (DAS) mode.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second mode comprises a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising booting the operating system stored in the second logical unit when the connection is not detected on the first interface.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein configuring comprises defining the first logical unit to span a first predetermined range of logical block addresses (LBAs) and defining the second logical unit to span a second predetermined range of LBAs that does not overlap with the first predetermined range of LBAs.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the data storage device comprises a first controller and a second controller and wherein the method further comprises configuring the second controller to process data access commands only when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second controller is coupled to the second interface and wherein the first controller is selectively configured to be coupled to one of the first interface and the second controller.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

coupling the first interface to the first controller when the data storage device operates in the first mode, and

coupling the second controller to the first controller when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the second interface is configured to selectively couple to a wired network connection and to a wireless network connection.

29. A data storage device, comprising:

a first interface configured to couple to a host;

a second interface configured to couple to a network;

a first controller coupled to the first interface and operative to configure the data storage device as a network attached storage (NAS);

a second controller selectably coupled to one of the first interface and the first controller and operative to configure the data storage device as a direct attached storage (DAS) device; and

a switch controlled by the second controller, the switch being configured to selectively couple the second controller to one of the first interface and the first controller.

30. The data storage device of claim 29, wherein the switch comprises a multiplexer.

31. The data storage device of claim 29, further comprising data storage comprising a first logical unit configured to store user data and a second logical unit configured to store an operating system.