SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESTORING DATA IN A DEGRADED COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20150278048A1
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Seibert, Philip M., Swierk, Todd, Huber, Gary Douglas, Andrews, Carlton A., Farhan, Munif Mohammed
• Granted Patent: US 9,471,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

Methods and systems for restoring data in a degraded computer system are presented. In an embodiment, a method includes storing user data to a hard disk drive that is local to a user interface device. The method may also include storing a sub-set of the user data to a internal data storage device that is local to the user interface device. Additionally, the method may include copying the sub-set of the user data from the internal data storage device to a remote data storage device in response to a degradation of system performance of the user interface device. In an embodiment, the data may be retrieved from the internal data storage by an external system, even when the user interface device is in a degraded or unresponsive state.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing user data to a hard disk drive that is local to a user interface device;

storing a sub-set of the user data to an internal data storage device that is local to the user interface device; and

copying the sub-set of the user data from the internal data storage device to a remote data storage device in response to a degradation of system performance of the user interface device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

loading an alternate operating system on the user interface device; and

copying the sub-set of the user data to a remote storage location using the alternate operating system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising copying the sub-set of user data from the remote storage location back to the user interface device in response to a determination that the system performance degradation has been repaired.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising copying additional user data stored on the remote data storage location back to the user interface, the additional user data representing an image of user data established during a data backup process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the sub-set of the user data to a remote data storage device further comprises copying the sub-set of the user data from the internal data storage device to an external data storage device via a direct data communication connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the direct data communication connection comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising establishing a direct data connection between an external USB port on the user interface device and the internal data storage device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising copying the sub-set of user data to an external memory device.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising copying the sub-set of the user data to a second user interface device via a direct peer-to-peer data connection.

10. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to;

store user data to an internal data storage device that is local to a user interface device; and

copy the user data from the internal data storage device to a remote data storage device in response to a degradation of system performance of the user interface device.

11. The IHS of claim 10, further configured to:

load an alternate operating system on the user interface device; and

copy the user data to a remote storage location using the alternate operating system.

12. The IHS of claim 11, further configured to copy the user data from the remote storage location back to the user interface device in response to a determination that the system performance degradation has been repaired.

13. The IHS of claim 12, further configured to copy additional user data stored on the remote data storage location back to the user interface, the additional user data representing an image of user data established during a data backup process.

14. The IHS of claim 10, further configured to copy the user data to a remote data storage device further comprises copying the user data from the internal data storage device to an external data storage device via a direct data communication connection.

15. The IHS of claim 14, wherein the direct data communication connection comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection.

16. The IHS of claim 15, further configured to establish a direct data connection between an external USB port on the user interface device and the internal data storage device.

17. The IHS of claim 15, further configured to copy the user data to an external memory device.

18. The IHS of claim 17, further configured to copy the user data to a second user interface device via a direct peer-to-peer data connection.

19. The IHS of claim 18, wherein the IHS is in an otherwise unresponsive state, and wherein the internal storage device receives power from the second user interface device for copying the user data from the internal data storage device to the remote data storage device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further configured to cause the IHS to:

load an alternate operating system on the user interface device; and

copy the sub-set of the user data to a remote storage location using the alternate operating system.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by an Information Handling System (IHS), cause the IHS to:

store user data to a hard disk drive that is local to a user interface device;

store a sub-set of the user data to internal data storage an internal data storage device that is local to the user interface device; and

copy the sub-set of the user data from the internal data storage device to a remote data storage device in response to a degradation of system performance of the user interface device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, further configured to cause the IHS to copy the sub-set of the user data from the internal data storage device to an external data storage device via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) data communication connection.