SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination and a method thereof

• US 6,237,112 B1
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Longhorn HD LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Chan-soo, Lee, Moon-Young, Kim, Hyung-Sun, Lee, In-Ho, Yoo, Seung-Wha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Ly V.
• Application Number:
  US09/105,179
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 714/30, 714/33, 714/44, 714/34, 714/42
• US Class Current: 714/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information

Abstract

A SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination or a breakdown prediction and self-examination method by this device which increases the overall system performance through reducing the loading of a master I2C processor and SCSI bus, by reporting to the master I2C processor only when necessary, after an I2C processor reads the status of the SCSI device. The SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination includes a temperature and motor driving sensor, which monitors the temperature and motor driving status of the SCSI device; a power sensor and a power on/off switch, which monitors the SCSI device power and receives a command from the master I2C processor switch on/off the SCSI device power through the I2C processor; a SMART sensor, which monitors the SCSI device status: a device control logic, which reports all the previous status reports, error reports and SMART functions to the master I2C processor through the SCSI controller; an I2C processor, which reports to the master I2C processor 130 through a SCSI channel or I2C channel, when it is needed, by analyzing all information detected by the temperature, motor driving sensor, power sensor, power on/off switch and SMART sensor.

Claims

1. A small computer system interface (SCSI) device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination, comprising:

a temperature and motor driving sensor, which monitors an inside temperature of said SCSI device and monitors a driving status of a motor of said SCSI device;

a power sensor, which monitors SCSI device power and receives a command from a master I2C processor through a I2C processor and monitors a power on/off switch to switch on/off the SCSI device power;

a self-monitoring analysis and report technology (SMART) sensor, which monitors a SCSI device status;

a device control logic, which reports all previous status reports, error reports and SMART functions to a master I2C processor through a SCSI controller; and

an I2C processor, which reports a fault to said master I2C processor through a SCSI channel or an I2C channel, when it is determined, by analyzing all information detected by said temperature and motor driving sensor, said power sensor, said power on/off switch and said SMART sensor, that said I2C processor cannot correct said fault.

2. The SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SCSI device is a hard disk drive.

3. The SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SCSI device is a tape driver.

4. The SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SCSI device is an advanced intelligent tape drive.

5. The SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SCSI device is a digital linear tape drive.

6. The SCSI device available for breakdown prediction and self-examination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SCSI device power is switched on/off through said I2C bus by remote control.

7. A breakdown prediction and self-examination method of small computer system interface (SCSI) device, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring an internal temperature and a motor driving status of the SCSI device;

monitoring SCSI device power;

remotely switching on/off the SCSI device power;

monitoring a SCSI device status by using a self-monitoring analysis and report technology (SMART) sensor;

reporting all results of each of said monitoring steps to an I2C processor;

reporting all previous status reports, error reports and SMART functions to a master I2C processor through a SCSI controller; and

reporting a fault to said master I2C processor through a SCSI channel or an I2C channel, when it is determined, by analyzing said results of each of said monitoring steps, that said I2C processor cannot correct said fault.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step of monitoring an internal temperature and a motor driving status comprises utilizing a temperature and motor driving sensor internal to said SCSI device.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step of monitoring SCSI device power comprises utilizing a power sensor.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step of remotely switching on/off the SCSI device power comprises the use of a remotely controlled power on/off switch.

11. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step of reporting all previous status reports, error reports and SMART functions to a master I2C processor comprises utilizing a device control logic means, said previous status reports, error reports and SMART functions being stored in said device control logic means.