Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1996-04-09
2001-10-23
Banankhah, Majid A. (Department: 2151)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308325
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to downloading data such as parameters and/or program code to an electronic device, and more particularly, to the provision of a generic “download entity” (or data object) for use by an electronic device such as a disk drive, where only data from the download entity which is associated with a determined device type for the electronic device is retained by the electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
As products are offered with a wider variety of specifications, capacities and features, it becomes increasingly difficult and costly to develop, produce, maintain and support these products. For example, disk drives may be designed with varying capacities, data transfer rates, communication interfaces (e.g., IDE or SCSI), etc. Within a given product line, while a significant portion of the drive mechanical and hardware components may be shared by different models, there may still be significant design variations, e.g., different numbers/sizes of disks and different numbers of heads. Similarly, while the basic functions and operations of the program code (which may include instructions, parameters, and other data) in a line of disk drives may be similar, the differences between models require differences in the program code for each model.
One approach for supporting the program code requirements of multiple models or designs is to generate a single program code implementation that, depending upon the “device type” of the particular device in which the program code is installed, executes different routines and/or utilizes different parameters to in effect customize the program code for the particular device. However, maintaining duplicate routines and parameter tables to support multiple device types greatly increases space requirements. Moreover, the additional processing required for runtime support of multiple device types may adversely impact drive performance.
Another approach for supporting multiple device types is to generate separate “versions” of the program code for different device types, then load only one version into a particular device. However, this requires knowledge at the downloading end (either by an operator or a downloading computer) of the device type of the device to be loaded.
This requirement has drawbacks in many applications such as disk drive arrays where multiple disk drives are linked together and controlled by an array controller, since different types of drives may be used together. Downloading to different drives in the array (e.g., to provide program code updates) may be burdensome and time consuming, and it may be difficult for a manufacturer to support multiple device types. Moreover, automated downloading may be particularly burdensome if it is difficult for the array controller to detect the device type of each drive.
Therefore, a substantial need has arisen for a manner of downloading data such as operating instructions, parameters and the like to electronic devices which supports multiple device types with minimum space requirements and without requiring knowledge of the device type by the downloading system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses an apparatus and method for downloading data in the form of a device type generic “download entity” (or data object) to an electronic device. By determining the device type of the electronic device and discarding any data in the download entity which is not associated with the determined device type, only the data which is associated with the determined device type is retained by the electronic device. The data in the download entity may include program code for execution on the electronic device and/or,.device parameters and other is information that is utilized by the electronic device.
Preferred embodiments of the invention may also incorporate installation code into the download entity that, once downloaded, is executed to “unpack” and store the data associated with the device type from the download entity. By utilizing separate installation code in the download entity, installation functions may be omitted from the runtime code in the device, thereby minimizing the amount of extraneous code (i.e., code that is used only during installation and not during runtime) that must remain resident in the device.
Therefore, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a method for downloading data to an electronic device, the electronic device having a device type that is one of a plurality of device types. The method includes the steps of receiving a download entity in the electronic device, the download entity including data associated with each device type; determining the device type of the electronic device; and discarding the data in the download entity not associated with the determined device type such that only data associated with the determined device type is retained by the electronic device.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an is electronic device is provided having a device type that is one of a plurality of device types. The device includes memory means for storing operational data utilized during operation of the electronic device; receiver means for receiving a data object externally from the electronic device, the data object including data associated with a plurality of device types; and installation means for installing in the memory means only data from the data object that is associated with the device type of the electronic device.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a disk drive is provided, which includes a communications interface for receiving a download entity, the download entity including data associated with a plurality of types of disk drives; a memory for storing operational data associated with the disk drive; and a controller, coupled to the communications interface, the controller (1) determining a type for the disk drive, (2) retrieving from the download entity only the data associated with the determined type for the disk drive, (3) storing the data associated with the determined type for the disk drive in the memory, and (4) discarding any data in the download entity not associated with the determined type for the disk drive.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus, which includes an array of direct access storage devices, each of which having a device type and a memory for storing operational data utilized in the operation thereof; and an array controller or other control means (e.g., a processor used for field testing) controlling the array of direct access storage devices, the array controller providing a generic download entity to a plurality of the direct access storage devices to update the memories thereof, the generic download entity including operational data associated with a plurality of device types; wherein each of the plurality of direct access S storage devices stores in its memory only operational data from the download entity that is associated with its respective device type and discards the operational data not associated with its respective device type.
According to another aspect of the invention, a download entity is provided for downloading to an electronic device having a device type that is one of a plurality of device types. The download entity includes a block of data, the data block having portions associated with each of the plurality of device types; and an installation routine, executable by the electronic device, for retrieving only the portion of the data in the download entity that is associated with the device type of the electronic device.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of
Altera Law Group LLC
Banankhah Majid A.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Lao Sue
LandOfFree
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