Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-06-26
Beausoleil, Robert (Department: 2184)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
C713S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253318
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for determining a computer's physical requirements from logical requirements and, more particularly, to a method including conversion of logical drive array requirements into physical array requirements, determination of controller/storage box combinations, and conversion of virtual disk drive heights to physical disk drive heights.
2. Description of the Related Art
The original computers were very complex devices that required skilled technicians and scientists to operate. When a new device, such as a printer, was added to the computer, special software and hardware needed to be developed specifically for the new device. With the advent of personal computers, it became impractical to require users to develop new software and hardware whenever new hardware was added.
Computer components eventually became standardized, and one of the important pieces of the puzzle was the Disk Operating System, or DOS. Originally DOS only supported a small number of devices such as printers, floppy drives, and hard disk drives. In addition, DOS was severely limited in the number of different computer configurations and components such as memory and peripherals that could be supported.
One advance in the computer arts was the arrival of “plug-and-play” architecture. Plug-and play means that a device can be added to a system without significant setup. This and other tools were the result of the standardization of interfaces which enables many devices to be easily configured to work together.
Today, the typical consumer and business user is presented with an astonishing number of choices with respect to the configuration of a new computer. A computer can be tailored to the particular needs of every user, from a multi-national corporation with immense database requirements to an individual who only desires to log into the Internet. There are computers specialized to perform such tasks as bulk memory storage, communications, and game playing. Depending upon a user's needs, a computer can be configured with anywhere from 16 megabytes to hundreds of megabytes of random access memory (RAM). Static storage such as hard disk drives can vary in capacity from gigabytes (10
9
bytes) to terabytes (10
12
bytes) of data, each arranged in any one of a large number of configurations. Large amounts of RAM and static storage, however, cost proportionally more money. As a result, there is usually a tradeoff between price and performance.
The number of possible devices that can be added to any particular system has also grown. Computers now routinely come with devices that were unavailable even a few decades ago, such as speakers, CD-ROM drives, and fax modems. In addition, a user can add a large number of additional components such as tape drives, network cards, and specialized, game playing devices such as a joy stick. The number of possible choices for a computer system configuration is multiplied by the number of manufacturers that produce each component producing perhaps millions of possible systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Using a method implemented according to the invention, logical requirements are defined from physical requirements and physical requirements are derived from logical requirements. One embodiment of the invention involves the definition of logical drive array requirements from physical drive array requirements. The method also includes the conversion of logical drive array requirements into physical array requirements. Other embodiments may include the conversion of physical to logical and logical to physical requirements to determine controller/storage box combinations and disk drive/drive enclosure combinations.
For example, the method according to the invention allows the height of disk drives to be defined with considerations other than physical height, such as the space required between drives, to be taken into consideration when defining a disk drive for inclusion into a hardware description file (HDF) (see previously incorporated U.S. patent application entitled “Method For Describing And Storing Descriptions Of Hierarchical Structures”) as used by an interactive configuration tool (a “sizer”) (see previously incorporated U.S. patent application entitled “Sizer For Interactive Computer System Configuration”).
To fit computer hard drives into a drive cage enclosure, one has to heed certain constraints, such as geometry and controller technology. The method according to the present invention produces “coefficients” that can be used to determine potentially unconfigurable, or illegal, drive combinations.
One method according to the present invention assigns to each hard drive type a virtual height. The drive enclosure is also assigned a virtual height. For example, a half size drive, or thick drive (1.6 inches), might be assigned a virtual height of 0.5 with respect to a particular drive enclosure of virtual height 1.0 (3.2 inches). A third height, or thin drive (1.0 inches), might be also be assigned a virtual height of 0.5 with respect to the drive enclosure because of mounting considerations. In the drive enclosure, three thin drives could not fit because the combined virtual heights of the three drives would be greater than the drive enclosure's virtual height of 1.0 (0.5+0.5+0.5=1.5, which is greater than 1.0). This limitation on the inclusion of thin drives can be realized even though it might seem apparent that three thin drives, each 1.0 inches thick, could fit into a drive enclosure that is 3.2 inches tall.
Apart from the geometry of drive enclosures, constraints can also be virtualized., such as the computer bus. For example, one SCSI channel can only address seven SCSI Ids. In a particular computer system, an available, internal drive enclosure might physically hold eight 1.0″ drives. However, only seven drives could be addressed on one SCSI channel, so duplexing would be necessary to utilize all eight slots. These types of limitations are included in the virtualization of the enclosure so that the limitations are taken into account.
By defining the size and requirements of components in terms of virtual requirements, the computations of a sizer are simplified and the configuration of diverse components is generalized. It thus becomes possible to mix drives programmatically of different types within a single drive enclosure. The method according to the present invention can be applied to any set of components that are fitted within an enclosure. The virtualization of device size works on most other computer devices such as CD-ROM and tape drives, as well as non-computer devices such as an amplifier and other stereo components mounted in a rack.
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Bartlett Charles A.
Kelley Keith L.
Schmitz Christoph
Varghese Manoj J.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld & LLP
Beausoleil Robert
Compaq Computer Corporation
Ziemer R.
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