Reporting hard disk drive failure

Details Reporting hard disk drive failure Reporting hard disk drive failure

2001-06-29

2004-07-06

Le, Dieu-Minh (Department: 2114)

Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery

Data processing system error or fault handling

Reliability and availability

C714S048000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06760869

ABSTRACT:

FIELD
The present invention relates to reporting hard disk drive failures. More particularly, the present invention is related to reporting hard disk drive failures in an entry level server or appliance server without using SAF-TE logic.
BACKGROUND
Typically, an entry level server has two hot-swap HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). If one of the HDDs fails, SAF-TE (SCSI Accessed Fault-Tolerant Enclosures) Interface logic will turn on an LED (Light Emitting Diode) to indicate which HDD has failed so that a user can replace the failed HDD. Hot-swapping allows the user to replace the failed HDD without shutting down the system, thereby improving the system reliability and availability.
The SAF-TE Interface logic provides a standard non-proprietary way for third party disk and RAID controllers to be automatically integrated with peripheral packaging that supports status signals (e.g.-LEDs, audible alarms, LCDs, etc.), hot swapping of HDDs, and monitoring of enclosure components.
Presently, the SAF-TE logic capability is only supported via a RAID controller which resides either on a PCI card or on a motherboard. However, to reduce costs, entry level servers may not include a RAID controller. Accordingly, such entry level servers cannot use SAF-TE logic to report an HDD failure to the user.
Similarly, in appliance servers, SAF-TE controllers communicate with respective BMCs (Baseboard Management Controllers) via IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) commands. As noted above, SAF-TE logic capability is only supported via the RAID controller which resides either on a PCI card or on a motherboard. Unfortunately, to reduce costs, appliance servers may not include a BMC or a RAID controller. Accordingly, such appliance servers also cannot use SAF-TE logic to report an HDD failure to the user.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5838891 (1998-11-01), Mizuno et al.
patent: 6247152 (2001-06-01), Russell
patent: 6327679 (2001-12-01), Russell
patent: 6427215 (2002-07-01), Rafanello et al.
patent: 6519762 (2003-02-01), Colligan et al.
patent: 6532552 (2003-03-01), Benignus et al.

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