Storage device capacity management

Details Storage device capacity management Storage device capacity management

1999-01-22

2001-02-27

Cabeca, John W. (Department: 2752)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory

Storage accessing and control

Control technique

C711S163000, C711S167000, C711S170000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06195732

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to managing memory device capacity and, more particularly, to managing disk drive capacity by secure methods.
BACKGROUND
A typical data disk drive includes at least one data disk where virtually the entire capacity of the data disk is available for data storage. A small portion of the data disk is set aside as a system area for storing system related information. The data disk is configured by the factory or by an OEM to exclude the system area from general access. As such, the system area remains “locked” or unavailable for storing user data.
Managing or changing the available capacity of such a disk drive after the disk drive has been placed in service in a data processing system requires reconfiguration of the disk drive to “unlock” the system area. Reconfiguration is performed by the OEM, or by an end user, by performing a series of steps commanding the disk drive to, for example, make at least a portion of the system area available for limited access. However, the capacity unlocked is a small fraction of the native capacity of the hard disk, and the user virtually does not gain any additional useable storage capacity from the hard disk
Further, due to the minimal amount of hard disk capacity unlocked, there has not been a need for robust security methods to prevent widespread unauthorized reconfiguration of the disk drive and use of the system area. As such, existing security methods are not suited to deter prohibited access to protected areas on the data disk or to prevent illegal reconfiguration of the hard disk drive.
With the increasing capacity offered by data disk drives and other memory devices, it is highly desirable to securely manage the amount of the available capacity to enable commercial models such as “fee for use”. There is, therefore, a need for a system and a method of managing the available capacity of disk drives and memory devices while in service in various data processing systems. There is also a need for such a system and method to provide an efficient and robust security process for preventing unauthorized use of said available capacity.
SUMMARY
The present invention satisfies these needs. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of securely managing available storage capacity of a memory device in a data processing system comprising a host system and said memory device. The memory device, such as a data disk drive, includes a data storage medium of a predetermined size and corresponding capacity. A secure method of managing the available capacity of the storage medium, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: (a) maintaining an authentication list comprising a plurality of entries including information uniquely identifying a plurality of memory devices such as the disk drive; (b) selecting a section of said data storage medium for data storage, said section having a size representing the available capacity of the memory device; (c) maintaining identification information in the memory device uniquely identifying the memory device; and (d) in response to receipt in the host system of a request for changing the available capacity of the memory device, performing steps including: (1) obtaining information from said memory device including said identifying information; and (2) searching said list to find an entry including identification information matching that obtained from the memory device to authorize said change. If a match is found, then: (1) generating a change command for directing the memory device to change said available capacity; (2) sending the change command to the memory device; and (3) the memory device executing said change command by steps including changing the size of said section.
The step of obtaining the identification information from the memory device includes: (1) sending an inquiry command to the memory device requesting said unique identification information, and (2) the memory device providing said identification information stored therein in response. Preferably, the step of providing said unique identification information includes encoding said identification information; and the step of finding a match in the authentication list further includes: (1) decoding the encoded identification information; and (2) comparing the decoded identification information with the identification information in the authentication list.
Further, preferably the step of generating the change command includes: (1) encoding the matching identification information found in the authentication list; and (2) incorporating the encoded identification information in the change command. Further, the step of executing the change command includes: (1) decoding the encoded identification information in the change command; (2) comparing the decoded identification information with the identification information in the memory device; and (3) if there is a match then changing the size of said section.
In another embodiment, the data processing system further comprises a remote host system, and the method of present invention comprises the steps of: (a) maintaining an authentication list in the remote host system, the list comprising a plurality of entries including information uniquely identifying a plurality of memory devices; (b) selecting a section of the storage medium for data storage, said section having a size representing the available capacity of the memory device; (c) maintaining identification information in the memory device uniquely identifying the memory device; and (d) in response to receipt in the local host system of a request for changing the available capacity of the memory device: (1) obtaining information from said memory device including said identifying information; (2) sending the obtained identification information to the remote host system; and (3) searching said list in the remote host system to find an entry including identification information matching that obtained from the memory device to authorize said change. If a match is found, then: (1) generating a change command in the local host system for directing the memory device to change said available capacity; (2) sending the change command to the memory device; and (3) the memory device executing said change command by changing the size of said section.
In another aspect, the present invention also provides a capacity control system for securely managing available storage capacity of said memory device in a data processing system. In one embodiment, the capacity control system comprises: (a) an authentication list comprising a plurality of entries including information uniquely identifying a plurality of memory devices; and (b) a host system configured by program instructions to perform steps including: in response to receipt in the host system of a request for changing the available capacity of the memory device: (1) sending an identification inquiry command to the memory device requesting said unique identification information; (2) searching said list to find an entry including identification information matching that obtained from the memory device to authorize said change; and (3) if a match is found, then: generating a change command for directing the memory device to change said available capacity; and sending the change command to the memory device.
The capacity control system further comprises a logic circuit in the memory device configured by program instructions to perform steps including: in response to an identification inquiry command, providing said identification information stored in the memory device; and in response to a change command, executing steps including changing the size of said section of the data storage medium. Preferably, the logic circuit program instructions for providing said unique identification information include program instructions for encoding said identification information; and the host system program instructions for finding a match in the authentication list further include program instructions for decoding the encoded identificatio

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