Taking in-use computer drives offline for testing

Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Testing system – Of mechanical system

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C702S081000, C702S082000, C702S108000, C702S117000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272442

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The disclosures herein relate to the field of computer drive management systems, and, more particularly, to a system and a method for logically removing computer drives from online arrays for extended periods of testing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
S.M.A.R.T., an acronym for self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology, is an industry term of art used to describe the technology used to monitor and predict device performance. Drive failure prediction mechanisms, such as S.M.A.R.T., monitor various components of the drive in order to predict whether a drive might fail in the future. S.M.A.R.T. technology consists of software that resides both on the drive and on the host computer. The drive software monitors various components of the drive, while the host software interfaces with the drive, and determines whether the drive is functioning up to predetermined reliability standards.
In order to increase the performance of future versions of S.M.A.R.T., and similar drive failure prediction mechanisms, such mechanisms will need to be able to test drives offline for extended periods of time. However, the drives that need to be tested offline are often online, in use, and, therefore not available for extended periods of offline testing. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and a method for taking online drives offline, that allows concurrent processing of input/output requests directed at the physical drive being taken offline.
SUMMARY
The embodiment accordingly, provides a method and system to enable extended testing of computer system drives that allows concurrent processing of input/output requests directed at the physical drive being tested, the computer system having a plurality of drives, a drive testing program stored in the computer's memory, and a drive exchange program stored in the computer's memory, the drive exchange program comprising the steps of a) copying information and writing from a drive to be tested to a spare drive, b) logically replacing the drive to be tested with the spare drive, c) interfacing with the drive testing program, and d) allowing the drive testing program to test the drive to be tested.


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