System of method of storing data in a self-service terminal
Methods and apparatus are described in which data, which is required by system software in a self-service terminal, is stored across a number of persistent storage elements. The persistent storage elements are located in peripheral devices within the self-service terminal. When the data is lost from volatile memory in the core computing device in the self-service terminal, the data is read back from one or more of the persistent storage elements.
1. A method of operating a self-service terminal, the self-service terminal comprising a Personal Computer (PC) core running system software and a plurality of peripheral devices and the method comprising:
storing, by the PC core, system software data which is required by the system software to operate the self-service terminal on a plurality of persistent storage elements of the self-service terminal by scanning, by the PC core, the plurality of peripheral devices and identifying, by the PC core, at least some of the system software data required by the system software to operate on at least one persistent storage element located in the plurality of peripheral devices, wherein the plurality of peripheral devices include: a cash dispenser and a keypad, and wherein the system software data includes essential data representing a serial number for the self-service terminal and configuration data for processing media associated with the self-service terminal, and interacting, by the PC core with the plurality of peripheral devices providing an additional function besides storage and retrieval of the data and including a customer interface function during a transaction at the self-service terminal; and
subsequently reading, by the PC core, data portions from the at least one persistent storage element and recreating the system software data which is required by the system software.
2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, by the PC core, the system software data in a non-persistent store associated with the PC core;
updating, by the PC core, the system software data in the non-persistent store; and
periodically storing, by the PC core, the updated system software data on a plurality of persistent storage elements.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein reading and recreating the system software data is performed following loss of the system software data in the non-persistent store.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of persistent storage elements comprises a hard disk associated with the PC core, and wherein storing the system software data which is required by the system software on a plurality of persistent storage elements comprises:
storing, by the PC core, system software data on at least one persistent storage element located in one of the plurality of peripheral devices; and
storing, by the PC core, an encrypted version of the system software data on a hard disk drive associated with the PC core.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein reading data portions from one or more of the plurality of persistent storage elements and recreating the system software data which is required by the system software comprises:
reading, by the PC core, data portions from any available persistent storage elements from the plurality of persistent storage elements;
integrity, by the PC core, checking each data portion; and
recreating, by the PC core, the system software data which is required by the system software from checked data portions.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the self-service terminal is an automated teller machine.
7. A self-service terminal comprising:
a plurality of peripheral devices, each peripheral device comprising a persistent storage element configured to store and provide system software data required by system software of a Personal Computer (PC) core of the self-service terminal, and wherein the plurality of peripheral devices include an additional function besides the storage and the retrieval of the data including a customer interface function during a transaction at the self-service terminal processed by the PC core, and wherein the plurality of peripheral devices comprising: a cash dispenser and a keypad, and wherein the system software data is essential data representing a serial number for the self-service terminal and configuration data for processing media associated with the self-service terminal; and
the PC core arranged to execute the system software and including a storage manager arranged to store the system software data on at least two persistent storage elements, and wherein the system software data includes data required by the system software to operate the self-service terminal.
8. A self-service terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the storage manager is further arranged to:
read, by the PC core, data portions from one or more of the persistent storage elements; and
recreate, by the PC core, the system software data which is required by the system software.
9. A self-service terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the storage manager is further arranged to:
store, by the PC core, the system software data in a non-persistent store associated with the PC core, and wherein the storage manager is arranged to perform the reading and recreating following loss of the data in the non-persistent store.
10. A self-service terminal according to claim 9 , wherein the storage manager is further arranged to:
update, by the PC core, the system software data in the non-persistent store; and
periodically store, by the PC core, the updated system software data on a plurality of persistent storage elements.
11. A self-service terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the storage manager is further arranged to perform integrity checking on each data portion, and wherein the data is recreated from checked data portions.
12. A self-service terminal according to claim 7 , wherein each peripheral device further comprises a peripheral storage provider arranged to enable the storage manager to read and write to the persistent storage element.
13. A self-service terminal according to claim 12 , wherein the PC core further comprises a scattered storage provider arranged to interface between the storage manager and peripheral storage providers in each of the plurality of peripheral devices.
14. A self-service terminal according to claim 13 , wherein the at least two persistent storage elements comprise at least one persistent storage element using a first storage technology and at least one persistent storage element using a second storage technology and wherein the PC core comprises:
a first scattered storage provider arranged to interface between the storage manager and a peripheral storage provider in a peripheral device comprising a persistent storage element using the first storage technology; and
a second scattered storage provider arranged to interface between the storage manager and a peripheral storage provider in a peripheral device comprising a persistent storage element using the second storage technology.
15. A self-service terminal according to claim 7 , which is an automated teller machine.
16. One or more tangible device-readable media with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
storing, by a Personal Computer (PC) core, system software data which is required by system software to operate a self-service terminal on a plurality of persistent storage elements of the self-service terminal, wherein at least one persistent storage element is located in a plurality of peripheral devices comprising: a cash dispenser and a keypad, and the plurality of peripheral devices associated with and interfaced to the self-service terminal, and interacting, by the PC core with the plurality of peripheral devices for providing an additional function besides storage and retrieval of the system software data including a customer interface function during a transaction at the self-service terminal, and wherein the system software data includes essential data representing a serial number for the self-service terminal and configuration data for processing media associated with the self-service terminal, and wherein the system software is arranged to execute on the PC core of the self-service terminal; and
subsequently reading, by the PC core, data portions of the system software data from the at least one persistent storage element of the plurality of peripheral devices and recreating the system software data which is required by the system software.
17. The one or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 16 , further comprising device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
storing, by the PC core, the system software data in a non-persistent store associated with the PC core;
updating, by the PC core, the system software data in the non-persistent store; and
periodically storing, by the PC core, the updated system software data on a plurality of persistent storage elements.
18. The one or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 17 , wherein reading and recreating the system software data is performed following loss of the system software data in the non-persistent store.
19. The one or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 16 , wherein one of the plurality of persistent storage elements comprises a hard disk associated with the PC core and wherein storing system software data which is required by system software on a plurality of persistent storage elements comprises:
storing, by the PC core, system software data on at least on persistent storage element located in one of the plurality of peripheral devices associated with the self-service terminal; and
storing, by the PC core, an encrypted version of the system software data on a hard disk drive associated with the PC core.
20. The one or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 16 , wherein the device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising reading data portions from one or more of the plurality of persistent storage elements and recreating the system software data which is required by the system software comprises device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
reading, by the PC core, data portions from any available persistent storage elements from the plurality of persistent storage elements;
integrity checking, by the PC core, each data portion; and
recreating, by the PC core, the system software data which is required by the system software from checked data portions.
21. A method of operating a self-service terminal, the self-service terminal comprising a Personal Computer (PC) core running system software and a plurality of peripheral devices and the method comprising:
storing, by the PC core, system software data which is required by the system software to operate the self-service terminal on a plurality of persistent storage elements of the self-service terminal, wherein storing further includes storing some of the system software data that is required by the system software on at least one persistent storage element from the plurality of persistent storage elements, the at least one persistent storage element is located in a cash dispenser peripheral device and a keypad peripheral device of the self-service terminal, and wherein the system software data includes essential data representing a serial number for the self-service terminal and configuration data for processing media associated with the self-service terminal; and
subsequently reading, by the PC core, data portions from the at least one persistent storage element and recreating the system software data which is required by the system software for operating the self-service terminal.
22. A method of operating a self-service terminal, the self-service terminal comprising a Personal Computer (PC) core running system software and a plurality of peripheral devices and the method comprising:
storing, by the PC core, system software data which is required by the system software to operate the self-service terminal on a plurality of persistent storage elements of the self-service terminal, wherein storing further includes storing some of the system software data that is required by the system software on at least one persistent storage element from the plurality of persistent storage elements, the at least one persistent storage element associated with a key pad peripheral device and a cash dispenser peripheral device of the self-service terminal; and
subsequently reading, by the PC core, data portions from the at least one persistent storage element and recreating, by the PC core, the system software data which is required by the system software, and wherein the system software data is data that includes essential data representing a serial number for the self-service terminal and configuration data for processing media associated with the self-service terminal.