Granted Patent B2

US 8,984,190 · App. 13/931,825 · Granted Mar 17, 2015

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A data storage device, comprising:

data storage comprising a first logical unit configured to store user data and a second logical unit configured to store an operating system;

a first interface configured to couple to a host; and

a second interface configured to couple to a network,

a second controller coupled to the second interface; and

a first controller selectively configured to be coupled to one of the first interface and the second controller;

wherein, in a first mode, the data. storage device is configured to render the first logical unit accessible to the host and render the second logical unit inaccessible to the host and, in a second mode, o render both the first logical unit and the second logical unit accessible to the host, and

wherein the second controller is only active when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

2. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first mode is enabled when a connection to the first interface is detected.

3. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is enabled when a connection to the first interface is not detected.

4. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the data storage comprises a plurality of disks.

5. The data storage of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of disks are in a Redundant Array of inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration.

6. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is enabled when a connection to the first interface is detected.

7. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first mode comprises a direct attached storage (DAS) mode.

8. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the second mode comprises a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

9. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein, in the second mode, the data storage device is further configured to boot the operating system stored in the second logical unit.

10. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first logical unit spans a first predetermined range of logical block addresses (LBAs) and wherein the second logical unit spans a second predetermined range of LBAs that does not overlap with the first predetermined range of LBAs.

11. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the second interface is configured to selectively couple to a wired network connection and to a wireless network connection.

12. A method of operating a data storage device that comprises a first controller, a first interface configured to couple to a host, a second interface configured to couple to a network, and a second controller coupled to the second interface, the method comprising:

configuring data storage of the data storage device to comprise a first logical unit and a second logical unit;

storing an operating system in the second logical unit; and

configuring the data storage device to operate in one of a first mode and a second mode such that, in the first mode, the controller is coupled to the first interface and only the first logical unit is accessible to the host to enable storage of user data therein and the second logical unit is inaccessible to the host and such that in the second mode, the first controller is coupled to the second controller and both the first logical unit and the second logical unit are accessible to the host,

wherein the second controller is configured to process data access commands only in the second mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting a connection on the first interface and configuring the data storage device to operate in the first mode when the connection is detected on the first interface and configuring the data storage device to operate in the second mode when the connection is not detected on the first interface.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising booting the operating system stored in the second logical unit when the connection is not detected on the first interface.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting a connection on the first interface and configuring the data storage device to operate in the second mode when the connection is detected on the first interface.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first mode comprises a direct attached storage (DAS) mode.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second mode comprises a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

18. The method of claim 12 , data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the data storage comprises a plurality of disks.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of disks are in a Redundant Amy of inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein configuring comprises defining the first logical unit to span a first predetermined range of logical block addresses (LBAs) and defining the second logical unit to span a second predetermined range of LBAs that does not overlap with the first predetermined range of LBAs,

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the data storage device comprises a first controller and a second controller and wherein the method further comprises configuring the second controller to process data access commands only when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second interface is configured to selectively couple to a wired network connection and to a wireless network connection.

23. A data storage device, comprising:

data storage comprising a first logical unit configured to store user data and a second logical unit configured to store an operating system;

a first interface configured to couple to a host; and

a second interface configured to couple to a network,

a second controller coupled to the second interface;

a first controller selectively configured to be coupled to one of the first interface and the second controller: and

a multiplexer coupled to the first interface and to the second controller, wherein the multiplexer is configured to couple the first interface to the first controller when the data storage device operates in a first mode in which the data storage device is configured to render the first logical unit accessible to the host and render the second logical unit inaccessible to the host and wherein the multiplexer is further configured to couple the second controller to the first controller When the data storage device operates in a second mode in which the data storage device is configured to render both the first and the second logical units accessible to the host.

24. The data storage device of claim 23 , wherein the first mode comprises a direct attached storage (DAS) mode.

25. The data storage device of claim 23 , wherein the second mode comprises a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

26. A method of operating a data storage device that comprises a first controller, a first interface configured to couple to a host, a second controller and a second interface configured to couple to a network, the method comprising:

configuring data storage of the data storage device to comprise a first logical unit and a second logical unit; and

storing an operating system in the second logical unit; and selectively

coupling the first interface to the first controller to cause the data storage device to operate in a first mode in which only the first logical unit is rendered accessible to the host to enable storage of user data therein and the second logical unit is rendered inaccessible to the host,

or

coupling the second controller to the first controller to cause the data storage device to operate in a second mode in which the both the first and the second logical units accessible to the host,

wherein the second controller is configured to process data access commands only when the data storage device operates in the second mode.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the first mode comprises a direct attached storage (DAS) mode.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the second mode comprises a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

Assignments (13)