System and methodology for updating individualized system data to facilitate repair and/or replacement service provision

1. A system, comprising:

a storage device hosting a file system and implementing an operating system, the file system storing first individualized system data identifying a computer hardware component;

a replacement computer hardware component comprising an embedded storage module storing second individualized system data identifying the replacement computer hardware component;

wherein the embedded storage module is configured to implement a routine stored thereon using a processor or a controller of the system;

wherein the routine is configured to overwrite the first individualized system data with the second individualized system data in response to determining a mismatch between the first individualized system data and the second individualized system data;

wherein the storage device is physically separate from the computer hardware component and the replacement computer hardware component;

wherein the embedded storage module is configured to automatically implement the routine during a boot process of the system using a target disk mode function of the boot process;

wherein the embedded storage module is further configured to automatically implement the routine as part of a startup process of the operating system;

wherein the first individualized system data and the second individualized system data each comprise vital product data (VPD) corresponding to the computer hardware component; and

wherein the VPD comprises:

a manufacturer name corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component;

a location corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the location includes a city name, a state, and a country name;

a serial number corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the serial number is an uninterrupted string of alphanumeric characters excluding special characters and spaces;

a component type corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the component type comprises a model name;

a universally unique identifier (UUID) corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the UUID is a 128-bit value selected from the group consisting of: a MAC address: a DCE security value, a MD5 hash, and a SHA-1 hash; and

asset tag information corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the asset tag information is a string encoded as a barcode on a physical tag applied to the replacement computer hardware component.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the replacement computer hardware component comprises a field replaceable unit (FRU) motherboard; and

wherein the embedded storage module comprises an embedded multimedia card (EMMC) embedded on the FRU.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the routine is configured to:

determine whether the second individualized system data are: installed on, associated with, and/or up-to-date with respect to the system; and

in response to determining the individualized system data are: not installed on, not associated with, and/or not up-to-date with respect to the system:

install the second individualized system data to the system;

associate the second individualized system data with the system; or

install the second individualized system data to the system and associate the second individualized system data with the system.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second individualized system data includes a component type corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component; and

wherein the component type comprises a model name of the replacement computer hardware component.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the routine is configured to:

determine whether the second individualized system data are: installed on, associated with, and/or up-to-date with respect to the system; and

in response to determining the individualized system data are: not installed on, not associated with, and/or not up-to-date with respect to the system:

install the second individualized system data to the system;

associate the second individualized system data with the system; or

install the second individualized system data to the system and associate the second individualized system data with the system; and

wherein the computer hardware component comprises a first field replaceable unit (FRU) motherboard;

wherein the replacement computer hardware component comprises a second FRU motherboard;

wherein the embedded storage module comprises an embedded multimedia card (EMMC) embedded on the second FRU;

wherein the embedded storage module is further configured to automatically implement the routine as part of an operating system startup process.

6. A method, comprising:

determining whether first individualized system data stored on a storage device of a computer system and corresponding to a computer hardware component previously installed in the computer system are up-to-date, based on:

comparing the first individualized system data to second individualized system data stored on an embedded storage module of a replacement computer hardware component; and

in response to determining the individualized system data are not up-to-date, overwriting the first individualized system data with the second individualized system data;

wherein the storage device hosts a file system and implements an operating system of the computer system;

wherein the first individualized system data are stored on the file system;

wherein the storage device is physically separate from the computer hardware component and the replacement computer hardware component;

wherein each of the first individualized system data and the second individualized system data comprise vital product data (VPD); and

wherein the VPD comprises:

a manufacturer name corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component;

a location corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the location includes a city name, a state, and a country name;

a serial number corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the serial number is an uninterrupted string of alphanumeric characters excluding special characters and spaces;

a component type corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the component type comprises a model name;

a universally unique identifier (UUID) corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the UUID is a 128-bit value selected from the group consisting of: a MAC address: a DCE security value, a MD5 hash, and a SHA-1 hash; and

asset tag information corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the asset tag information is a string encoded as a barcode on a physical tag applied to the replacement computer hardware component.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the overwriting is performed as part of:

a boot process of the computer system; and

a startup process of the operating system.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the overwriting is implemented in a targeted disk mode of a boot menu interface of the computer system.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the second individualized system data stored on the embedded storage module of the replacement computer hardware component are “reference” individualized system data.

10. A computer program product, comprising: a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer readable program instructions configured to cause a processor of a computer system to:

determine whether first individualized system data stored on a storage device of a computer system are up-to-date with respect to either the computer system or a hardware component of the computer system; and

in response to determining the first individualized system data are not up-to-date with respect to the computer system or the hardware component:

install second individualized system data, the second individualized system data corresponding to a replacement computer hardware component and stored on an embedded storage module of the replacement computer hardware component;

associate the second individualized system data with the computer system and/or the hardware component; and/or

update the first individualized system data of the computer system and/or the hardware component using the second individualized system data; and

wherein determining whether the first individualized system data are up-to-date with respect to: the system, the hardware component, or the system and the hardware component comprises comparing the first individualized system data to the second individualized system data;

wherein the storage device hosts a file system and implements an operating system of the computer system;

wherein the first individualized system data are stored on the file system;

wherein the storage device is physically separate from the computer hardware component and the replacement computer hardware component;

wherein the second individualized system data comprises vital product data (VPD), the VPD comprising:

a manufacturer name corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component;

a location corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the location includes a city name, a state, and a country name;

a serial number corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component wherein the serial number is an uninterrupted string of alphanumeric characters excluding special characters and spaces;

a type corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the type comprises a model name;

a universally unique identifier (UUID) corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the UUID is a 128-bit value selected from the group consisting of: a MAC address: a DCE security value, a MD5 hash, and a SHA-1 hash; and

an asset tag information corresponding to the replacement computer hardware component, wherein the asset tag information is a string encoded as a barcode on a physical tag applied to the replacement computer hardware component.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein the computer readable storage medium comprises an EMMC embedded on a FRU motherboard.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first individualized system data are stored on the file system of the computer system,

wherein the file system resides on a storage device communicatively coupled to the computer system.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein the update is performed as part of:

a boot process of the computer system; and

a startup process of an operating system installed on the computer system.