IP Library Granted Patent US 9,990,136
Granted Patent B2
US 9,990,136 · App. 15/331,406 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

Methods and devices for booting a network attached storage with two logical units

Inventor: James S Lin (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
G06F3/0607G06F3/0605G06F3/067G06F3/0634G06F3/0658G06F3/0661G06F3/0671G06F3/0674G06F3/0689G06F13/102G06F13/4022H04L67/1097
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,990,136
App. No.
15/331,406
Granted
Jun 5, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A data storage device may comprise 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 may be configured to couple to a host and a second interface may be configured to couple to a network. In a first mode, the data storage device may be configured to expose the first logical unit to the host and render the second logical unit inaccessible and, in a second mode, the data storage device may be configured to allow access to both the first and the second logical units. The first mode may comprise a direct attached storage (DAS) mode and the second mode may comprise a network attached storage (NAS) mode.

Claims (50)

1. A data storage device, comprising:

data storage, comprising a first logical unit and a second logical unit;

a host interface configured to couple to a host;

a network interface configured to couple to a network; and

circuitry configured to selectably:

operate the data storage device in a first mode such that:

the first logical unit is rendered accessible to the host via the host interface and not the network interface; and

the second logical unit is rendered inaccessible to the host; and

operate the data storage device in a second mode such that:

both the first logical unit and the second logical unit are rendered accessible to the network via the network interface and not the host interface.

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

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

4. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry comprises a multiplexer configured to selectively couple the data storage to the host interface and to the network interface.

5. The data storage device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a bridge controller configured to couple to the data storage; and

a network attached storage (NAS) system controller configured to couple to the bridge controller and to the network interface,

wherein the circuitry further comprises a multiplexer controlled by the bridge controller and by the NAS system controller to selectively couple the data storage to the host interface and to the network interface.

6. The data storage device of claim 5 , wherein the bridge controller and the NAS system controller are included in a single assembly.

7. The data storage device of claim 5 , wherein the NAS system controller is configured to access the data storage through the bridge controller.

8. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the second logical unit is configured to store a storage device operating system corresponding to the second mode, and wherein the data storage device is configured to boot the storage device operating system stored in the second logical unit when the data storage device is operated in the second mode.

9. 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.

10. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein when the data storage device is operated in the first mode, the second logical unit is not exposed to the host.

11. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second logical units are configured as overlapping virtual logical units.

12. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first logical unit and the second logical unit are configured to be partitioned independently of one another.

13. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to selectably operate the data storage device in the first mode when a connection to the host interface is detected.

14. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to selectably operate the data storage device in the second mode when a connection to the host interface is not detected.

15. A method, comprising:

configuring a data storage device to comprise:

data storage, comprising a first logical unit and a second logical unit;

a host interface configured to couple to a host; and

a network interface configured to couple to a network; and

detecting a connection on one of the host interface and the network interface such that:

when a connection on the host interface is detected, operating the data storage device in a first mode in which the first logical unit is rendered accessible to the host via the host interface and in which the second logical unit is rendered inaccessible to the host; and

when a connection on the network interface is detected, operating the data storage device in a second mode in which both the first logical unit and the second logical unit are rendered accessible to the network via the network interface.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising configuring the data storage device to comprise circuitry that is configured to selectively couple the data storage to the host interface when a connection to the host interface is detected and to couple the data storage to the network interface when a connection to the network interface is detected.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising configuring the data storage device to comprise:

a bridge controller configured to couple to the data storage;

a network attached storage (NAS) system controller configured to couple to the bridge controller and to the network interface; and

a multiplexer controlled by the bridge controller and the NAS system controller to selectively couple the data storage to the host interface when a connection on the host interface is detected and to the network interface when a connection on the network interface is detected.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein configuring the data storage device further comprises including the bridge controller and the NAS system controller in a single assembly.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein configuring the data storage device further comprises configuring the data storage device such that the NAS system controller accesses the data storage through the bridge controller.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

configuring the data storage device further comprises configuring the second logical unit to store an operating system; and

operating the data storage device in the second mode further comprises booting the data storage device from the operating system stored in the second logical unit.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein configuring the data storage device further comprises:

configuring the first logical unit to span a first predetermined range of logical block addresses (LBAs); and

configuring the second logical unit to span a second predetermined range of LBAs that does not overlap with the first predetermined range of LBAs.

22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising hiding the second logical unit from the host when the data storage device is operated in the first mode.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein configuring the data storage device further comprises configuring the first and second logical units as overlapping virtual logical units.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein configuring the data storage device further comprises partitioning the first and second logical units independently of one another.

Assignments (11)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068762/0494 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067982/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067567/0682 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067045/0156 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - A&R LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064715/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 052915 FRAME 0566 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 059127/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2020
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 052915/0566 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2016
From: LIN, JAMES S.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 040687/0445 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2016
From: LIN, JAMES S
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 040191/0004 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14632085 · Feb 26, 2015
Continuation 13931825 · Jun 29, 2013
Provisional Application 61826919 · May 23, 2013
Related Publication 20170038976A1 · Feb 9, 2017