Storage system and method for executing file-based firmware commands and collecting response data
A storage system and method for executing file-based firmware commands and collecting response data are provided. In one embodiment, a storage system is provided comprising a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to: receive a request from a host in communication with the storage system to write data in a file, wherein the file is identified by a file path name; determine whether the file path name matches a predetermined file path name; in response to determining that the file path name does not match the predetermined file path name, write the data in the file; and in response to determining that the file path name matches the predetermined file path name, execute a command represented by the data. Other embodiments are provided.
1. A storage system comprising:
a memory; and
a controller in communication with the memory, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a request from a host in communication with the storage system to write data in a file, wherein the file is identified by a file path name and the host does not address logical block addresses in the memory and, thus, cannot access diagnostic or configuration functionality only accessible by logical block addresses;
determine whether the file path name matches a predetermined file path name;
in response to determining that the file path name does not match the predetermined file path name, write the data in the file; and
in response to determining that the file path name matches the predetermined file path name:
execute a command represented by the data;
write, in the file, a response to the command after the command is executed;
receive a request from the host to read the file; and
in response to receiving the request from the host to read the file, send the response written in the file to the host;
wherein:
the file is requested to be written to by the host to execute the command;
the file is read by the host to provide the response to the command; and
the command comprises a diagnostic command or a configuration command.
2. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein:
the command is encrypted; and
the controller is further configured to decrypt the command prior to executing the command.
3. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify a logical block address associated with the file path name; and
determine whether the file path name matches a predetermined file path name by determining whether the logical block address associated with the file path name matches a predetermined logical block address.
4. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a three-dimensional memory.
5. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system is removably connected to the host.
6. A method for executing a command in a storage system, the method comprising:
performing the following in a storage system comprising a memory:
receiving a request from a host to write data in a file in the memory, wherein the host does not address logical block addresses in the memory and, thus, cannot access diagnostic or configuration functionality only accessible by logical block addresses;
based on a location of the file in a directory structure of the memory, determining that the data represents a command to be executed and not data to be written in the file;
executing the command;
writing, in the file, a response to the command after the command is executed;
receiving a request from the host to read the file; and
in response to receiving the request from the host to read the file, sending the response written in the file to the host;
wherein:
the file is requested to be written to by the host to execute the command;
the file is read by the host to provide the response to the command; and
the command comprises a diagnostic command or a configuration command.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the command is encrypted; and
the method further comprises decrypting the command prior to execution.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the storage system identifies the location of the file in the directory structure based on an associated logical block address.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the memory comprises a three-dimensional memory.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the storage system is removably connected to the host.
11. A storage system comprising:
a memory;
means for receiving a request from a host to write data in a file in the memory, wherein the host does not address logical block addresses in the memory and, thus, cannot access diagnostic or configuration functionality only accessible by logical block addresses;
means for determining that the data represents a command to be executed and not data to be written in the file, based on a location of the file in a directory structure of the memory;
means for executing the command;
means for writing, in the file, a response to the command after the command is executed;
means for receiving a request from the host to read the file; and
means for sending the response written in the file to the host in response to receiving the request from the host to read the file;
wherein:
the file is requested to be written to by the host to execute the command;
the file is read by the host to provide the response to the command;
at least one of the means comprises a processor; and
the command comprises a diagnostic command or a configuration command.
12. The storage system of claim 11 , wherein the memory comprises a three-dimensional memory.