EP0704804A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Data processing system having internally installed SCSI devices
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1995-09-25
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2015-09-25
Abstract
Abstract A data processing apparatus 10 has two or more internal SCSI devices 54, including a SCSI controller 19, and can also accommodate external SCSI devices 57M, 57N via a port connector. The apparatus can manage the ID numbers (identification numbers) of the internal SCSI devices separately from all the other SCSI devices without requiring any action by a user, by directly writing ID numbers into internal SCSI devices. ID numbers that do not collide with the ID numbers of the externally connected SCSI devices are assigned to the respective internal SCSI devices. The system can automatically write the ID numbers during the booting process or when the system configuration is physically changed. Even when there are SCSI hard disk drives installed both inside and outside the system, the ID numbers of a SCSI hard disk drive that is internally positioned can be read so that the internal SCSI hard disk drive can be designated as a hibernation target to which a hibernation file is saved if the system enters into a hibernation mode because the remaining capacity of a battery falls.
Inventors
- 👤 Haruo Sugi
- 👤 Susumu Shimotono
- 👤 Hideyuki Tagai
- 👤 Naoki Harada
- 👤 Mayumi Takahashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 00:30
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/4401; G06F9/4411; G06F1/00; G06F1/26; G06F1/30; G06F11/00; G06F11/22; G06F11/2289; G06F13/00; G06F13/38; G06F13/40; G06F13/4063; G06F3/00; G06F3/06; G06F3/0601; G06F9/4418; G06F11/006; G06F3/0668; G06F3/0671; G06F3/0673; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D10/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
51 words
A data processing system (10) having at least one SCSI device (54) internally installed, and being capable of installing one or more SCSI devices (57M, 57N) externally, characterised by means (53) for reading an ID number from and writing an ID number to said at least one internally installed SCSI device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
20 words
The data processing system of claim 1, further comprising means (52) for determining whether any external SCSI devices are connected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The data processing system of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising means for searching for an ID number that is not assigned to any externally connected SCSI devices, and wherein the means for reading and writing an ID number includes means for writing to each said at least one internally installed SCSI device an ID number that is determined by said searching means to be unassigned.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The data processing system of any preceding claim, having one or more internal SCSI devices in addition to an internal SCSI controller (19), and being capable of installing one or more SCSI devices externally via a port connector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The data processing system of claim 4, having two internal SCSI devices in addition to the SCSI controller.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said internal SCSI devices include a hard disk drive (54) and a CD-ROM device (55).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The data processing system of claim 4, 5 or 6, having an internally installed SCSI hard disk drive, and including means for designating said SCSI hard disk drive as a file save destination in accordance with an ID number read from said SCSI hard disk drive.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for controlling a data processing system which has two or more internal SCSI devices, including a SCSI controller, and to which at least one SCSI device is connectable externally via a port connector, comprising: a step for determining whether or not any SCSI devices are connected externally; a step for finding an ID number that has not been assigned to any externally connected SCSI devices; and a step for assigning to the said internal SCSI devices unassigned ID numbers that have been found at said finding step.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
217 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the system has first and second internal SCSI target devices in addition to the SCSI controller, and further comprising the steps of: responsive to a determination that there are no externally connected SCSI devices, assigning default ID numbers to the internal first and second SCSI devices; responsive to a determination that there are one or more externally connected SCSI devices: temporarily assigning a predetermined ID number to said first and second internal SCSI devices; determining whether or not each of the ID numbers other than said predetermined ID number has already been assigned to an externally connected SCSI device; responsive to a determination that two or more unused ID numbers are found, assigning unused ID numbers to said first and second internal SCSI devices; responsive to a determination that no unused ID number has been found, terminating the process as a failure; responsive to a determination that one unused ID number is found, temporarily assigning said one unused ID number to both said first and said second internal SCSI devices; searching for a SCSI device having said predetermined ID number; and if such a device is found, terminating the process as a failure, and if such a device is not found, assigning said predetermined ID number to said first SCSI device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 9, wherein said first SCSI device is a hard disk drive.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 8 or 10, wherein the system has internally at least a SCSI controller and a SCSI hard disk drive, said method further comprising the step, in order to store a predetermined file, of reading the ID number of said SCSI hard disk drive, and designating the SCSI hard disk drive using its ID number as the destination for a file save operation.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.