JP2000172508A - Information recording device and its firmware renewing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information recording device which autonomously renews firmware on-line and its method. SOLUTION: An information recording device which holds a recording medium inside in a replaceable state and has its operation controlled by a specific firmware file and driving parameter (called as firmware) is provided with a storage means which holds the firmware rewritable, a storage means which temporarily stores renewed firmware substituting for specific firmware and an renewed command, and an renewing means which renews the specific firmware into the renewed firmware with the renewed command. Further, a data buffer is provided which stores at least the data of the recording medium when the device is started and data transfer to a host device in when the device is in operation is performed by using the data buffer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information recording apparatus and a method for updating the firmware thereof, and more particularly, to an information recording apparatus and a method for updating the firmware in which the firmware is automatically updated online.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, magnetic disk devices have been used as information recording devices for information processing systems such as workstations and personal computers. In such a magnetic disk drive, a recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as HD)
Various operations such as read / write operation to the
(Read Only Memory) is controlled based on a control program (firmware) and drive parameters stored in the drive. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of such a conventional magnetic disk drive.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional magnetic disk device includes an HD 11, an HD control circuit 12 connected to the HD 11 by a SCSI interface, and a ROM 13 in which firmware and drive parameters are written.
With When this device receives an information data read / write command from the host device 14, the HD control circuit 12
Analyzes the command and controls the HD 11 to execute the command from the host device. The detailed internal operation related to the command execution is controlled by firmware.

In such a conventional magnetic disk drive, when a defect such as a bug occurs in the firmware of the HD and the control circuit or when the function of the device is upgraded, the ROM 13 is updated with a new firmware storing the updated firmware. The ROM was replaced with a new ROM, and the updated firmware was downloaded from the new ROM.

On the other hand, in the current magnetic disk drive, 3.5.
Inch SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
The HD has been adopted, and the model of the HD has been changed every year, and the firmware of the HD has been upgraded accordingly. Therefore, when the HD 11 of the magnetic disk device is replaced, it is necessary to update the firmware and parameters of the control circuit 13 to corresponding ones. In this case, the ROM 11 and the HD 11
This also requires the work of replacing the horn, which complicates the work and increases the cost. Further, the necessity of exchanging the ROM each time the HD is exchanged has hindered the multi-vendor support of the recording apparatus.

[0006]

In order to solve such a problem, in recent years, a read-only memory (flash EEPROM or the like) which can be rewritten into a ROM for writing firmware in a magnetic disk drive has been used. The firmware file stored in the server is updated. However, even in this case, the operator of the magnetic disk device can use an EEPROM (Electrical
It is necessary to perform a rewriting operation on a rasable programmable read only memory (RAM), and a predetermined operation is required to update the firmware.

Further, in order to avoid an adverse effect on the information data transfer of the device to be updated, it is necessary to update the firmware of the device basically when the device is not using the information data. . Therefore, in a magnetic disk drive used in a system in which an operator is not on site or a system that is continuously operated for 24 hours, it may be difficult to adjust the geographical and temporal time for updating the firmware.

As described above, conventionally, regarding the firmware update in the magnetic disk device, the firmware can be easily updated even when the device is in a continuous operation state or when there is no operator operating on site. There has been a demand for an information recording device and a method for updating the information recording device. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information recording apparatus and a method for automatically updating firmware online.

[0009]

In order to achieve this object, an information recording apparatus according to the present invention has a recording medium inside which can be exchanged, and has a predetermined firmware file and a driving parameter (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as a group). Storage device for temporarily storing update firmware to be replaced with the predetermined firmware and an update command, and storing the predetermined firmware by the update command. Update means for updating to update firmware;
It is characterized by having.

[0010] By configuring the information recording apparatus in this way, when it becomes necessary to update the recording medium of the apparatus or the firmware of the control circuit, it is possible to store the updated firmware and the update command in the storage means. Firmware can be updated. In addition, if the update command is stored in the storage means, the firmware can be updated autonomously, so that the update operation by the operator at the site can be made unnecessary.

It is preferable that the information recording apparatus is connected to a network system having a server computer that provides the update firmware, and that the storage unit receives the update firmware and the update command from the server computer. By transmitting the update firmware and the update command from the server on the network to the information recording device to be updated, the system is connected to the network and is in operation, so that the operator needs to wait on site. And the firmware can be updated automatically.

It is preferable that the information recording apparatus further includes a data buffer for storing at least data of the recording medium when the information recording apparatus is started. The information recording apparatus is configured in this way, for example, when updating the firmware, the data of the recording medium is transcribed to a data buffer, and at least during the firmware update work, the exchange of information data with the upper device is performed from this data buffer. By doing so, the firmware can be updated without adversely affecting the information data, for example, even in an information recording device of a 24-hour operation system.

Further, the method of updating the firmware of the information recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a firmware file and a drive parameter for controlling various operations of the information recording apparatus in which a recording medium is held in a replaceable manner. A method of temporarily storing update firmware and an update command to be replaced with the existing firmware of the information recording apparatus, and a step of updating the existing firmware to the update firmware. And characterized in that:

Preferably, in the step of storing the updated firmware, the updated firmware is received from a network connected to the information recording device and stored.

Preferably, in the step of updating the firmware, the firmware is automatically updated after the step of storing the updated firmware is completed.

Further, the method further includes a step of transferring the data of the recording medium to another storage means in the information recording apparatus when the information recording apparatus is started, and a step of terminating the operation of the information recording apparatus or periodically. Transferring the data of the other storage means to the recording medium.

By updating the firmware of the information recording apparatus in this way, the firmware can be easily updated even when the apparatus is in a continuous operation state or when there is no operator operating on site.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a magnetic disk drive according to the present invention. FIG.
As shown in FIG.
, A firmware buffer 2, an HD control circuit 3,
It comprises a data buffer 4, an HD 5, and an EEPROM 6. This magnetic disk device is connected to the host device 7 from the HD control circuit 3 via the host I / F, and exchanges information data in accordance with instructions from the host device 7.

The line controller 1 is, for example, a LAN (Lo
cal Area Network) and WA using communication line services
N (Wide Area Network), which is connected to the Internet or the like using a telephone line (not shown), and receives an update firmware and an update command accompanying the update firmware from a specific server. The line controller 1 is connected to a firmware buffer 2, and the updated firmware received here is temporarily stored in the firmware buffer 2.

The HD control circuit 3 controls each circuit of the magnetic disk drive, and executes transmission and reception of information data in response to a request from the host device 7 as described above. The EEPROM 6 stores firmware of the magnetic disk device and other ancillary parameters, and is rewritable under the control of the HD control circuit 3. The data buffer 4 has a capacity capable of storing data stored in the HD 5.

The operation of the magnetic disk drive will be described below. When the power is turned on to the magnetic disk device, the control circuit 3 copies the data of the HD 5 to the data buffer 4, and the subsequent data transfer with the host device 7 is performed using the data buffer 4. When the power of the magnetic disk drive is turned off, the data in the data buffer 4 is written back to the HD 5,
It is saved until the next power on. This backup operation may be performed arbitrarily in addition to the power-off of the apparatus. Particularly, when the apparatus is operated for 24 hours, it is performed every predetermined time.

In this magnetic disk drive, for example, H
If there is a defect such as a bug in the firmware of D5, HD update firmware is prepared on the server side of the network, and an HD firmware update command and update data are transmitted to the line controller 1 of the device via the network. When receiving the update command, the line controller 1 notifies the control circuit 3 that the update command has been received, and stores the data of the updated firmware in the firmware buffer 2.

When all the storing operations are completed normally, the control circuit 3 updates the existing firmware in the EEPROM 6 to the received update firmware. At the time of this update operation, as described above, the HD
Since the data No. 5 has already been transferred to the data buffer 4 and the data transfer with the host device 7 is performed using the data buffer 4, the firmware update of the HD 5 does not hinder the data transfer. When the firmware update for the HD 5 is completed normally by this operation, the control circuit 3 notifies the server that the firmware update is completed via the line controller 1. When the server receives this information, it updates the equipment information such as the current version of the firmware of the storage device, and uses it as data on the next firmware update. HD5
Firmware update operation ends.

Although the update of the firmware of the HD 5 has been described here, for example, the HD of the magnetic disk device may be updated.
For example, when the firmware is replaced with an upgraded version, it is necessary to update the firmware of the control circuit. In such a case, similarly to the above operation, the firmware of the control circuit in the EEPROM 6 is updated.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the information recording apparatus and the firmware updating method of the present invention, the firmware updating command and the updated firmware data can be transmitted from the server via the network line as required. Since the firmware is transmitted and the firmware is automatically updated when the storage of these data in the firmware buffer (storing means) is normally completed, it is necessary for the operator to perform the update work at the site of the information recording device. Therefore, it is possible to update the firmware of the information recording device at a site where there is no operator.

When the apparatus is started, the data in the HD is transferred to the data buffer, and the data transfer with the higher-level device is performed using the data in the data buffer. Since the firmware can be updated even in the case where the information is transferred, the firmware can be updated without considering the convenience of actual information data transfer even in, for example, a 24-hour operation system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional information recording device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Line controller 2 Firmware buffer 3 HD control circuit 4 Data buffer 5 HD (magnetic disk) 6 EEPROM 7 Host device

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An information recording apparatus in which a recording medium is exchangeably held therein and whose operation is controlled by a predetermined firmware file and driving parameters (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as firmware), the firmware can be rewritten. Storage means for storing, and storage means for temporarily storing update firmware and an update command to be replaced with the predetermined firmware, update means for updating the predetermined firmware to the update firmware by the update command, An information recording device comprising: 2. The information recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information recording apparatus is connected to a network system having a server computer that provides the update firmware, and the storage unit transmits the update firmware from the server computer. An information recording device for receiving a firmware and an update command. 3. An information recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information recording apparatus further comprises a data buffer for storing at least data of said recording medium when said information recording apparatus is started. . 4. A method for updating a firmware file and driving parameters (hereinafter, collectively referred to as firmware) for controlling various operations of an information recording apparatus in which a recording medium is exchangeably held therein, the method comprising: An information recording apparatus comprising: a step of temporarily storing update firmware and an update command to be replaced with existing firmware of a recording apparatus; and a step of updating the existing firmware to the update firmware. Firmware update method. 5. The firmware updating method according to claim 4, wherein the step of storing the updated firmware includes receiving and storing the updated firmware from a network to which the information recording device is connected. Method. 6. The firmware updating method according to claim 4, wherein in the step of updating the firmware, the firmware is automatically updated after the step of storing the updated firmware is completed. Firmware update method. 7. The firmware update method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of transferring the data of the recording medium to another storage unit in the information recording device when the information recording device is started. A firmware updating method, comprising: a transferring step; and a step of transferring data of the other storage means to the recording medium at the end of the operation of the information recording apparatus or periodically.