JP2006127140A - Method for rewriting firmware, disk drive device, and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To securely and reliably rewrite FW (firmware) of a magnetic disk device. <P>SOLUTION: The magnetic disk device 20 stores a FW code for rewriting in a magnetic disk 9 along with a FW rewriting program which can boot a host system 17. The magnetic disk device 20 sends replies if the device receives an acquisition request for drive information of the magnetic disk device 20 from the host system 17 side when power is next supplied to the host system 17. Afterwards, the magnetic disk device 20 renews a content of the FW code for rewriting stored in the magnetic disk 9 with a FW code 23 in a flash ROM 15 if the device receives a specific write command from the host system 17 side which has acquired the FW rewriting program. Thereby, the FW can be rewritten after the magnetic disk device body is recognized by the system side, not during start-up of the magnetic disk device 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for rewriting firmware mounted on a disk drive device such as a magnetic disk device, a disk drive device, and an information processing system including the disk drive device.

  In general, the internal control of a magnetic disk device is performed by firmware (hereinafter referred to as “FW”), and the FW may be improved to change specifications or improve performance. If this FW is a magnetic disk device configured to be stored in a rewritable storage element such as a flash ROM, it is possible to rewrite the FW to a new one by providing a command for rewriting the FW and executing it. It is. Therefore, in an information processing apparatus with a built-in magnetic disk device, the FW can be rewritten without removing the magnetic disk device by executing a command for rewriting the FW.

  Here, when the host system is in operation, that is, under the control of the OS (Operating System), it is generally difficult to execute a special command such as a FW rewrite command. The command execution timeout is short and the FW rewrite is completed within this time. There are various restrictions such as that it is difficult to perform FW rewrite processing in an environment where a plurality of tasks are executed in parallel.

  Therefore, conventionally, in order to avoid these restrictions, by starting the host system using a floppy (registered trademark) disk in which the FW rewrite program is stored, it is possible to start the FW without starting the OS of the host system. A method of executing a command for rewriting was applied. However, recently, information processing apparatuses that do not have a floppy (registered trademark) disk are increasing, and it is difficult to execute a command for rewriting FW without starting the OS. Is increasing.

Accordingly, there is an increasing demand for an operation for rewriting the FW under the control of the OS. Therefore, during the normal processing of the host system (under the control of the OS), the FW data to be updated is updated. There has been proposed a method of receiving and writing to a magnetic disk, and performing FW rewrite processing as part of the startup sequence of the magnetic disk device at the next power-on (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-62663 A

  However, in the method of the above-mentioned document, FW rewriting is executed in the process of starting up the magnetic disk device main body in the sequence at system startup, that is, in a busy state before the magnetic disk device is recognized by the system side. Therefore, it takes a long time for the magnetic disk device to be in a ready state (a busy state is canceled and in a standby state) after the system is powered on. For this reason, there is a concern that a timeout error may occur and the system may not start normally when the magnetic disk device is recognized by the BIOS.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and a firmware rewriting method and a disk drive capable of safely and surely rewriting firmware without requiring a special operation such as BIOS change. An object is to provide an apparatus and an information processing system.

  In order to achieve the above object, the firmware rewriting method according to the present invention is a nonvolatile memory provided in a disk drive device through exchange of commands between the disk drive device capable of accessing the disk medium and the host system. A firmware rewriting method for rewriting firmware in a memory, wherein the rewriting firmware is stored on the disk medium together with a rewrite execution program capable of booting the host system and rewriting the firmware in the nonvolatile memory. When the host system receives a drive information acquisition request including specifications of the disk drive device when the host system is powered on after execution of the rewrite preparation step and the rewrite preparation step, the disk drive device Drive feeling When a specific command is received from the host system side that has acquired the rewrite execution program after executing the drive information return step and the drive information return step, the disk drive device is placed on the disk medium. And updating the firmware in the non-volatile memory with the contents of the firmware for rewriting stored.

  That is, according to the present invention, in the sequence at system startup, for example, the firmware is not rewritten in the process of starting up the disk drive device main body, but after the disk drive device is recognized by the system (BIOS) Since the rewrite execution program executes the firmware rewrite process independently after the control is transferred from (1) to (5), the firmware rewrite process can be performed safely and reliably without any special operation such as BIOS change.

  The firmware rewriting method according to the present invention stores the boot program when the disk drive device receives a boot program return request in the boot program storage area provided on the disk medium from the host system side. The method further comprises a step of returning the rewriting execution program stored in a program replacement area different from the area as response data of the reply request.

  Furthermore, in the firmware rewriting method of the present invention, a read command or a write command to an address corresponding to a non-existing area of a block partitioned by a predetermined storage unit among all the storage areas on the disk medium is When the command is received from the host system side as the command, the disk drive device writes the rewrite firmware and the rewrite execution program to the disk medium and / or the firmware in the nonvolatile memory. The update process is executed.

  In other words, in these inventions, when the rewriting process of firmware for a plurality of types of disk drive devices having different physical capacities of disk media is taken into account, a situation occurs in which an address such as a program replacement area changes. However, it is possible to easily cope with such a situation. In these inventions, a series of commands for firmware rewrite processing can be executed by a specific command (read / write command) to an address belonging to a non-existing area of a block on a disk medium. It is possible to easily issue commands from the host system side.

  Further, in the firmware rewriting method of the present invention, the rewriting preparation step sets the rewriting request flag for starting the host system in a rewriting processing mode for rewriting the firmware stored in the nonvolatile memory. A step of setting in a memory, and when the rewrite request flag stored in the non-volatile memory is detected at the time of starting the host system, the rewrite request flag is released in the process of starting the host system. It is characterized by performing.

  The present invention is for reliably starting a system in a normal mode that does not involve a firmware rewriting process at the next system startup even when the firmware is not rewritten after the system is started in a rewriting process mode. It is. This can reduce the risk that the host system will not start at all.

Further, the firmware rewriting method according to the present invention includes disabling a write command not applicable to the specific command related to the firmware rewriting process when the host system is activated in the rewriting processing mode. Features.
According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an erroneous writing process unrelated to the firmware rewriting process.

  The disk drive device of the present invention is a disk drive device having a nonvolatile memory storing firmware and exchanging commands with a host system and capable of accessing a disk medium. Rewrite preparation means for storing the firmware on the disk medium together with a rewrite execution program capable of executing booting of the host system and rewriting of firmware in the nonvolatile memory, and storage processing by the rewrite preparation means. When a drive information acquisition request including the specifications of the disk drive device is received from the host system when the system is powered on, drive information return means for returning the drive information, and reply processing by the drive information return means Through the rewrite execution program Means for updating the firmware in the non-volatile memory to the contents of the rewriting firmware stored on the disk medium when a specific command is received from the obtained host system side. It is characterized by that.

  Furthermore, the disk drive device of the present invention is provided on the disk medium as an area different from the boot program storage area provided on the disk medium and the boot program storage area, and stores the rewrite execution program. When the host system side receives the program replacement area and the boot program return request in the boot program storage area, the rewrite execution program stored in the program replacement area is returned as response data of the reply request. And boot program replacement means.

  In the disk drive device of the present invention, a read command or a write command to an address corresponding to a non-existing area of a block partitioned in a predetermined storage unit among all the storage areas on the disk medium is Means for executing writing processing of the rewriting firmware and the rewriting execution program to the disk medium and / or updating of firmware in the nonvolatile memory when received as a command from the host system side And the like.

Furthermore, in the disk drive device of the present invention, the rewrite preparation means sets a rewrite request flag for starting the host system in a rewrite processing mode for rewriting firmware stored in the non-volatile memory. And means for canceling the rewrite request flag during the start-up process of the host system when the rewrite request flag stored in the nonvolatile memory is detected at the time of starting the host system. Furthermore, it is characterized by comprising.
The disk drive device according to the present invention further includes means for invalidating a write command not applicable to the specific command related to the firmware rewriting process when the host system is activated in the rewriting processing mode. It is characterized by comprising.

  Furthermore, an information processing system according to the present invention includes a disk drive device having a nonvolatile memory in which firmware is stored and capable of accessing a disk medium, and a host system for exchanging commands with the disk drive device. An information processing system having rewrite preparation means for storing rewrite firmware on the disk medium together with a rewrite execution program capable of booting the host system and rewriting the firmware in the nonvolatile memory; When the disk drive device receives a drive information acquisition request including the specification of the disk drive device from the host system side when the host system is turned on through the storage process by the rewrite preparation means, the drive information is returned. Drive information return means When a specific command is received by the disk drive device from the host system side that has acquired the rewrite execution program through a reply process by the drive information return means, the rewrite program stored on the disk medium is received. Means for updating the firmware in the nonvolatile memory with the contents of the firmware.

Further, the information processing system of the present invention is provided on the disk medium as a boot program storage area provided on the disk medium and as an area different from the boot program storage area, and stores the rewrite execution program. When the disk drive device receives from the host system the return request for the boot program in the program replacement area and the boot program storage area, the return request is sent to the rewrite execution program stored in the program replacement area. Boot program replacement means for returning the response data as response data.
Furthermore, in the information processing system of the present invention, a read command or a write command to an address corresponding to a non-existing area of a block partitioned in a predetermined storage unit among all the storage areas on the disk medium is When received as a command from the host system side by the disk drive device, the writing process of the rewriting firmware and the rewriting execution program to the disk medium and / or updating of the firmware in the nonvolatile memory Means for executing the processing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a firmware rewriting method, a disk drive device, and an information processing system capable of safely and surely rewriting firmware without requiring a special operation such as BIOS change. Can be provided.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram functionally showing an information processing system including a magnetic disk device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the information processing system 18 of this embodiment includes a host system 17 having a CPU, a main memory, a BIOS, and the like, and a magnetic disk device (HDD) connected to the host system 17 through a host interface 19. 20 is realized by, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) provided at least.
As shown in FIG. 1, a magnetic disk device 20 as a disk drive device includes a CPU 1, a magnetic disk 9, a magnetic head 13, a voice coil motor (hereinafter referred to as “VCM”) 7, and a spindle motor (hereinafter referred to as “SPM”). 8) Mainly includes a motor driver 6, a flash ROM 15, a head IC 16, a read / write IC 5, and the like.

  The CPU 1 controls the entire magnetic disk device and the motor driver 6 in a time-sharing manner. The flash ROM 15 which is a non-volatile memory stores FW (firmware) for controlling the magnetic disk device main body. The CPU bus 12 to which the CPU 1 is connected has a mask ROM 11 storing a program for copying the firmware from the flash ROM 15 to the CPU-RAM 10 when the power is turned on (initial load), a program for controlling the apparatus main body, and the like. The CPU-RAM 10 for storing variables and the like, a hard disk controller (hereinafter referred to as “HDC”) 3, and a gate array 2 for generating various signals necessary for control are connected.

The control registers of the HDC 3 and the gate array 2 are respectively allocated to a part of the memory space of the CPU 1, and the CPU 1 controls the HDC 3 and the gate array 2 by reading and writing to this area.
Also, the internal configuration of the read / write IC 5 is roughly divided into a servo block that mainly performs signal processing necessary for positioning processing of the magnetic head 13 and a read / write block that performs signal processing for reading and writing data. The

  The motor driver 6 supplies, to the SPM 8 and the VCM 7, the driving current of the SPM 8 for steady rotation of the magnetic disk 9 and the driving current of the VCM 7 for moving the magnetic head 13 to the target position, respectively, under the control of the CPU 1. To do.

  On the magnetic disk 9 as a disk medium, an area (servo area) where servo data signals for positioning the magnetic head 13 are recorded and an area (data area) for recording data transferred from the host system 17 ) Are arranged alternately and at equal intervals. Further, on the magnetic disk 9, data tracks (hereinafter simply referred to as “tracks”) are arranged concentrically around the rotation axis. Positioning for causing the magnetic head 13 to follow the track is performed based on information obtained from the servo data signal.

  Specifically, an analog signal read from the magnetic head 13 and amplified by the head IC 16 at the time of positioning of the magnetic head 13 is sent to the read / write IC 5 as servo data by the servo block of the read / write IC 5. Extracted. The servo data is further processed by the gate array 2, and the CPU 1 controls the motor driver 6 based on this data and supplies a current for positioning the magnetic head 13 to the VCM 7.

  The HDC 3 is connected to the gate array 2, the buffer RAM 4, and the read / write IC 5 in addition to the CPU bus 12. The HDC 3 is connected to the host block that controls the interface with the host system 17 for each function, the buffer block that controls the buffer RAM, the read / write IC 5 and the gate array 2, and performs read / write processing.・ Divided into light blocks.

  At the time of reading data, the data stored in the magnetic disk 9 is read by the magnetic head 13 and further amplified by the head IC 16, and this amplified analog signal is decoded by the read / write IC 5. . The HDC 3 processes this according to each control signal from the gate array 2 to generate data to be transferred to the host system 17. The generated data is temporarily stored in the buffer RAM 4 and then transferred to the host system 17.

  At the time of data writing, the data transferred from the host system 17 to the HDC 3 is temporarily stored in the buffer RAM 4 and then sent from the HDC 3 to the read / write IC 5 in accordance with each control signal from the gate array 2. Write data encoded by the read / write IC 5 is written to the magnetic disk 9 by the magnetic head 13 via the head IC 16.

Next, a configuration for realizing the FW rewriting function of the magnetic disk device 20 included in the information processing system 18 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
2 is a memory map showing the internal configuration of the flash ROM 15, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the contents of an initial program loader (hereinafter referred to as "IPL") replacement request flag constituting the memory map. . FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a storage area of the magnetic disk 9 mounted on the magnetic disk device 20.

First, the memory map in the flash ROM 15 will be described.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the memory map includes optimization parameter / setting data 21, an IPL replacement request flag 22 that is a rewrite request flag, and an FW code 23. The FW code 23 is a program that can be executed by the CPU 1 for controlling the entire magnetic disk device 20, and is read out by the initial load program in the mask ROM 11 immediately after the magnetic disk device 20 is turned on. -Executed after being copied to the RAM 10.

  The IPL replacement request flag 22 is a flag that is referenced only once immediately after the magnetic disk device 20 is started. The operation when a read / write request to the IPL area 41 is received from the host system 17 is determined by the value of the flag. Although details will be described later, an IPL replacement mode (a rewrite processing mode in which the access target range is replaced with the FW rewrite program area 43 at the time of reading and writing to the IPL area 41 on the magnetic disk 9) and a normal mode (IPL area) The mode is not changed until the magnetic disk 20 is started again after that.

  The IPL replacement request flag 22 only needs to represent “true” and “false” from the usage pattern, so the minimum required data length is 1 bit, but the value can only be changed in the direction of dropping bits. In consideration of the characteristics of the flash ROM, an area of about several tens of bytes is actually secured for the purpose of enabling resetting of values a plurality of times. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, there are a plurality of sets of values (in this case, N sets) in which the K-th content is represented by flags Ka and Kb, respectively. The flag Ka and the flag Kb are each 1-byte data, and the same value is always set, and any value having the following meaning is written.

FFH: Not used 55H: IPL replacement requested 00H: Used

  Here, when setting a value, the values are inspected in order from the head (flag 1a and flag 1b) to the Nth (flag Na and flag Nb), the position where FFH first appears is searched, and the data at that position is rewritten. For example, when the S-th data is the corresponding position, a set value (55H or the like) is written in the flag Sa and the flag Sb, and the flag 1a to the flag (S-1) a and the flag 1b to the flag (S- 1) Write 00H to b.

  When reading a value, the values are sequentially checked from the head (flag 1a and flag 1b) to the Nth (flag Na and flag Nb), a position where a value other than 00H appears for the first time is searched, and the data is used as a read value. Further, in order to confirm that the read data is correct, the exclusive OR of all the bytes (from flag 1a to flag Nb) in the IPL replacement request flag 22 is taken and it is confirmed that it becomes 0. This is because, if the values are set correctly, each set holds the same value, and the exclusive OR for each set becomes zero. Further, when a value other than 00H / 55H / FFH appears, it is determined that the data is not correct. If it is determined that the data is not correct, operate in normal mode for safety. When the Fth incorrect value is detected, the flags 1a to Fb are set to 0 so that the values can be set from the next time.

  The optimization parameter / optimization data 21 is recorded in the area of shipment settings such as individual adjustment values for read / write of the magnetic disk 20 and manufacturing number, and is normally not rewritten after the device is shipped. . Therefore, the value is held before and after rewriting of FW. On the other hand, the FW code 23 and the IPL replacement request flag 22 are updated as the FW is rewritten. Information in these areas is erased (all bits are set to 1) during the firmware rewrite procedure. In the FW code area 44 on the magnetic disk 9 (see FIG. 4), new firmware (rewriting firmware) is then written. The IPL replacement request flag 22 is left erased, so that it can be used again from the top (flag 1a / flag 1b) regardless of the previous usage status.

Next, the storage area of the magnetic disk 9 provided in the magnetic disk device 20 will be described.
That is, FIG. 4 shows the entire address area including the LBA (Logical Block Addressing) address space on the magnetic disk 9. As shown in FIG. 4, the user area 31 is an area that can be accessed by normal commands such as write and read, and this length (range) is a specification of the storage capacity of the HDD main body that is open to the user. This is the so-called device capacity (user capacity). The user area 31 is further divided into an IPL area 41 that is a boot program storage area and a normal area 42. The IPL area 41 needs to be arranged at a fixed position for the host system 17 to read out the IPL for bootup when the system is started up. For this reason, the IPL area 41 is arranged according to the host system 17 (in this embodiment, it is the head of the user area 31). The IPL area 41 also stores information for starting up the OS when the system is started up. On the other hand, the normal area 42 stores the OS body, various application programs, and various files handled by the application programs.

  In the normal usage mode (when the system is activated in the normal mode), there is no difference between the IPL area 41 and the normal area 42. However, when the magnetic disk device 20 is activated in the IPL replacement mode, the IPL area When each block in 41 is accessed (write, read, etc.), the target address is replaced with the corresponding block in the FW rewrite program area 43. That is, when the host system 17 starts in the IPL replacement mode, when the host system 17 tries to read the IPL, the rewrite execution program written in the FW rewrite program area 43 as the program replacement area instead of the original IPL. (FW rewriting program) is read out.

  The FW data area 32 is secured in a system area for recording, for example, manufacturing information including individual information of the magnetic disk device, various parameters, smart information, and the like, for example, used internally by the vendor. That is, the FW data area 32 is an area that is arranged at a different position from the user area 31 and is not accessible by normal read / write. The FW data area 32 is further divided into an FW rewriting program area 43 and an FW code area 44. The FW rewrite program area 43 is an area for storing the above-described FW rewrite program, and the FW code area 44 is an area for storing a new FW code 23 written to the flash ROM 15 by the FW rewrite program.

  The FW data area 32 can be accessed by accessing each address in the range A33 in addition to the above-described access to the IPL area 41 in the IPL replacement mode. The range A33 is arranged at an address where the corresponding physical block does not exist, and its length (capacity) is equal to the length of the FW data area 32. When an access to each address in the range A33 occurs, Access is performed after the address is replaced with the corresponding value in the FW data area 32. That is, the host system 17 designates the range A33 in order to access the FW data area 32.

  Here, for the access to the FW data area 32, a method of enabling access by designating the address in the area as it is is considered. However, when the device capacity is changed, the position of the FW data area 32 is changed. However, there is a problem that the specifications are not the same, and the operation becomes complicated. In order to avoid this, in the present embodiment, an address such as the range A33 is set to a sufficiently large value with respect to the device capacity.

  Specifically, for the user area 31 and the FW data area 32 where the sector actually exists, as shown in FIG. 4, the address B34 and the address C35 are the same as the range A33 in the entire storage area on the magnetic disk 9. Among them, the address area where the corresponding physical block does not exist (non-existence area of the block partitioned by a predetermined storage unit), that is, the address space to which the sector is not assigned (area exceeding the physical capacity on the magnetic disk [non-existence] Physical area]) and the area length is one block. These are provided to execute a specific command necessary for rewriting FW from the host system 17. In this embodiment, when a write command for the address B 34 is received, the magnetic disk 20 is not a write command. The FW data is checked and the IPL replacement request flag 22 is set in the flash ROM 15. When the write command to the address C35 is received, the magnetic disk 20 reads the FW code to be updated from 44 from the FW code area on the magnetic disk 9, and actually writes the read FW code 23 to the flash ROM 15. I do. In these cases, since the write command is used, the data transfer is actually performed. However, since the contents are meaningless, the data received by the magnetic disk 20 is discarded.

  The purpose of executing a series of commands for rewriting FW with a write command for an address in which no physical block exists is to facilitate command issuance from the host system 17. In this embodiment, FW rewriting itself is not performed under the control of a normal OS (operating system), but FW rewriting preparation processing such as transferring FW data to the magnetic disk device 20 is performed under the control of the OS. It will be. At this time, the commands for performing these processes are generally vendor-unique commands, and there are cases where it is difficult to issue these commands under the control of the OS. Therefore, by using a general read or write command code, it is possible to easily realize command execution based on the OS mechanism.

  Next, the FW rewriting process of the magnetic disk device 20 performed by the information processing system 18 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the FW rewrite process of the main body of the magnetic disk device 20, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the FW rewrite preparation process performed by sending and receiving commands between the host system and the magnetic disk device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing at the time of executing FW rewrite performed by sending and receiving a command between the host system and the magnetic disk device.

First, processing performed by the magnetic disk device 20 itself will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the power of the magnetic disk device 20 is turned on (step 1 [S1]), an initialization process is performed (S2). In this initialization process, the mask ROM 11 reads the contents of the flash ROM 15 (FW code 23, IPL replacement request flag 22, optimization parameter / setting data 21), stores it in the CPU-RAM 10, and stores the FW code stored therein. 23 includes a process of transferring control, and thereafter, a process according to the program content of the FW code 23 is performed.

  That is, the IPL replacement request flag 22 copied to the CPU-RAM 10 is checked (S3). If this flag is set (YES in S3), the apparatus main body is set to the IPL replacement mode, and the IPL replacement request flag is cleared. (S4). In this case, as described above, when an access to a block in the IPL area 41 on the magnetic disk 9 occurs in the future (see FIG. 4), the target is replaced with a corresponding block in the FW rewrite program area 43. Is done. On the other hand, if the IPL replacement request flag is not set (NO in S3), the apparatus main body is set in the normal mode (S5).

  Here, in S4 (step 4), the IPL replacement request flag 22 in the flash ROM 15 is also cleared. This is ensured at the next start when the FW is not rewritten after the start in the IPL replacement mode. This is for starting in the normal mode. This prevents the system from being unable to start in the normal mode. If the FW is rewritten, as described above, the IPL replacement request flag 22 is cleared, so that the next operation is a normal operation.

  When the startup process is completed, the process proceeds to an idle process for receiving a command from the host system 17 (S6). In the idle process, when no command is received from the host system 17 for a certain period of time, a process for power saving (unloading the magnetic head 13 or stopping the SPM 8), a self-diagnosis of the magnetic disk device 20, or the like is performed. When a command from the host system 17 is detected, these processes are immediately interrupted, and the process moves to the process for executing the command after leaving the idle process.

  When a command is received from the host system 17 side, it is checked whether or not the command is a write command (S7). If it is a write command (YES in S7), whether or not writing to the FW rewriting program area 43 is performed. Is determined (S8). As described above, writing to the FW rewriting program area 43 is performed by writing the IPL area 41 in the IPL replacement mode (writing to the FW rewriting program area 43 by address replacement) and writing to the range A ( There are two cases: writing to the FW data area 32 including the FW rewriting program area 43 by address replacement).

Here, what is determined in S8 is whether or not it is a write command to the IPL area 41 which is the former condition. If this is established, the corresponding address in the FW rewrite program area 43 is set. Is written (S9), and when this is completed, the process proceeds to the idle process (S6) to wait for the next command.
Note that the writing to the FW rewriting program area 43 is performed under the latter condition in the present embodiment, so that the writing when the former condition is satisfied is essentially unnecessary. Therefore, an error may be reported to the host system 17 instead of performing the process of S9. In the IPL replacement mode, a write command (actual write process) for all addresses is prohibited for safety. A configuration of (invalidating) may be adopted.

  If the condition of S8 is not satisfied, it is determined whether or not normal writing is performed (S10). At this time, the condition is that the target address is in the normal area 42. Therefore, if this is true (YES in S10), normal write processing is performed (S11), and the process returns to the idle process (S6). If not true (NO in S10), S12, S13, S14 Then, it is sequentially determined whether or not each command is related to FW rewriting, and if it is applicable, the processing corresponding to the processing described below is executed, and then the processing proceeds to idle processing (S6). If none of them correspond, an error is reported to the host system 17 (S15), and the process proceeds to the idle process (S6).

  In S12, if the target address is a value within the range A33 (YES in S12), write processing to the FW data area 32 is performed by address replacement (S16). This is the latter condition when writing to the FW rewriting program area 43 described above.

  In S13, if the target address matches the address B34 (YES in S13), the contents of the FW data area 32 on the magnetic disk 9 are read and this is the correct FW data (FW rewriting program and FW code). Only when it is correct, the IPL replacement request flag 22 in the flash ROM 15 is set in order to rewrite the FW at the next startup (S17).

  In S14, if the target address matches the address C35 (YES in S14), the contents of the FW data area 32 on the magnetic disk 9 are read and this is the correct FW data (FW rewriting program and FW code). The FW code 23 is actually written in the flash ROM 15 only when it is correct (S18), and the magnetic disk device 20 is restarted with a new FW. This command is normally executed by the FW rewriting program read from the FW rewriting program area 43 when started in the IPL replacement mode, but can be executed in other cases.

  On the other hand, when the received command is not a write command in the command determination of S7 described above (NO in S7), it is determined whether or not it is a read command (S19). If it corresponds to the read command (YES in S19), it is determined whether or not the mode is the IPL replacement mode and the target address is a value in the IPL area 41 (S20). When this condition is satisfied (YES in S20), the FW rewriting program existing in the FW rewriting program area 43 is read instead of the original IPL for starting the OS of the host system 17 existing in the IPL area 41. Processing is performed (S21), and the process further proceeds to idle processing (S6). The FW rewriting program area 43 is normally read when the host system 17 is activated. In this case, the host system 17 is activated by the FW rewriting program instead of the normal OS.

  If the condition is not satisfied in S20 (NO in S20), it is a normal read command, so the target address is checked (S22), and if the address is a value in the user area 31 (S22). YES), it is determined that the value is correct, normal read processing is performed (S23), and the process proceeds to idle processing (S6). If the address is not in the user area 31 (NO in S22), a command error is reported to the host system 17 (S24), and the process proceeds to the idle process (S6). In the present embodiment, as described above, if it is determined in S22 that the address is not a value in the user area 31, a command error is made unconditionally. However, as in the case of the write command processing, the target address is in the range. If it is within A33, the corresponding block in the FW data area 32 may be read.

  If it is determined in S19 that the command received from the host system 17 is not a read command (NO in S19), the process corresponding to the received command is performed (S25), and then the idle process (S6) is performed. Transition.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, in order to facilitate command execution under the control of the OS, each command used for FW rewrite is assigned to a write command. It can be assigned to (including leads) or implemented as a vendor-specific command. In this case, if the assigned command is other than read, the processing for that is included in the above S25, and if the command is a read command, further condition judgment is added after S22. .

Next, the FW rewrite preparation process performed by sending and receiving commands between the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 are powered on (S31, S61), the magnetic disk device 20 first checks whether there is an IPL replacement request (FIG. 5 above). (See S3, S4, and S5), and since the FW data has not been received at this point, the normal mode is set (S62).

  On the other hand, immediately after the power is turned on, the host system 17 performs a system activation process by the BIOS, and performs a recognition process of the magnetic disk device 20 as one of them (S32). When the magnetic disk device 20 is in a ready state and can receive a command, the host system 17 issues a drive information acquisition command to the magnetic disk device 20 (S41). Reply data to the host system 17 is created (S63), and it is transferred to the host system 17 as drive information (S42).

  Next, in order to boot up the system, the host system 17 issues a read command to the IPL area 41 (S43) and makes a read request for a specific address (IPL area 41) of the magnetic disk device 20 (S33). ). Since the magnetic disk device 20 is activated in the normal mode, the address designated for this command is read as it is (S64), and the read data, that is, normal IPL data is transferred to the host system 17 (S44). .

  Receiving the IPL data, the host system 17 starts the OS by transferring it to a program executable memory and executing it (S34). During this period, a number of commands such as reading of the OS main body and reading and writing accompanying the OS activation process are issued to the magnetic disk device 20 (S45). The magnetic disk device 20 executes these commands (S65) and returns data corresponding to the request to the host system 17 (S46).

  A general process is performed in which the startup of the OS is completed, the host system 17 executes a normal operation (S35), and the magnetic disk device 20 executes a command issued accordingly (S65). Thereafter, an FW rewriting preparation program prepared in advance as an application program running on the OS is executed with an input operation from the user (S36). Here, the program main body including the execution file of the FW rewriting preparation program operating on the OS may be stored in advance in the normal area 32 on the magnetic disk 9 of the magnetic disk device 20, or a CD- It may be provided as a portable external storage device such as a ROM or a floppy (registered trademark) disk, or may be provided on the Web.

  The purpose of executing the FW rewriting preparation program is not to rewrite the FW of the magnetic disk device 20 during execution of the OS, but to change the FW of the magnetic disk device 17 when the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 are turned on next time. It is to prepare to execute the procedure for rewriting. This is because, under the control of the OS, in general, there are restrictions such as a short command execution timeout, asynchronous execution of commands associated with other task executions, and it is difficult to rewrite FW under these conditions. Because.

  Specifically, when data is rewritten to the flash ROM, generally, processing such as device erasure and data writing is performed, and a certain amount of time is required. Therefore, even in the FW rewriting processing of the magnetic disk device 20, a command execution timeout occurs. In some cases, the former constraint of being short cannot be satisfied. Further, regarding the latter constraint, in a configuration in which FW rewriting is realized by issuing a command a plurality of times, a command unrelated to FW rewriting by another task is received during execution of the FW rewriting. There is a risk of malfunction.

  In order to cope with this, in the FW rewriting preparation program, only processing that is completed in a short time is performed. That is, when the FW rewriting preparation program is executed in S36, first, the FW data for rewriting is transferred to the magnetic disk device 20 (S36a). The FW data for rewriting is composed of an FW rewriting program and a FW code that can be booted up in the host system 17. The host system 17 executes the transfer of the FW data for rewriting in the form of a write command to the range A33 (S47). Receiving this, the magnetic disk device 20 writes the FW rewriting program and the FW code constituting the FW data for rewriting into the FW rewriting program area 43 and the FW code area 44, respectively (S67), and the result (success / failure) is hosted. It returns to the system 17 (S48).

  Note that the transfer of the FW data for rewriting, that is, the write processing to the range A33 does not have to be performed with a single command, and may be performed in a plurality of times. In this case, the command execution order and the transfer data amount per command are not particularly limited as long as all the data is finally obtained.

  After the execution of S36a, complete rewrite FW data exists in the FW data area 32 on the magnetic disk 9, but only this does not rewrite the FW at the next power-on. In order to rewrite the FW, the magnetic disk device 20 must be started in the IPL replacement mode, so the FW data for rewriting is checked following S36a (S36b). This is implemented in the form of a write command (S49) to address B34, and the magnetic disk device 20 that receives this command reads and checks the data in the FW data area. Sometimes, the IPL replacement request flag 22 is set in the flash ROM 15 in order to start in the IPL replacement mode (S68).

  As described above, the IPL replacement request flag 22 exists in the flash ROM 15 and it takes time to update 15 data in the flash ROM. However, updating the IPL replacement request flag 22 drops the bit in the flash ROM 15. Therefore, the time for processing can be made sufficiently shorter than the time-out time of the OS. In this embodiment, the IPL replacement request flag 22 is arranged in the flash ROM 15. However, the IPL replacement request flag 22 may be recorded on the magnetic disk 9.

  When the processing of S68 is completed, the execution result is reported to the host system 17 (S50), and the processing by the FW rewriting preparation program of S36 is completed. At this time, the IPL replacement request flag 22 is already set. However, since this is only referred to immediately after the power is turned on, the magnetic disk device 20 maintains the normal mode and continues thereafter. Is possible.

  The processing performed by the FW rewriting preparation program in S36 is only one of a plurality of tasks from the viewpoint of the OS, and after this end, the host system 17 returns to normal operation (S37). Then, the magnetic disk device 20 executes a command issued from the host system 17 as necessary (S69). The OS termination process is also performed as part of the normal operation. Thereafter, the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 are powered off (S38, S70), and the FW rewriting preparation process is completed.

Next, processing at the time of executing FW rewriting performed by transmitting and receiving commands between the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 will be described.
That is, as shown in FIG. 7, when the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 are powered on after completion of the FW rewriting preparation process (S71, S91), the magnetic disk device 20 first has an IPL replacement request. Whether or not is checked (see S3, S4 and S5 in FIG. 5), and the IPL replacement request flag is set, the IPL replacement mode is set (S92).

  On the other hand, in the host system 17, immediately after the power is turned on, the system activation process by the BIOS is performed in the same way as described in the FW rewriting preparation process. As one of them, the recognition process of the magnetic disk device 20 is performed (S72). . When the magnetic disk device 20 becomes ready and can accept a command, the host system 17 sends a drive information acquisition command (drive information return request) including the specifications of the magnetic disk device 20 to the magnetic disk device 20. Issuing (S81), the magnetic disk device 20 receiving it creates reply data to the host system 17 (S93) and transfers it to the host system 17 as drive information (S82).

  Next, in order to boot up the system, the host system 17 issues a read command to the IPL area 41 (as a normal operation) in S72 as in the case of the FW rewrite preparation process (S83). Since the apparatus 20 is set to the IPL replacement mode, the data in the FW rewrite program area 43 is read instead of the data in the IPL area 41 (S94) and transferred to the host system 17 (S84).

  The host system 17 that has received the FW rewriting program instead of the original IPL data transfers it to the program-executable memory and executes it in the same manner as it does for the original IPL (S74). As a result, the FW rewriting program is automatically executed at the next system start-up for FW rewriting preparation, without any special operation such as BIOS setting change.

  As described above, the FW rewrite is implemented as a write command for the address C35, so this command is issued to the magnetic disk device 20 (S85), and the magnetic disk device 20 receives the FW in response to the command. After reading the contents of the code area 44 and confirming that it is a correct FW code, it is written in the flash ROM 15 and restarted with a new FW (execution from the beginning of the initial load program in the mask ROM 11) (S95).

  At this time, although a certain amount of time is required for the FW rewrite process, since the FW rewrite command is executed by the dedicated FW rewrite program, not the OS, the command execution timeout is set sufficiently long. There is no risk of timeout errors.

  In this embodiment, the operation for FW rewriting (reading and checking the FW code, writing to the flash ROM, restarting with a new FW) is implemented as a single command in the form of a write command to the address C35. However, when the FW rewrite program is executed, there are no other tasks that require processing to the magnetic disk device 20, so these are implemented as separate commands, and the FW rewrite program corresponds to each operation. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which these are executed sequentially.

  As the last process of S74, the host system 17 acquires the execution result of the magnetic disk device 20 to check whether or not the FW rewriting has been normally completed (S86), and further updates the FW to the target one. Is confirmed by issuing a drive information acquisition command (S87) (S75). In response to this, the magnetic disk device 20 creates data to be transferred to the host system 17 (S96) and transfers it to the host system 17 (S88) in the same manner as in S93. Since control is being performed, the FW version included in the drive information should be that of the new FW. Therefore, by confirming this in S75, it is determined that the FW rewriting process has been performed correctly, and thus the FW rewriting process is completed.

  Thereafter, the host system 17 and the magnetic disk device 20 are powered off (S76, S97) (or the system is rebooted). However, since the IPL replacement request flag 22 is cleared as the FW is rewritten, Is turned on, the magnetic disk device 20 is activated in the normal mode, and the OS is activated as usual in the entire host system.

  According to the information processing system 18 of the present embodiment configured as described above, in the sequence at the time of system startup, for example, in the process of starting up the main body of the magnetic disk device 20, the rewriting of firmware is not executed, but the magnetic disk After the device 20 is recognized by the host system 17 side (after the control is transferred from the BIOS), the FW rewriting program executes the firmware rewriting process alone, so that it is not accompanied by a special operation such as BIOS change. Firmware rewrite processing can be performed safely and reliably.

  Although the present invention has been specifically described above by the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a magnetic disk device is applied as the disk drive device. However, a magneto-optical disk device such as an MO or an optical disk device can also be applied to the present invention. Further, the information processing system 18 including the magnetic disk device 20 and the host system 17 is assumed to be a PC, but instead of this, a PC server having a larger scale than the PC, or a car navigation system, for example, The present invention can be applied to any information processing system having a host device.

1 is a block diagram functionally showing an information processing system including a magnetic disk device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The memory map which shows the internal structure of flash ROM with which the magnetic disk apparatus of FIG. 1 is provided. The figure which shows the content of the IPL replacement request flag which comprises the memory map of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage area of a magnetic disk mounted on the magnetic disk device of FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart showing a firmware rewrite process of the magnetic disk device main body in FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart showing processing at the time of preparation for rewriting firmware of a magnetic disk device in the information processing system of FIG. 1. 2 is a flowchart showing processing at the time of execution of FW rewrite performed by sending and receiving a command between a host system and a magnetic disk device in the information processing system of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 9 ... Magnetic disk, 10 ... CPU-RAM, 11 ... Mask ROM, 15 ... Flash ROM, 17 ... Host system, 18 ... Information processing system, 20 ... Magnetic disk apparatus, 22 ... IPL replacement required flag, 23 FW code, 31 User area, 32 FW data area, 41 IPL area, 43 FW rewrite program area, 44 FW code area.

Claims (13)

A firmware rewriting method for rewriting firmware in a nonvolatile memory included in a disk drive device through exchange of commands between a disk drive device capable of accessing a disk medium and a host system,
A rewriting preparation step of storing rewriting firmware on the disk medium together with a rewriting execution program capable of booting the host system and rewriting the firmware in the nonvolatile memory;
If a drive information acquisition request including the specifications of the disk drive device is received from the host system when the host system is powered on after the rewriting preparation step, the disk drive device returns the drive information. Drive information reply step,
After the execution of the drive information return step, when a specific command is received from the host system side that has acquired the rewrite execution program, the disk drive device stores the rewrite information stored on the disk medium. Updating the firmware in the non-volatile memory with the contents of the firmware;
A method for rewriting firmware, comprising:   When the disk drive device receives a boot program return request in the boot program storage area provided on the disk medium from the host system side, it is stored in a program replacement area different from the boot program storage area. The firmware rewriting method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of returning the rewriting execution program as response data of the reply request.   A read command or a write command to an address corresponding to a non-existing area of a block partitioned by a predetermined storage unit among all the storage areas on the disk medium is received from the host system side as the specific command. In this case, the disk drive device executes the writing process of the rewriting firmware and the rewriting execution program to the disk medium and / or the updating process of the firmware in the nonvolatile memory. The firmware rewriting method according to claim 1 or 2. The rewriting preparation step further includes the step of setting a rewrite request flag for starting the host system in the rewriting processing mode for rewriting firmware stored in the non-volatile memory in the non-volatile memory,
2. The rewrite request flag is canceled during the start-up process of the host system when the rewrite request flag stored in the nonvolatile memory is detected at the start-up of the host system. 4. The firmware rewriting method according to any one of 3 above.   5. The firmware rewrite according to claim 4, wherein when the host system is activated in the rewrite processing mode, a write command not applicable to the specific command related to the firmware rewrite processing is invalidated. Method. A disk drive device having a non-volatile memory storing firmware and exchanging commands with a host system and capable of accessing a disk medium,
Rewriting preparation means for storing firmware for rewriting on the disk medium together with a rewriting execution program capable of executing booting of the host system and rewriting of firmware in the nonvolatile memory;
When a power supply to the host system is turned on through storage processing by the rewrite preparation means, if a drive information acquisition request including the specifications of the disk drive device is received from the host system side, the drive information is returned to return the drive information Means,
When a specific command is received from the host system side that has acquired the rewrite execution program through a reply process by the drive information return means, the content of the rewrite firmware stored on the disk medium is Means for updating firmware in the non-volatile memory;
A disk drive device comprising: A boot program storage area provided on the disk medium;
A program replacement area provided on the disk medium as an area different from the boot program storage area and storing the rewrite execution program;
Boot program replacement means for returning the rewrite execution program stored in the program replacement area as response data of the reply request when a response to the boot program in the boot program storage area is received from the host system side When,
The disk drive device according to claim 6, further comprising: A read command or a write command to an address corresponding to a non-existing area of a block partitioned by a predetermined storage unit among all the storage areas on the disk medium is received from the host system side as the specific command. In this case, means for executing writing processing of the rewriting firmware and the rewriting execution program to the disk medium and / or updating processing of the firmware in the nonvolatile memory,
The disk drive device according to claim 6, further comprising: The rewrite preparation means comprises means for setting a rewrite request flag for starting the host system in the rewrite processing mode for rewriting firmware stored in the non-volatile memory in the non-volatile memory,
When the host system is booted, when the rewrite request flag stored in the non-volatile memory is detected, the host system further comprises means for releasing the rewrite request flag in the boot process of the host system. The disk drive device according to any one of claims 6 to 8.   10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means for invalidating a write command not applicable to the specific command related to the firmware rewriting process when the host system is started in the rewriting process mode. The disk drive device described. An information processing system having a disk drive device having a nonvolatile memory storing firmware and capable of accessing a disk medium, and a host system for exchanging commands with the disk drive device,
Rewriting preparation means for storing firmware for rewriting on the disk medium together with a rewriting execution program capable of executing booting of the host system and rewriting of firmware in the nonvolatile memory;
When the disk drive device receives a drive information acquisition request including the specification of the disk drive device from the host system side when the host system is powered on through the storage process by the rewrite preparation unit, the drive information is Drive information reply means to reply,
When a specific command is received by the disk drive device from the host system side that has acquired the rewrite execution program through a reply process by the drive information return means, the rewrite program stored on the disk medium is received. Means for updating the firmware in the non-volatile memory to the contents of the firmware;
An information processing system comprising: A boot program storage area provided on the disk medium;
A program replacement area provided on the disk medium as an area different from the boot program storage area and storing the rewrite execution program;
When the disk drive apparatus receives the boot program return request in the boot program storage area from the host system side, the rewrite execution program stored in the program replacement area is returned as response data of the reply request. Boot program replacement means to
The information processing system according to claim 11, further comprising: A read command or a write command to an address corresponding to a non-existing area of a block partitioned in a predetermined storage unit among all the storage areas on the disk medium is sent from the host system side to the disk drive as the specific command. Means for executing a process of writing the rewriting firmware and the rewriting execution program to the disk medium and / or a process of updating the firmware in the non-volatile memory when received by a device;
The information processing system according to claim 11, further comprising:

Images