JP2010055497A - Operation method for computer, computer system and external storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily perform transfer of data between storage devices in a computer to facilitate operation of the computer. <P>SOLUTION: An HDD (Hard disc) 150 storing data including an operating system and having an SATA-IF 154 is internally connected with a CP 100 through the SATA-IF. An SSD (Solid State Drive) 250 having an SATA-IF 254 and a USB-IF 259 and having a prescribed storage area is externally connected to a USB-IF of the CP 100. In this state, the CP 100, the HDD 150, and the SSD 250 are operated, and the data including the operating system stored in the HDD 150 are transferred to the SSD 250. After the transfer of the data, the HDD 150 is uninstalled from the CP 100, the SSD 250 is uninstalled from the CP 100, and next, the SSD 250 is connected to an SATA-IF inside the CP 100. Thereafter, the CP 100 is operated by use of the operating system transferred to the SSD 250. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of operating a computer, a computer system to which an external storage device can be attached and detached, and an external storage device used in the computer system.

  With the advancement of IT technology, the volume of data handled by users is increasing. Along with the advancement of semiconductor technology and magnetic engineering technology, the capacity and weight of storage devices that can be installed in computers are increasing. For this reason, there are increasing opportunities for users to replace only the computer storage device with a new storage device. Examples of types of storage devices with large capacity and light weight include HDDs (Hard Discs) and SSDs (Solid State Drives). When replacing a storage device with a new one, it is necessary to transfer data from the storage device already installed in the computer to the newly attached storage device.

  In particular, if a storage device is replaced instead of adding a storage device inside the computer, at least an application program installed in an existing storage device or a data file generated by a user using this application program, It is necessary to move to a new storage device. As a technique for transferring all data in the original storage device to a new storage device, for example, techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below are known.

JP 2006-106923 A Patent No. 3777136

  However, there are several problems with the above technique. In the technique of Patent Document 1, the user's computer needs to be connected to the network, and the installation environment of the computer at the time of data migration is limited. Further, in Patent Document 2, a network connection is required as in Patent Document 1, or an adapter device for externally connecting a computer called a docking bay and a storage device in addition to a storage device to be newly replaced Is required. Therefore, there is a problem that the work becomes complicated.

  In light of such background art, an object of the present invention is to facilitate the operation of a computer by simply transferring data between storage devices in the computer.

  In order to solve at least a part of the problems described above, the present invention can take the following forms or application examples.

[Application Example 1]
A method of operating a computer using an operating system,
An operating system that controls the computer is stored in a first external storage device having a predetermined storage area, and the first external storage device is provided inside the computer and includes a power supply line. Connect to the connector for
A second external storage device comprising a connector connectable to the first interface and having a predetermined storage area, connected to a second interface prepared as a general-purpose external bus of a computer including a power supply line;
The second external storage device is operated with power from the power supply line included in the second interface, and the computer is operated and stored in the first external storage device via the external bus. The transferred data to the second external storage device,
After the data transfer, the second external storage device is removed from the second interface;
The first external storage device connected to a first interface inside the computer is removed from the connector, and the second external storage device is connected to the first connector of the first interface. A computer operating method for operating the computer by an operating system stored in the external storage device.

  According to the operation method of the computer of the application example 1, the first external storage device having both the first interface and the second interface is used, and the first interface connected to the first interface inside the computer is used. The computer that has been used by using the operating system stored in the external storage device can be easily transferred to the use that uses the operating system stored in the second external storage device.

[Application Example 2]
A method of operating a computer according to application example 1,
The operating system stored in the second external storage device is an operating system transferred from the first external storage device to the second external storage device via the second interface. Method.

  According to the operation method of the computer of Application Example 2, after the second external storage device is connected to the first interface inside the computer using a connector, the same operating system as that stored in the first external storage device is used. Depending on the operating system, a computer can be used.

[Application Example 3]
A computer system operating under an operating system,
A first connector provided inside the computer for connecting an external storage device to a first interface including a power line;
A second interface for connecting a device including an external storage device to a second interface prepared as a general-purpose external bus for a computer including a power line;
A first external storage device storing an operating system is connected to the first connector and operated;
A second external storage device having a predetermined storage area is connected to the second connector, and the second external storage device is operated with power from the power supply line included in the second interface. Transferring the data stored in the first external storage device to the second external storage device via the external bus;
After the data transfer, the second external storage device is removed from the second interface, and the second external storage device is used as the first interface instead of the first external storage device. A computer system that is connected using the connector of 1 and that is operable in the operating system stored in the second external storage device.

  According to the computer system of Application Example 3, since the second external storage device includes both the first interface and the second interface, data transfer from the first external storage device to the second external storage device Then, a series of operations of operating the operation system stored in the second external storage device connected to the first connector of the first interface inside the computer can be easily performed.

[Application Example 4]
The first interface is a SATA interface;
The computer system according to application example 3, wherein the second interface is a USB interface.

  According to the computer system of Application Example 4, since both the SATA interface and the USB interface are general-purpose interfaces, high versatility can be realized.

[Application Example 5]
A computer system according to Application Example 3 or Application Example 4,
The computer system, wherein the second external storage device is a solid state drive or hard disk drive using a semiconductor memory.

[Application Example 6]
An external storage device used in the computer system according to Application Example 3,
A first terminal connected to a first connector of the first interface;
An external storage device comprising: a second terminal connected to a second connector of the second interface.

  According to the external storage device of the application example 6, since the external storage device includes the first terminal and the second terminal, the computer can be connected to both the inside and the outside.

[Application Example 7]
An external storage device according to Application Example 6,
An external storage device comprising a protective cap that covers a terminal of the first interface.

  According to the external storage device of Application Example 7, since this external storage device includes the protective cap, when the first interface is exposed to the outside air, the terminal of the first interface due to dust, moisture, etc. in the air The first interface can be protected from deterioration of the metal part and electrical deterioration due to static electricity.

[Application Example 8]
An external storage device according to Application Example 6 or Application Example 7,
The first interface is a SATA interface;
The second interface is a USB interface.
External storage device.

  According to the external storage device of the application example 8, since the external storage device includes the SATA interface and the USB interface, it can be connected to a computer or a digital device including the SATA interface or the USB interface, and is highly versatile.

[Application Example 9]
The external storage device according to any one of application examples 6 to 8, wherein the predetermined storage area is configured by a semiconductor memory.

According to the external storage device of Application Example 9, since the predetermined storage area is configured by a semiconductor memory,
It is lightweight, generates little heat during operation, and has excellent impact resistance.

  Note that the present invention can be realized in various modes. For example, the present invention can be realized in the form of a data backup method and apparatus, a data backup system, an integrated circuit for realizing the functions of the method or apparatus, a computer program, a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, and the like.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples.
A. First embodiment:
(A1) Schematic configuration of computer system (A2) SSD configuration (A3) Data migration method Variation:

A. First embodiment:
(A1) Schematic configuration of computer system:
A configuration of a computer system 10 as an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The computer system 10 includes a computer (CP) 100, a hard disk (HDD) 150 corresponding to a first external storage device, and a solid state drive (SSD) 250 corresponding to a second external storage device.

  The CP 100 includes a well-known CPU 101, ROM 102, RAM 103, optical disk drive 110, SATA-IF 104, USB-IF 109, and I / O-IF 105, which are internally connected to each other via a bus 120.

  The ROM 102 that stores data in a nonvolatile manner stores a BIOS program necessary for starting the CP 100. On the other hand, the RAM 103 constitutes a main memory in the CP 100. The CPU 101 loads necessary programs into the main memory and executes them. As the BIOS is executed by the CPU 101, an operating system (hereinafter referred to as “OS”) stored in a predetermined track of the HDD 150, which will be described later, is loaded into the main memory. When loading the OS, various drivers incorporated in the OS are also read. When all the programs and data for operating the OS are loaded, the BIOS transfers control to the OS kernel. Thereafter, the CP 100 is controlled by the OS, and various application programs operate on the OS. Note that drivers installed in the OS include drivers for controlling the display 106, the keyboard 107, and the mouse 108, respectively.

  The optical disk drive 110 is an optical disk drive capable of reading data recorded on CDs and DVDs as recording media. A display 106, a keyboard 107, and a mouse 108 are connected to the input / output interface I / O-IF 105. The SATA-IF 104 includes a connector that conforms to the SATA standard and a processing circuit that processes signals exchanged via the connector, which are integrally described in FIG. The SATA-IF 104 is a connection interface that connects an external storage device such as an HDD 150 and an SSD 250, which will be described later, inside the CP 100, and corresponds to a first interface. The USB-IF 109 provides a USB interface, which is a general-purpose external bus having a power supply line, and corresponds to a second interface. Note that, like the SATA-IF 104, the USB-IF 109 actually includes a connector that conforms to the USB standard and a processing circuit that processes signals exchanged via this connector.

  The HDD 150 is an external storage device that stores data by magnetism. In addition to the OS described above, the HDD 150 stores application programs and data such as files generated by users using these application programs. In the following description, all data stored in the HDD 150 such as the operating system, application program, and generated program are referred to as accumulated data. The HDD 150 includes a SATA-IF 154 defined as a SATA interface.

  In the CP 100 described above, when a power switch (not shown) is operated and the power is turned on, the BIOS program stored in the ROM 102 is first started as described above, and the OS stored in the HDD 150 is mainly used. Load into memory and then transfer control to the operating system. In addition, when a program corresponding to the BIOS boot program is stored in a predetermined sector of the optical disk mounted on the optical disk drive 110 when the power is turned on, the OS from the HDD 150 is used depending on the BIOS setting. Instead of loading the program, a program stored on an optical disk such as a CD can be directly started. This function is used to carry out a transfer process of accumulated data, which will be described later.

(A2) SSD configuration:
Next, the configuration of the SSD 250 corresponding to the second external storage device will be described. The SSD 250 is an external storage device configured using a non-volatile flash memory. In this embodiment, the SSD 250 has a storage area sufficient to store the accumulated data stored in the HDD 150 described above. The SSD 250 can be handled as a hard disk compatible logical device when viewed from the outside. In addition, a SATA-IF 254 and a USB-IF 259 are provided as connection interfaces. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, this SSD 250 can be connected to the USB-IF 109 of the CP 100 using the USB-IF 259 as it is.

  As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2, the SSD 250 has a shape compatible with a 2.5-inch hard disk drive. One of the short sides is provided with a terminal 264 for SATA-IF254 and a terminal 269 for USB-IF259. A protective cap 257 made of insulating rubber can be attached to the terminal 264 of the SATA-IF 254. The protective cap 257 may be connected to the main body of the SSD 250 with a wire so as not to be lost.

  Next, the internal configuration of the SSD 250 will be described. Inside the SSD 250, as shown in FIG. 3, a substrate 258 on which a flash memory or the like is mounted is accommodated. On the substrate 258, a SATA terminal 264 and a USB terminal 269 are formed. The substrate 258 has eight memory chips 255 and a controller module 256 mounted on one side. The SATA terminal 264, the USB terminal 269, the memory chip 255, and the controller module 256 are connected by a circuit pattern formed on the substrate 258. The SATA terminal 264 and the USB terminal 269 are provided adjacent to one short side of the substrate 258.

  The controller module 256 stores a circuit that processes both the SATA interface and the USB interface, a circuit that controls reading and writing to the memory chip 255, and the like. In this embodiment, “JMF602” manufactured by JMicron was used as the controller module. The circuit for processing the SATA interface in the controller module 256 and the terminal 264 connected thereto correspond to the SATA-IF 254 shown in FIG. A circuit for processing the USB interface in the controller module 256 and a terminal 269 connected thereto correspond to the USB-IF 259. The controller module 256 automatically determines whether the SSD 250 is connected via the SATA terminal 254 or the USB terminal 259 when the SSD 250 is connected to the CP 100, and the other Stop the processing circuit. If a signal is input to both the SATA terminal 264 and the USB terminal 269, the controller module 256 operates the processing circuit connected first and does not operate the processing circuit connected later. To. When the connection to both terminals is made at the same time and signals are input almost simultaneously, the controller module 256 enables the processing circuit for the SATA interface and stops the operation of the processing circuit for USB.

  The memory chip 255 is a non-volatile flash memory as described above, and a total storage area of 128 Gbytes is prepared here. Therefore, the user can use the SSD 250 for the same purpose as the HDD 150. Note that the capacity of the SSD 250 can be further increased as the integration of the flash memory proceeds.

  Since the SSD 250 does not have a disk like the HDD 150, the time (seek time) for moving the reading device (head) on the disk when reading and writing data, and the target data on the disk rotate to the head position. There is no time (search time). For this reason, reading and writing of data is extremely faster than the HDD 150. Further, since it is not necessary to rotate the disk using a motor unlike the HDD 150, the power consumption is significantly reduced, and the temperature rise during operation is sufficiently smaller than that of the HDD 150. Furthermore, since there is no head and drive portion that are easily damaged by impact, impact resistance is higher than that of HDD.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing of the SSD 250 is provided with a protective cap 257 for protecting the SATA-IF terminal 254, so that the terminal 264 is exposed to the outside when the SSD 250 is not used. There is nothing. Therefore, no noise is picked up from the terminal 264 and the internal circuit of the SSD 250 is not damaged. Moreover, the terminal 264 is not exposed to the outside air, and the terminal metal part is not deteriorated by dust or moisture in the air. Examples of the material of the protective cap 257 include rubber, polyethylene, vinyl chloride, and the like. Note that the protective cap 257 may be conductive or insulating.

(A3) Data transfer method:
A method for migrating data in the HDD 150 internally connected to the CP 100 to the SSD 250 and operating the computer using the migrated SSD 250 will be described below.

  Data migration consists of the following three steps. That is, the first step of transferring the stored data stored in the HDD 150 to the SSD 250, the second step of removing the HDD 150 internally connected to the CP 100, and the internal connection of the SSD 250 to the CP 100, and the HDD 150 to the SSD 250 This is a third step of operating the CP 100 using accumulated data.

  The precondition of the first step will be described with reference to FIG. First, in the first step, as an initial state of the computer system 10, the CP 100 is not turned on, the HDD 150 is attached to the internal SATA-IF, and the USB-IF 109, which is one of the external buses. Is assumed to be connected to the SSD 250. In addition, the optical disk drive 110 of the CP 100 is loaded with a CD 130 in which a program for data migration processing is recorded together with a startup program of the CP 100. At this time, the accumulated data is stored in the HDD 150 as described above. No data is stored in the storage area of the SSD 250.

  When the power of the CP 100 is turned on from the state of this computer system, the CPU 101 reads the data migration processing program stored in the CD 130 into the main memory and automatically executes it. As a result, the CPU 101 executes a data migration processing routine recorded on the CD 130.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a data migration processing routine executed by the CPU 101. Below, the process which CP100 performs is demonstrated in order. First, when the power of the CP 100 is turned on (step S100), as described above, the CPU 101 reads the BIOS into the ROM 102 and then accesses the optical disk drive 110 to read and execute the data migration processing program of the CD 130 (step S105). ). In this case, as described above, the BIOS boot program is set to start the program stored in the optical disk such as a CD first. Next, the CPU 101 accesses the USB-IF 109 according to the instructions of the program. When recognizing that the SSD 250, which is an external storage device, is connected to the USB-IF 109 (step S110: Yes), after confirming that the storable area of the SSD 250 is larger than the capacity of the accumulated data stored in the HDD 150, A process of transferring the stored data in the HDD 150 to the SSD 250 is performed (step S115).

  The HDD 150 may have a plurality of partitions inside. When the storage capacity of the SSD 250 is larger than the storage capacity of the HDD 150, a partition having the same capacity as the HDD 150 is created in the SSD 250 prior to the transfer of the accumulated data. If the storage capacity of the SSD 250 is smaller than the storage capacity of the HDD 150, the total amount of data stored in the HDD 150 is calculated. If the storage capacity of the SSD 150 is larger than the total amount of data, prior to the transfer of accumulated data, A partition having a capacity capable of transferring the stored data stored in each partition of the HDD 150 is formed. If the storage capacity of the SSD 250 is not sufficient, the user is asked whether the OS can be transferred, whether each application program can be transferred, whether each folder can be transferred, etc., and the data is transferred within the transferable range.

  When the data transfer is completed (step S120), the display 106 displays "Eject CD 130 → Power off personal computer → Replace external storage device → Power on personal computer" (step S125). Give instructions. A user who visually recognizes this instruction takes out the CD 130 from the optical disk drive 110 and turns off the personal computer. The steps so far correspond to the first step. If the CPU 101 determines in step S110 (FIG. 4) that the SSD 250 is not externally connected to the CP 100 (step S110: No), the CPU 101 accesses the external storage device that is connected internally, in this case, the HDD 150. Then, the OS is started from the stored data (step S130), and the process ends after exiting to "END".

  After confirming that the power of the CP 100 is turned off, the user starts the second process. In the second step, the HDD 150 attached to the connector of the SATA-IF 104 of the CP 100 is removed by first opening the casing of the CP 100. On the other hand, by removing the SSD 250 externally connected to the USB-IF 109 of the CP 100 and connecting the SATA terminal 264 of the SSD 250 to the connector of the SATA-IF 104 of the CP 100, the SSD 250 is connected to the SATA-IF 254 of the CP 100. Thus, the second process is completed.

  Next, a 3rd process is demonstrated using FIG.5 and FIG.6. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the states of the CP 100 and the external storage device when the user finishes the second process, that is, when the third process starts. The state where the user removed the HDD 150 and the SSD 250 connected to the CP 100 and connected the SATA terminal 264 of the SSD 250 to the connector of the SATA-IF 104 of the CP 100 is shown. When the internal connection of the SSD 250 is completed, the user turns on the power of the CP 100 in accordance with the instruction “PC power ON” (FIG. 4, step S125). When the power of the CP 100 is turned on, the OS operation processing routine shown in FIG. When the power is turned on (step S200, FIG. 6), the CP 100 executes the BIOS stored in the ROM 102 (step S205). At this time, since the CD 130 for data transfer is not loaded in the optical disk drive 110, the SSD 250 is accessed by the BIOS processing (step S210), and the OS recorded in the predetermined boot area of the SSD 250 is recognized. And load this. If the loading of the OS is completed, the process is moved to the OS and the OS is activated (step S215). The above process corresponds to the third step.

  As described above, the SSD 250 in this embodiment can be operated in a state where it is connected to the USB interface to transfer the stored data, and the SSD 250 can be used as it is in the USB-IF 109 provided inside the CP 100 as it is. The CP 100 can be activated immediately upon connection to the connector. The user can perform the data migration operation by merely preparing the SSD 250, which is an external storage device to be newly replaced, and data migration software. Therefore, an environment connected to the network and a third external storage device are not required for data transfer. In addition, since the SSD 250 is provided with a connection interface of SATA-IF and USB-IF, a connection conversion adapter, a case, and the like are not required for internal connection and external connection with the CP 100. In addition, when the SSD 250 is externally connected to the CP 100, since the protective cap is fitted to the SATA-IF terminal 264, the terminal 264 is soiled or noise is picked up and the internal circuit is affected. There is nothing. In this embodiment, since the SSD 250 using a semiconductor memory is adopted as the second external storage device, it is smaller and lighter than the HDD 150, has a small amount of heat generated during operation, and has excellent shock resistance. If you are, you can also enjoy the benefits. Such a feature is a great advantage especially when applied to a notebook computer.

B. Variation:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the invention can be implemented in the following modifications. .

In the above embodiment, an SSD is adopted as an external storage device to be newly replaced. However, an HDD including a SATA-IF and a USB-IF may be used instead.
Similarly to the first embodiment, this modification can also perform data migration work by simply preparing an HDD that is a new external storage device and data migration software, and has the same effects as the first embodiment. Can play.

  In the above embodiment, when executing the program for transferring the stored data, the CP 100 is activated by the program recorded on the CD 130, and the OS in the HDD 150 corresponding to the first external storage device is not activated. First, the CP 100 may be started by the OS stored in the HDD 150, and then a data transfer program may be executed as an application program operating on the OS.

  In the above embodiment, the OS including the OS in the HDD 150 is transferred to the SSD 250 as accumulated data. However, the OS may be installed in the SSD 250 in advance, and the data in the HDD 150 may be transferred excluding the OS. Prior to the transfer of stored data, regardless of the storage capacity of the SSD 250, the data transfer is performed after asking the necessity of data transfer for each file, for each folder, and for each data creation time. It may be done. Or it is good also as what confirms the possibility of data transfer for every kind of data, such as an image and a music file.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure of the computer system 10 in 1st Example in the state of the 1st process. It is the perspective view which showed the external appearance of SSD250 in 1st Example. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of SSD250 in 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows the data transfer process in 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the computer system 10 in 1st Example in the state which the 2nd process was complete | finished. It is a flowchart which shows the 3rd process in 1st Example.

Explanation of symbols

10. Computer system 100 ... Computer (CP)
101 ... CPU
102 ... ROM
103 ... RAM
104,154,254 ... SATA-IF
105 ... I / O-IF
106 ... Display 107 ... Keyboard 108 ... Mouse 109,259 ... USB-IF
110 ... Disk drive 120 ... Bus 130 ... Data migration software (CD)
150: Hard disk (HDD)
152, 252 ... Operating system (OS)
250 ... Solid state drive (SSD)
255 ... Memory chip 256 ... Controller module 257 ... Protection cap 258 ... Substrate 264 ... USB-IF terminal 269 ... SATA-IF terminal

Claims (9)

A method of operating a computer using an operating system,
An operating system that controls the computer is stored in a first external storage device having a predetermined storage area, and the first external storage device is provided inside the computer and includes a power supply line. Connect to the connector for
A second external storage device comprising a connector connectable to the first interface and having a predetermined storage area, connected to a second interface prepared as a general-purpose external bus of a computer including a power supply line;
The second external storage device is operated with power from the power supply line included in the second interface, and the computer is operated and stored in the first external storage device via the external bus. The transferred data to the second external storage device,
After the data transfer, the second external storage device is removed from the second interface;
The first external storage device connected to a first interface inside the computer is removed from the connector, and the second external storage device is connected to the first connector of the first interface. A computer operating method for operating the computer by an operating system stored in the external storage device. A method of operating a computer according to claim 1,
The operating system stored in the second external storage device is an operating system transferred from the first external storage device to the second external storage device via the second interface. Method. A computer system operating under an operating system,
A first connector provided inside the computer for connecting an external storage device to a first interface including a power line;
A second interface for connecting a device including an external storage device to a second interface prepared as a general-purpose external bus for a computer including a power line;
A first external storage device storing an operating system is connected to the first connector and operated;
A second external storage device having a predetermined storage area is connected to the second connector, and the second external storage device is operated with power from the power supply line included in the second interface. Transferring the data stored in the first external storage device to the second external storage device via the external bus;
After the data transfer, the second external storage device is removed from the second interface, and the second external storage device is used as the first interface instead of the first external storage device. A computer system that is connected using the connector of 1 and that is operable in the operating system stored in the second external storage device. The first interface is a SATA interface;
The computer system according to claim 3, wherein the second interface is a USB interface. A computer system according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein
The second external storage device is a computer system that is a solid state drive or a hard disk drive using a semiconductor memory. An external storage device used in the computer system according to claim 3,
A first terminal connected to the first connector of the first interface;
An external storage device comprising: a second terminal connected to the second connector of the second interface. The external storage device according to claim 6,
An external storage device comprising a protective cap that covers a terminal of the first interface. The external storage device according to claim 6 or 7,
The first interface is a SATA interface;
The external storage device, wherein the second interface is a USB interface.   9. The external storage device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined storage area is constituted by a semiconductor memory.

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