ATM Update Rollback via Virtual Hard Drive Backup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic teller machines (ATMs) lack the ability to roll back software updates without a service technician, leading to extended downtime and costly repairs when updates fail to install properly.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for rolling back updates on ATMs by storing a virtual hard drive with a back-up system image of the client operating system, allowing the host operating system to emulate the client operating system and install a rolled-back version, and deploying a patched system update if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a service technician is dispatched to manually image and restore a failed ATM, then the ATM can be restored to a functional state, but the downtime and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and stores a backup system image of the ATM before deploying updates. This preliminary action ensures that a known good state is preserved, allowing rapid restoration if the update fails, thereby reducing downtime and eliminating the need for service technician dispatch.
Solution Approach 2:
The ATM is equipped with automated rollback capability that can restore itself to a previous functional state without requiring a service technician. The system automatically detects update failures, retrieves the stored backup image, and restores the ATM, enabling self-service restoration and significantly reducing operational downtime.
2Reliability
If a service technician is called to manually image and restore a failed ATM, then the ATM can be brought back online, but the operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ATM performs automated self-restoration using stored backup images when updates fail. This eliminates the need to dispatch expensive service technicians for routine restoration tasks, significantly reducing operational costs while maintaining reliable ATM functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copied backup system images stored locally on the ATM to restore functionality. Instead of requiring a technician to physically image the ATM from external sources, the pre-copied backup image is automatically deployed, reducing service operation costs and improving restoration efficiency.
3Reliability
If the ATM shuts down after a failed update, then the system can prevent further damage, but the ATM becomes non-functional and requires restoration
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares backup system images before updates are deployed, creating a safety cushion that allows rapid restoration if the update fails. This beforehand preparation ensures that while the ATM may shut down temporarily after a failed update, it can be quickly restored to operational status, minimizing impact on productivity.
4Extent of automation
If remote update deployment is implemented, then service technician dispatch is reduced, but the ability to handle update failures is limited without rollback capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores backup system images remotely and locally before deploying updates. This preliminary preparation enables automated rollback capability when updates fail, ensuring that remote update deployment can be performed with high reliability without requiring service technician intervention for failure recovery.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for deploying and/or rolling back automatic teller machine (ATM) updates. Such methods can store a back-up system image of a client operating system on a virtual hard drive. When an update is deployed from a host operating system to the client operating system, the system update may fail to install properly, and the ATM may shut down. In response, the host operating system can execute instructions to the client operating system to boot from a bootable image on the virtual hard drive. Then, the virtual hard drive can emulate, by a boot loader on the back-up system image, the client operating system on the ATM from the virtual hard drive without loading the client operating system. Then, the virtual hard drive can install a rolled-back operating system on the ATM. The rolled-back operating system can comprise the back-up system image.