Storage Device Firmware Checks to Prevent False Error Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage devices face issues where microcontroller units incorrectly report errors for normal constituent elements, leading to unnecessary recovery operations and potential performance impacts.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a non-volatile memory and a storage controller that performs multiple checks on the microcontroller unit, including communication status, reset vector, and firmware code verification, to accurately determine its functionality and perform recovery when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the microcontroller unit monitors statuses of constituent elements and outputs abnormality signals, then the monitoring capability is improved, but false error reporting occurs causing unnecessary recovery operations
Solution Approach 1:
The storage controller performs multiple verification checks (communication status check, reset vector check, firmware code check) to confirm microcontroller unit failures before initiating recovery operations. This feedback mechanism ensures that only genuine failures trigger recovery, eliminating false error reporting while maintaining accurate monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification checks (communication status, reset vector, firmware code) before executing recovery operations. By conducting these preliminary actions to validate the abnormality signal, the system prevents unnecessary recovery operations caused by false errors while ensuring genuine failures are properly addressed
2Measurement precision
If multiple checks are performed on the microcontroller unit, then the accuracy of failure detection is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The failure detection process is segmented into three distinct check types: communication status check, reset vector check, and firmware code check. Each check operates independently with specific verification logic, allowing high detection accuracy while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular organization of verification functions
3Reliability
If recovery operations are performed based on abnormality signals, then the system reliability is improved, but performance is degraded due to unnecessary recovery operations
Solution Approach 1:
The storage controller uses feedback from multiple verification checks (communication status, reset vector, firmware code) to confirm genuine failures before initiating recovery operations. This feedback mechanism prevents unnecessary recovery operations that would degrade performance, while ensuring that actual failures are promptly addressed to maintain system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Preliminary verification checks are performed before recovery operations to validate the authenticity of abnormality signals. This preliminary action filters out false errors, preventing unnecessary recovery operations that would harm performance while ensuring genuine failures receive timely recovery treatment
Data Source
AI summary
Some example embodiments provide a storage device including a non-volatile memory; a microcontroller unit configured to monitor statuses of constituent elements of the storage device and output an abnormality signal based on the constituent elements not being in a normal status; and a storage controller configured to perform a first check and a second check different from the first check on a first firmware code stored in the microcontroller unit in response to the abnormality signal and perform recovery by using a second firmware code stored in the non-volatile memory based on at least one of the first check and the second check having failed.