Storage Mirroring Activation with Presence Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current image forming apparatuses with mirroring systems fail to recognize when a storage unit is detached, leading to unnecessary storage exchanges due to mistaken user operations, as they activate without verifying the presence of both storage units, resulting in incorrect failure determinations.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with a determination unit to validate mirroring, a detection unit to identify attached storage units, and a control unit to display connection acknowledgement screens for un-detected storage units, ensuring valid mirroring activation only when both storage units are present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the system activates the mirror disk control system without verifying storage presence, then the system can start quickly, but the system may incorrectly determine storage failure and cause unnecessary storage exchanges
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of storage unit presence before activating the mirror disk control system. The detection unit checks whether both first and second storage units are properly connected before the system proceeds with mirroring operations, preventing incorrect failure determinations while maintaining efficient system activation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through the detection unit that continuously monitors storage unit presence and provides information to the control unit. When storage units are detected, the system proceeds with mirroring; when not detected, the system displays connection screens, creating a feedback loop that prevents erroneous failure determinations
2Reliability
If the system checks for storage unit presence before activation, then the system can avoid incorrect failure determinations, but the system activation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the activation process into distinct functional segments: a determination unit that checks mirroring validity, a detection unit that verifies storage presence, and a control unit that manages activation based on detection results. This segmentation organizes the complexity into manageable, independent components that work together systematically
Solution Approach 2:
The detection unit acts as an intermediary between the storage units and the mirror disk control system. It mediates the activation process by verifying storage presence and communicating results to the control unit, simplifying the overall system architecture while ensuring reliable operation
3Reliability
If the system assumes storage is detached and requires manual attachment, then data security is improved, but user operations may be mistaken or forgotten leading to unnecessary storage exchanges
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically detecting the presence of storage units through the detection unit and determining whether mirroring is valid. This automated detection eliminates the need for users to manually track storage attachment status, preventing mistakes and forgotten operations while maintaining security through automatic verification
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an information processing apparatus which performs mirroring for synchronizing storage contents of a first storage unit and a second storage unit. If mirroring is valid when the information processing apparatus is started, the information processing apparatus detects a storage unit attached to itself. If a detection result indicates that no storage unit has been detected or one storage unit has been detected, the information processing apparatus displays, on a display unit, a connection acknowledgement screen for the storage unit which has not been detected. If the detection result indicates that two storage units have been detected, activation processing is executed for the information processing apparatus.