Patent ID: 7149891
Filing Date: 2006-12-12
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
1. In an overall system including a host device for operational support of an electromechanical storage arrangement, which is provided separate from the host device, and which stores digital data on a rotatable disk, and said host device is provided with a particular firmware configuration for controlling a particular version of the storage arrangement and said storage arrangement may be provided in an updated version which requires an updated firmware configuration in the host device, such that the particular firmware configuration, provided with the host device, is limited in controlling the updated version of the storage arrangement, a method comprising the steps of: installing an update set of firmware, that corresponds to differences between the particular firmware configuration and the updated firmware configuration, as part of the updated version of the storage arrangement; configuring the particular firmware configuration of the host device to automatically query, irrespective of the version of the storage arrangement, any storage arrangement with which the host device is connected for the presence of said update set of firmware; connecting the host device to an updated version of the storage arrangement; and upon detection of said update firmware set responsive to the query, establishing the updated firmware configuration in the host device, based on the update firmware set, to cause the host device to operate the storage arrangement using the updated firmware configuration.