Patent Publication Number: US-2018046528-A1

Title: Hard disk drive management system and electronic device using the same

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to a management system for a plurality of hard disk drives and an electronic device with the disk management system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A plurality of hard disk drives is generally used in an electronic device, such as a server, to expand storage space of the electronic device. It is difficult to determine when the plurality of hard disk drives is damaged or which one of the plurality of hard disk drives is damaged. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of an electronic device with a hard disk drive management system. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the hard disk drive management system of  FIG. 1  and a plurality of hard disk drives. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a storage unit of the hard disk drive management system of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an electronic device  300  in accordance with an embodiment. The electronic device  300  can include a hard disk drive management system  100  and a plurality of hard disk drives  200  each coupled to the management system  100 . The management system  100  is configured to manage each hard disk drive in the plurality of hard disk drives  200 . 
     In at least one embodiment, each hard disk drive  200  is an M.2 solid state disk (SSD). 
     In at least one embodiment, the management system  100  is a server or a computer. 
       FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  illustrate that the management system  100  can include a storage unit  10  and a processor  20  coupled to the storage unit  10 . 
     The storage unit  10  is configured to store program commands and data. In at least one embodiment, the storage unit  10  includes an interface module  12 , an information module  14 , a checking module  16 , and a recording module  18 . 
     The interface module  12  includes a plurality of interfaces (not shown) configured to couple to the plurality of hard disk drives  200 . 
     In at least one embodiment, each interface is a peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-E) interface. 
     The information module  14  includes identification information of each hard disk drive  200 . The identification information identifies a hard disk drive and includes type, series number, capacity, a location of each hard disk drive, and a connection status between each hard disk drive and an interface. 
     The information module  14  further stores the amount of the plurality of hard disk drives  200  and updates the amount of the plurality of hard disk drives  200  when the amount of the plurality of hard disk drives  200  is increased or decreased. 
     The checking module  16  is configured to check an operation status of each hard disk drive  200  according to the location information in the identification information and create an error warning when the operation status of the hard disk drive is in error. 
     In at least one embodiment, the error warning includes an error type and the location information of the hard disk drive  200  in error. 
     The checking module  16  is further configured to send the error warning to the recording module  18 . 
     The recording module  18  is configured to receive and store the error warning output by the checking module  16 . 
     The processor  20  is configured to obtain the identification information of each hard disk drive  200  by inquiring of the information module  14 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the processor  20  is a central processing unit (CPU). 
     In other embodiment, the processor  20  is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). 
     In use, the processor  20  obtain the identification information of each hard disk drive  200  by inquiring of the information module  14 , so that users can obtain the location information and the connection status of each hard disk drive  200 . The checking module  16  checks whether each hard disk drive  200  is in an error status and outputs error warning to the recording module  18  if any hard disk drive  200  is in the error status. The recording module  18  records the error warning, so that users can get full information about each hard disk drive  200 . 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of a management system and method. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.