Patent ID: 7032218

Claim:
An updating method of firmware stored in a non-volatile memory, said updating method being applicable to a disk array device which is mounted with a plurality of hard disk units, each comprising a mechanical section having a disk and a head, and an electronic circuit section having control functions and signal process functions of the mechanical section, an external interface function of a predetermined standard, and said non-volatile memory, said disk array storing, into said hard disk units, data received from another device via a communication means, said updating method comprising: a step for copying data recorded in a disk of a hard disk unit A to another hard disk unit B, the hard disk unit A having firmware that is to be updated; a step for stopping an I/O process performed to said hard disk unit A after said copying, and switching to an operation in a proxy mode in which said hard disk unit B performs the I/O process to the hard disk unit A in place of the hard disk unit A; a history management step for storing a data-modification history due to said I/O process during operation in said proxy mode; a step for updating the firmware of the hard disk unit A during operation in said proxy mode; a step for operating the hard disk unit A with the firmware having been updated; a step for setting up contents of the disk of the hard disk unit A, which has started operation with the new firmware, to a latest updated state by said modification history and data recorded in a disk of the hard disk unit A or B; and a step for stopping the operation in said proxy mode after completion of said set-up, and switching to an operation in a normal mode in which said I/O process is directly performed to the hard disk unit A.