Patent ID: 7571263

Claim:
A data storage apparatus comprising: a nonvolatile storage; and a data storage controller configured to store a log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage, wherein the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage is not resettable and includes a usage parameter, and wherein storing of the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage is designed such that the storing cannot be disabled, wherein the data storage apparatus is a disk drive, and wherein the data storage controller is configured to check a value of the usage parameter of the data storage apparatus before shutting down of the data storage apparatus and after subsequent starting up of the data storage apparatus to verify if the data storage apparatus has been used with a different system during a period of shut down between the shutting down and the subsequent starting up of the data storage apparatus, wherein when the value of the usage parameter is different after starting up compared before shutting down, the data storage controller is configured to store information in the log of status parameters identifying the data storage apparatus as having been used with a different system.