Patent ID: 8131919

Claim:
In an electronic system having multiple device slots and a storage device identifier database including multiple database entries corresponding to the multiple device slots, a method of controlling storage device use, the method comprising: during a logical unit number (LUN) binding process in which a storage device is bound to a particular LUN: writing a current storage device identifier associated with the storage device to the storage device; and updating a database entry of the storage device identifier database with the current storage device identifier; receiving the current storage device identifier in response to installation of the storage device into a particular device slot of the electronic system; performing an electronic storage device location assessment operation based on the current storage device identifier; and in response to performing the electronic storage device location assessment operation, providing a control signal which selectively (i) permits overwriting of the storage device while the storage device resides in the particular device slot, and (ii) prevents overwriting of the storage device while the storage device resides in the particular device slot; wherein a prior storage device identifier is associated with the particular device slot; wherein providing the control signal includes: outputting (i) an overwrite disable value for the control signal which prevents overwriting of the storage device while the storage device resides in the particular device slot when the current storage device identifier does not match the prior storage device identifier and the storage device is a critical disk which belongs to a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) group which is missing at least two disks in their proper locations and (ii) an overwrite enable value for the control signal which permits overwriting of the storage device while the storage device resides in the particular device slot when the current storage device identifier does not match the prior storage device identifier and the storage device is not a critical disk which belongs to a RAID group which is missing at least two disks in their proper location.