Storage Technology Corporation

Fletcher L Hill

Nancy R Jurestovsky

David Grant Beal

Michael R Stephens

Gregory A Pinkham

JoEtta S Chikira

Douglas A Holm

Jo Etta Hill

The knowledge based system identifies the occurrence of a failure within the customer equipment and functions using its rules, hypotheses and collected data to isolate the functional resource which is the source of the error in the customer equipment and, whenever possible, 'fence' or isolate the failed functional resource that has caused the error. In addition, the knowledge based system makes use of resource related rules to remove a resource or set of resources available for concurrent other failure management operations. The resource related rules allow resources to function in any one non-operational or operational mode or to functional simultaneously in multiple non-operational modes.

Knowledge based resource management

The hierarchical distributed knowledge based system functions in a machine initiated maintenance environment to provide efficient and timely maintenance of customer equipment. The hierarchical, distributed knowledge based system provides the failure evaluation function through the use of an expert or knowledge based system that is installed in the customer equipment. The knowledge based system makes use of a set of rules and hypotheses to operate on data collected from various points within the customer equipment to monitor the operational integrity of the customer equipment. This knowledge based system identifies the occurrence of a failure within the customer equipment and functions using its rules, hypotheses and collected data to isolate the source of the error in the customer equipment and, whenever possible, 'fence' or isolate the failed field replaceable unit that has caused the error. A significant additional attribute of this system is the provision of at least one more level of knowledge based system to provide a more global failure evaluation capability.

Hierarchical distributed knowledge based machine inititated maintenance

The knowledge based system functions in a machine initiated maintenance environment to provide efficient and timely maintenance of customer equipment. The knowledge based system provides the failure evaluation function through the use of an expert or knowledge based system that is installed in the customer equipment. The knowledge based system makes use of a set of rules and hypotheses to operate on data collected from various points within the customer equipment to monitor the operational integrity of the customer equipment. This knowledge based system identifies the occurrence of a failure within the customer equipment and functions using its rules, hypotheses and collected data to isolate the source of the error in the customer equipment and, whenever possible, 'fence' or isolate the failed field replaceable unit that has caused the error.

Knowledge based machine initiated maintenance system

The resource management system first fences all autonomous resources, then shared resources required for a first activity. The first activity is then executed and the domain for the next activity examined to identify common fencing requirements. If the shared resource fencing is unaltered between successive activities, then to resource modification is required and the second activity is immediately executed. Otherwise, the shared resources of the first activity are returned to functional use and the shared resources required for the second activity are then fenced. Release of the autonomous resources is deferred to enable the immediate execution of the second activity. Once the last activity in the work stream is completed, all fencing is removed and all resources returned to functional use.

Deferred resource recovery

This failure management system architecture guides, detects, validates and logs field replaceable unit (FRU) changes. This system includes a guided capability by which service personnel use the guided process to select candidates for FRU swaps or FRU replacement. FRU change and swap detection is described as a function of FRU memory scanning coupled with embedded database query activity. For swap activity virtual Composite Failure Events are created to manage post-swap failures. Validation logic determines whether the changed FRU is positioned correctly, is at the correct hardware, software and feature level, executes diagnostics correctly and performs flawlessly during monitored and extended functional operation.

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Golden, CO, United States of America

Fletcher L Hill