The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 14, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 03, 2002
Benedict Michael Rafanello, Austin, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A database is employed for the recording of assigned computer disk drive letters, but database is distribute across multiple drives and media, rather than centralizing the database as prior art systems have done. Fragments of the database are stored within the unused portion of disk space located after partition tables but before the beginning of a partition, thereby forming one or more Shadow Partition Tables. In these Shadow Partition Tables, the drive letter assignments or logical volume assignments for the particular piece of media and partition are stored. A method for automatically determining relationship between entries in the normal partition tables and the Shadow Partition Tables is employed which is compatible with industry standard disk format definitions, while allowing enhanced drive letter assignment management especially useful for removable disk media.