18055520. VERIFYING A FIELD REPLACEABLE UNIT BEFORE REPLACEMENT simplified abstract (Dell Products L.P.)

VERIFYING A FIELD REPLACEABLE UNIT BEFORE REPLACEMENT

Organization Name

Dell Products L.P.

Inventor(s)

Amy Christine Nelson of Round Rock TX (US)

Vivekanandh Narayanasamy Rajagopalan of Bangalore (IN)

VERIFYING A FIELD REPLACEABLE UNIT BEFORE REPLACEMENT - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18055520 titled 'VERIFYING A FIELD REPLACEABLE UNIT BEFORE REPLACEMENT

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a system where field replaceable units on a customer device can be verified for integrity before replacement. An integrity plugin computes a hash of each unit, which is then shared with an integrity service to generate an integrity status. When a replacement is requested, a technician can verify the integrity of the unit by comparing the computed hash with the integrity status.

• Field replaceable units can be verified for integrity before replacement.
• An integrity plugin computes a hash of each unit on the customer device.
• The integrity service generates an integrity status based on these hashes.
• A technician can verify the integrity of a unit by comparing the computed hash with the integrity status.

Potential Applications

The technology described in the patent application could be applied in various industries where field replaceable units are used, such as electronics, telecommunications, and manufacturing.

Problems Solved

This technology helps ensure that field replaceable units being replaced are in good working condition, reducing the risk of unnecessary replacements and associated costs.

Benefits

The system provides a reliable way to verify the integrity of field replaceable units, allowing for more efficient maintenance and support processes.

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology could be valuable for companies that provide support or warranty services for customer devices with field replaceable units, improving the accuracy and efficiency of replacement processes.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be systems that use checksums or digital signatures to verify the integrity of files or data, although the specific application to field replaceable units on customer devices may be novel.

Unanswered Questions

== How does the integrity plugin compute the hash of each field replaceable unit? The exact method or algorithm used by the integrity plugin to compute the hash of each unit is not specified in the abstract. Further details on this process would provide a clearer understanding of the technology.

== What measures are in place to ensure the security and privacy of the hash data shared with the integrity service? The abstract does not mention any specific security measures to protect the hash data shared between the integrity plugin and the integrity service. Understanding how the system safeguards this sensitive information would be important for assessing the overall reliability of the technology.

Original Abstract Submitted

A field replaceable unit can be verified before replacement. An integrity plugin on a customer device can be configured to compute a hash of each field replaceable unit on the customer device. The integrity plugin can share these hashes with an integrity service which can use the hashes to generate an integrity status of the field replaceable units. The integrity service can maintain the integrity status of the field replaceable units in an integrity database. When the customer requests replacement of a field replaceable unit, a technician device can interface with the integrity plugin to obtain a computed hash of the field replaceable unit. The integrity status for the field replaceable unit can then be used to evaluate the computed hash to thereby verify the integrity of the field replaceable unit. If the verification fails, the technician can forego replacing the field replaceable unit under a support or warranty plan.