GB2241360A

GB2241360A - Programmable data communication system

Info

Publication number: GB2241360A
Application number: GB9102361A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard P Howell
Original assignee: Jupiter Technology Inc
Current assignee: Jupiter Technology Inc
Priority date: 1990-02-05
Filing date: 1991-02-04
Publication date: 1991-08-28
Also published as: GB9102361D0; DE4103428A1; KR910016169A; NL9100194A

Abstract

A data processing system 10 for selectably controlling data communication among data communication devices 30 has a primary software supervisor 12, 18 which provides software supervisory services to a first plurality of selectable processing activities 14, 28 including at least two communications activities, for providing communication functions between at least two devices 30. Additionally, the first plurality of processing activities includes at least one secondary software supervisor, for providing software supervisory services to a second plurality of processing activities 32a-32c and for providing control over the remaining processing activities 28 from among the first plurality of processing activities. The communications activities provide data path control and data protocol conversion. <IMAGE>

Description

A 1 2 3 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 is 16 17 18 19 20 2:2,a- -1- Z =, G1 3c

JMe310191 PROGRAMMABLE DATA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM This invention relates to data communication systems and in particular, to communication systems for providing data flow between incompatible data communication devices.

Various networks and communication systems exist having different format and protocol standards. Each manufacturer would wish to maintain the distinction and uniqueness of its own standards, to encourage the user to remain within that. structure. However, the user of a system which may have multiple standards, or which communicates with other systems having different communication standards or protocols, would ideally wish to eliminate the differences between the standards and protocols, to freely transfer data within and among all systems and elements. Moreover, as each technical advance spurs additional changes in communication standards, it appears to be unlikely that a standard protocol and format of data transfer can or will be adopted. It is therefore important to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L1 L2 L3 L4 L6 L7 L8 L9 W 1 2 3 iMe310191 the user of any one data system, or the would-be purchaser of such a system, to maintain as much flexibility in data transfer as possible, and not become constrained into any particular format. Therefore, it would be most advantageous to the user to be provided a system having a flexible interconnect system to provide protocol and formal adaptation for data transfer over a variety of media and between a variety of data communications equipment. Moreover, the connection and disconnection of such data transfer between elements and systems should be made with a minimum of operator intervention and skill, and without interrupting data transfer then in progress. In addition, it would be advantageous to have such a communication system which is lower in cost than large, powerful communications systems.

This invention features a data communications system, for selectively controlling data communications among a plurality of data communication devices. A primary software supervisor provides software supervisory services to a first plurality of selectable processing activities. The first plurality of processing activities include communications activities for providing communications between at least two data communication devices. The first processing activities also includes plurality of selectable at least one secondary It 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 ime310191 software supervisory activity, for providing supervisory services to a second plurality of processing activities operat ing under control of the secondary supervisory activity, for the purpose of providing control over the remaining processing activities from among the first plurality of processing activities.

In a preferred embodiment, the communications activities include a data conversion function for converting data protocols and providing data communications between at least two data communication devices having incompatible data communications protocol systems. The second plurality of processing activities includes such tasks as file serving, system log in, operator commands submitted through an operator interface connected to a console terminal, and disk access.

Specific implementation for the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single Figure is a block diagram of a. universal programmable data communication connection system of the present invention showing primary and secondary supervisory activities whose main function are to provide supervisory services to subordinate processing activities.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 LO L1 4 iMe310191 A data processing system 10, embodying the present invention for communication purposes, includes the system's primary software supervisory layer 12 and processing activity layer 14. The primary software supervisory layer 12 provides software supervisory services to the plurality of selectable processing activities or "softblocks" 28a through 28n. Both the primary software supervisor and the plurality of selectable soft blocks and associated processor apparatus may be located within one, self-contained, processor board.

Primary software supervisory layer 12 executes on apparatus such as a processor and associated memory, not shown. The primary software supervisory layer 12 controls initialization of communication system 10 by directing the processor to execute code contained in initialization segment 20. Initialization segment 20 allocates a block of processor memory to be used by kernel 22. The code located in kernel 22 provides for continuation of the initialization sequence including initializing interprocessor communication (IPC) segment 24 and start-up of the actual primary software supervisor 18. Interprocessor communication segment 24 provides a path through which_ primary software supervisor 18 may communicate to other system processors 26 as well as to secondary software supervisor activity 28a. A more detailed description and functional definition of the system processor i j 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 is 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 iMe310191 and memory, primary software supervisor 18, initialization code 20, kernel 22, IPC 24 and softblocks 28b through 28n is found in U.S. Patent Application No. 06/819,884 entitled Universal Programmable Data Communication Connection System which is assigned to a cmwn assignee, and incorporated herein to such extent as required for full understanding (copy subn-dtted with this application).

Processing activity layer 14 includes a plurality of processing activities such as softblocks 28a through 2Bn. Softblocks 28b through 28n provide software and hardware for establishing data communications with communication devices 30. The programmable communication system of the present invention can support a large number of processing activities and communication devices. Softblocks 28b thorough 28n link communication devices 30 with secondary software supervisory activity 28a through primary software supervisory layer 12.

Secondary software supervisory activity 28a is itself a processing activity operating under control of primary software supervisory layer 12. In addition, secondary software supervisory activity 28a provides additional software supervisory functions to the remainder of the softblocks 28b through 28n, as well as to a second plurality of processing activities or tasks 32a-32c. Secondary software supervisory activity 28a receives commands from and issues commands to primary software supervisor 18, kernel 22 and interprocessor communications segment 24.

1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 JMe310191 -6- As previously stated, an important feature of the present invention is to provide a reliable, lower cost communication system wherein a primary software supervisor controls a first Plurality of processing activitiesp one of the processing activities being a secondary software supervisor which itself controls and and indirectly provides additional supervisory services to the remaining processing activities a s well as providing additional supervisory functions Plurality of processing activities or tasks. this, after primary software initialized to a second To accomplish supervisory layer 12 has communication system 10, the primary software supervisory layer 12 establishes the secondary software supervisor 28a as a processing activity operating under its control. Primary software supervisory layer 12 also establishes another of the processing activities, such as processing activity 28b, as a communications activity operative for communicating with one of the communication devices 30 which is defined as the operator control terminal. Operator control softblock 28b may be an asynchronous communications protocol processing activity.

Primary software supervisory layer 12 also establishes a communications link between operator control softblock 28b and secondary software supervisor 28a, for providing a data path from softblock 28b to secondary software supervisor 28a. In this manner, data input by an operator is routed to secondary software supervisor 28a through softblock 28b and primary software supervisor 18.

j 1 i -7" 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 JMe310191 1 Secondary software supervisor 28a provides additional 2 software supervisory functions according to standard operating 3 system conventions which, in the preferred embodiment, is according to a Unix implementation. Secondary software supervisor 28a begins operating by starting up the host path 6 control subtask 32a. The host path control subtask 32a, in addition to controlling data path or wiring among the various softblocks 28a through 28n, is the controlling system authority constantly monitoring the activities of communication system 10. Secondary software supervisor 28a also starts up the software language interpreter (SLI) subtask 32b, which interprets or decodes system operation commands which may be located in a file which is resident on external disk 36, or may be received from an operator input terminal through the operator terminal softblock such as softblock 28b.

Other tasks operating under control of secondary software supervisor 28a include shell task 32c which serves as an interpreter for operator commands and is a generally standard Unix shell providing standard Unix command interpretations to communication system 10. In addition, secondary software supervisor 28a also provides additional' control of data input and system resources.

JMe310191

Claims

1. A data processing system, for performing data processing activities, comprising: a primary software supervisor, for providing software supervisory services to a first plurality of selectable processing activities operating under control of said primary software supervisor; and said first plurality of selectable processing activities including at least one secondary software supervisory activity, responsive to said primary supervisory activity, for providing software supervisory services to a second plurality of processing activities operating under control of said secondary software supervisor and for providing additional control functions to the remaining processing activities from among the first plurality of processing activities.

2. A system according to claim 1 serving as a data communications system including a data protocol converter, for selectively controlling data communications among at least two data communications devices having first and second data communications protocols, wherein said first plurality of processing activities includes at least first and second communication activities, for providing data path control and data protocol conversion functions between at least first and second data communications devices.

3. A data communications system including a data protocol convertor, for selectively controlling data communication among at least two data communication devices having first and second data communication iMe310191 -g- protocols, comprising: primary software supervisor, for providing software supervisory services to a first plurality of selectable processing activities; said first plurality of processing activities including at least first and second communication activities, for providing data path control and data protocol conversions functions between at least first and second data communication devices; and said first plurality of processing activities including at least one secondary software supervisory activity, for providing software supervisory services to a second plurality of processing activities operating under control of said secondary software supervisory activity and for providing additional control functions to the remaining processing activities from among the first plurality of processing activities.

4. A system according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which said communications activities receive data in a first format and transmit data in a-second format.

5. A system according to claim 2, 3 or claim 4, in which said first and second communications protocols are different.

6. A system according to claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, in which said second plurality of processing activities provide interpretation and execution of operator commands received by means of an operator interface.

7. A system according to claim 6, further including an input/output device coupled to said operator JMe310191 interface.

8.. A system according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which said operator commands serve to control the first plurality of selectable processor activities.

9. A system according to any one of claims 2 to 8, in which said second plurality of processing activities includes a data path control activity, for controlling the path of data transferred between two or more communication activities selected from among said first plurality of selectable processing activities.

10. A system according to any preceding claim, in which said second plurality of processor activities includes accessing data stored on a storage medium.

11. A system according to claim 10, in which said storage medium includes a disk drive.

12. A data processing system arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

1 Published 1991 at The Patent Office. Concept House. Cardifr Road. Newport. Gwent NP9 IRH. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. CAmfelinfach. Cross Keys. Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed lky Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Crky. Kent.