JP2000242550A - Method for managing data operation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve software operation by efficiently taking over data in a main memory which is lost by the operation of a computer. SOLUTION: A data area operated by an application program is dynamically allocated to a nonvolatile area 103 being a main storage area irrespective of computer start procedure when necessary, and the operation of the data area where storage is performed regardless of the operation state of a computer is performed with a unified function. Thus, it is possible to manage an area irrespective of the operation state of the computer on a main storage and to operate data in the main storage without depending on the start of the computer. Thus, data such as backup, i.e., data that is not stored does not have to be stored in an external storage device. Even though the computer is repeatedly started and also even though the application is frequently operated, it is possible to utilize the data stored in the main storage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data operation management method and apparatus, in particular, regardless of the operation state of a computer.
The present invention relates to a data operation management and an apparatus that can be operated by an application program by using a function that unifies data in a main memory.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Programs operating on a computer use a main memory which is a common resource. The main memory is initialized when the computer starts, and the contents of the main memory before the start are lost. The storage area used by the application program is released at the same time as the termination of the application, and the storage area used by the application becomes invalid. If it is desired to retain the contents of the main storage in the above case, the contents of the main storage are stored in an external storage device such as a disk device.

Further, if the computer is restarted after the computer has been stopped due to a failure, the contents stored in the main memory will be lost. If there is necessary data in the main memory, consider the case where a failure occurs in the computer,
It is necessary to back up the data in the main storage to an external storage device such as a disk device during normal operation in a timely manner. However, computer failure can occur suddenly while the computer is running. In this case, unsaved data that could not be backed up exists in the main memory.

When a failure occurs in a computer, the unsaved data in the main memory before the failure is saved, and after restarting the computer,
As a method of restoring the state before restarting and restarting operation, there is JP-A-9-325896. In this method, memory information is stored in an external storage device such as a disk device, and after restarting, necessary information is extracted from the memory information stored in the disk device, and the operation of the computer is restarted.

[0005]

However, such a conventional method has the following problems.

In order to take over necessary data regardless of the operation of the computer, the data to be taken over is secured in an external storage device such as a hard disk device, and if the data is to be used after restarting, the data stored in the external storage device is used. Therefore, there is a problem that a procedure for analyzing and extracting necessary data from the computer is required, and a load on this processing is imposed. Another problem is that data transfer between the main storage and the external storage device is also burdened.

Further, when data is taken over from an external storage device regardless of the operation of the computer, there is a problem that data depends on the computer system and data cannot be taken over directly by an application program.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to unify necessary data operations regardless of the operation of a computer and to manage data operations by an application program.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a main storage area is divided into areas other than the main storage area managed by the OS.
Allocate a main storage area that does not depend on the operation of the computer. Then, the OS acquires information on the base address and the size of the main storage area that do not depend on the operation of the computer. This area is not related to the start of the computer, so no matter how many times the computer starts,
The application can operate within the area based on the information of the area. Then, data can be referred to and written in the area.

Further, by checking whether to allocate the storage area first or to take over the data in the area, it is possible to operate the data with a unified function.

[0011] Regardless of the number of activations, regardless of the number of activations, it is possible to operate the data with a unified function by checking whether to allocate the storage area first or to take over the data in the area.

In addition, in order to prevent programs other than the program to which the storage area is allocated from operating the allocated storage area, an access right is given to the allocated area. Thereby, maintainability of each storage area is maintained.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a computer configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computer 100 has a main storage device 1
1, a CPU 107, a read-only memory 108, a disk device 109, and a bus 106 connecting these.

The main storage device 101 is divided into two areas, an OS area 102 and a non-volatile area 103. Non-volatile area 1
Reference numeral 03 denotes an area for storing data operated on the OS executed by the computer 100 irrespective of the activation state of the computer. Even if the computer is activated by an activation method described later, the content is retained. Area. Reference numeral 103 denotes management information 104 of the area 103 and the data area 10 to be actually stored.
5. The OS area 102 is used by other OS codes, data, and application programs.

FIG. 2 shows a data structure registered in the management information 104. The non-volatile area management table 200 includes a data identifier 20 for each data area managed in the non-volatile area.
1, a size 202 of each data area, a base physical address 203 of each data area, and a registration value 204 which is a value for confirming a time when each data area is allocated.
It is composed of an access right 205 for each data area. The registration value 204 is stored in the OS area 1 when each data area is allocated.
02 represents the number of times the nonvolatile area 103 is stored and started. The number of times of this start is a non-volatile area start number 21 described later.
Depends on the value of 0. The access authority 205 is a value that gives permission as to whether a user and an application can read and write each data area. This value protects each data area.

The non-volatile area activation count 210 is determined by the OS area 10
Reference numeral 2 denotes a value obtained by counting the number of times that the nonvolatile area 103 is saved and activated. When each data area is allocated, the value of the non-volatile area activation count 210 is stored in the registration 204. Thereby, the registration status of each data area is determined.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for allocating a data area to the nonvolatile area 103.

When an allocation request is received in the non-volatile area 103, setting information for the data area is obtained (step 300). The setting information includes an identifier, a size, and an access right for the data area. The setting information required when a new data area is allocated is an identifier and a size.
If necessary, to set the data area operation permission,
Make access authority settings. The only setting information required when reallocating a data area registered in the nonvolatile area management table 200 is an identifier.

Next, it is determined whether a new data area is to be allocated (step 301). This is determined based on whether the setting information of the identifier is registered in the nonvolatile area management table 200. When newly assigning, the identifier is not assigned to the nonvolatile area management table 200.

When a new data area is allocated, it is determined whether the size is registered in the setting information (step 3).
02). If the size is not set, an error is notified and the process ends (step 303).

If the size setting is found in the setting information, it is determined whether there is an empty entry in the nonvolatile area management table 200 (step 304). If there are no free entries,
The error is notified as an error and the processing is terminated (step 30).
5).

If there is an empty entry in the nonvolatile area management table 200, the storage data area 105 of the nonvolatile area 103 is allocated to allocate a data area of the size of the setting information.
It is determined whether or not there is an empty area (step 30).
6). This is determined based on the value of the storage range 602 managed in the OS area described in FIG. 6 and the size of the data area allocated to the stored data. If there is no free space in the storage data area 105, an error is notified to that effect and the process ends (step 307).

If there is a free area in the nonvolatile area to which a data area of the size of the setting information is allocated, a data area is allocated to the storage data area 105 in the nonvolatile area 103 based on the size of the setting information. At the time of assignment, a virtual address is also calculated (step 308). The process of step 308 is
The OS operates the page table to allocate a data area in the nonvolatile area.

Next, setting information relating to the allocated data area is registered in the nonvolatile area management table 200 (step 309).

Next, the process returns to the start virtual address of the allocated data and the number of times the computer has been started by storing the non-volatile area for each data area as a return value, and the processing is terminated (step 310). When newly assigned, the number of times the computer is started while the non-volatile area related to each data area is saved becomes zero.

If it is determined in step 301 that the assignment is not a new assignment, it is determined whether an access right is permitted (step 311). In step 311, if there is a size setting for the registered identifier, it is determined that the registration of the identifier is incorrect. If the access right is not permitted or the registration of the identifier is erroneous, this is notified as an error and the process ends (step 312).

If the access right is permitted, the number of times the computer storing the non-volatile area for each data area corresponding to the identifier of the setting information is started is calculated (step 313). When reallocating the data area to the identifier of the setting information when starting the computer after securing the storage area in the non-volatile area, this is performed to notify the situation. This calculation method uses the non-volatile area storage start count 2
It is determined by the difference between 10 and the registered value 204 of each data area for the identifier. As a result, the number of times of starting the non-volatile area storage after allocating each data area is obtained.

Next, the size of the data area and the physical base address corresponding to the identifier are extracted from the nonvolatile area management table 200 (step 314). Next, the processing shifts to step 308, and the area is actually allocated based on the extracted information.

According to the above-mentioned procedure for allocating the non-volatile area to the memory, an area for storing data in the main memory is dynamically allocated regardless of the activation state of the computer, and the application program is stored in the main memory regardless of the operation state of the computer. Data can be operated.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for changing the access authority of each data area allocated to the nonvolatile area 103.

The access authority of each data area is managed by the nonvolatile area management table 200. FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure for changing the value of the access authority 205 in the nonvolatile memory area management table 200.

When a request to change the access authority of the data area allocated in the non-volatile area is received, the contents of the change are acquired (step 400). The acquisition information is the identifier of each data area and the contents of the access right to be changed.

Next, it is determined whether the current access right is permitted for the data area requested to be changed (step 401). If the access right is not permitted, an error is notified and the processing ends (step 40).
2).

If the access authority is permitted, the contents of the access authority of the change request are changed, and the process is terminated (step 403).

Data is protected by the above-described process of changing the access authority of each data area allocated to the non-volatile area.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for releasing the area allocated in the nonvolatile area.

When a request to release an area allocated in the non-volatile area is received, the identifier 2 of the area to be released specified by the user
01 is obtained (step 500).

Next, it is determined whether an access right is permitted for the requested identifier (step 501). If the access right is not permitted, an error is notified and the process ends (step 502).

If the access right is permitted, the memory area to be released is determined from the acquired identifier 201 via the nonvolatile area management table 200, and the memory is released (step 503).

Next, the value of the row having the identifier corresponding to the released memory area is deleted from the management table 200, and the processing is terminated (step 504). As described above, the data area managed in the nonvolatile area is deleted. It can be released and the non-volatile area can be effectively managed.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, description will be given of data to be referred to when starting the OS. FIG. 6 shows a state of the OS area 102 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The OS area 102 includes a boot method flag 601 indicating a computer boot method, and a storage area 60 for recording an address range of the nonvolatile area 103.
There are two.

The flag 601 and the range 602 are set when the OS is stopped or restarted. The flag 601 stores a value that determines the operation at the time of starting the computer. For example, an initialization process similar to that performed when the power is turned on may be executed, or the process may be started without executing some initialization processes. In the present invention, the nonvolatile area 1
There is a value indicating that the OS is to be started while holding the content of 03. The range 602 records the address range of the area 103.

The addresses of the memories in which these are stored are predetermined, and these data can be referred to even in the start-up processing, and the area 103 to be held can be found.

Next, the procedure for starting the computer will be described with reference to FIG. The procedure shown in FIG.
7 so that it is executed when reset.
8 is connected to the bus 106.

When the CPU 107 is reset, step 700 is executed. Here, the boot method flag 601 in the OS area 102 is checked. OS area 102 in flag 601
If a value indicating the retention is stored, the stored content 60
Referring to FIG. 2, the area indicated by 602 is excluded from the memory area that can be used in the subsequent boot processing (step 70).
1), proceed to step 703; Otherwise, go to step 702.

Step 702 updates the number of times 210 of non-volatile area storage activation. This is used, for example, when determining whether to take over and use the data again after the restart. When this process ends, the process proceeds to a step 703.

The processing from step 703 is a normal computer procedure. Initialize the main memory 101 (step 70)
3), initialization of input / output devices connected to the computer,
The configuration information to be passed to the OS is constructed (step 704). The configuration information to be constructed includes a main storage range usable by the OS. The area specified by the storage range 602 is also excluded from the main storage range.

In the following step 705, the OS kernel is loaded, and the OS initialization processing is called. During these processes, the non-volatile area 103 is not used because it is excluded from the available main memory. Therefore, even in the case of the restart due to the OS stop, the contents of the management information 104 and the storage data 105 stored in the non-volatile area 103 at the time of the stop are also saved.

The computer startup procedure described above and the non-volatile area management procedure including the procedure for allocating and releasing the non-volatile area 103, which is the main storage area unaffected by the computer startup procedure, allow the main storage to be executed before the computer is restarted. The data stored above can be taken over and operated after the computer is restarted.

Further, it is not necessary to make a backup in an external storage device such as a disk device, and it is possible to directly take over the data before the restart to the main storage and operate it.

In the next embodiment, as shown in FIG.
By providing the auxiliary power supply in the main memory, even if a power failure occurs in the computer, the information in the main memory is preserved. It is possible to take over and operate.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG.
00 is implemented as a server machine, and 900 is implemented as a management computer that performs server management. When a failure occurs in the computer 100, the management computer 900 prompts a restart, and after the restart, passes information in the non-volatile area via a network and performs a failure analysis on the management computer. The data in the nonvolatile area is operated again according to an instruction from the management computer. In addition, by reflecting the contents of the non-volatile area on the disk device 109, it is possible to recover unsaved data in the main memory at the time of failure regardless of the operation state of the computer 100.

[0054]

According to the present invention, it is possible to manage an area on the main memory that is not related to the operation state of the computer, and to operate data in the main memory without starting the computer.
Therefore, in order to start the computer, it is not necessary to save unsaved data such as backup data to an external storage device, no matter how many times the computer is started and operated, and how many times the application is operated. It is possible to use data stored in the main memory.

Further, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to back up data in an external storage device separate from the main storage, and the management load on the data in the storage area is not imposed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a computer configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a group of information for managing a main storage area irrespective of a computer startup procedure in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of allocating an area to a main storage area irrespective of a computer startup procedure in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing the access authority of an area allocated to a main storage area irrespective of a computer startup procedure in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of releasing an area allocated to a main storage area irrespective of a computer startup procedure in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a data structure related to a computer restart process in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a computer activation procedure in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a computer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a computer device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

100: computer, 101: main memory, 102: OS area, 1
03 nonvolatile area, 104 management information, 105 storage data, 106 bus, 107 processor, 108 read-only memory, 109 disk, 200 nonvolatile area management table, 201 data identifier, 202 size, 203 base Address, 204 ... registration, 205 ...
Access authority, 210: number of times the nonvolatile area is saved, 60
1: start method flag, 602: storage range, 800: power supply, 801: auxiliary power supply, 900: management computer, 9
01 ... Network.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tomoki Sekiguchi 1099 Ozenji Temple, Aso-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside System Development Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd. F-term in Hitachi PC Division (Reference) 5B017 BA06 CA01 5B060 AA05 AA12 AA14 AC11

Claims (4)

[Claims] In a computer environment having a procedure for activating a computer while retaining the contents of a predetermined area of a main memory and a procedure for specifying the area, the main storage area is stored in the main storage area regardless of the operation of the computer. A data operation management method, wherein a dynamically allocated storage area can be continuously operated. 2. An application program according to claim 1, wherein data of a storage area dynamically allocated to said main storage area can be operated by a unified function regardless of the operation of a computer. Data operation management method. 3. The data according to claim 1, wherein operation of data included in a storage area dynamically allocated in said main storage area is protected from a program other than a program to which said storage area is allocated. Operation management method. 4. A program according to claim 3, wherein a program other than the program to which said storage area has been allocated operates the data in said storage area only when the operation permission is given. A data operation management method characterized by protection.