JP3298650B2 - Function level check method for vertical / horizontal cooperation system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a function level check method in a vertical / horizontal cooperative system in which host computers of a plurality of vertical cooperative systems are connected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 6, a vertical cooperative system connects a plurality of intelligent terminals such as workstations (WS) to a host computer and exchanges information between the host computer and the workstation. This is a system configuration in which the workstation uses the resources and functions of the host computer, and the host computer performs centralized management of the workstation resources. In such a system,
Normally, each workstation and host computer have an independent operating system (OS), and realize a cooperation function between the workstation and the host computer based on a predetermined protocol (communication protocol).

[0003] Each workstation and host computer constituting this vertical coordination system is provided with a new function independently or in common with the basic functions set at the time of system construction, according to the needs of the user, and functions as a system. The levels are usually expanded as needed. Therefore, the function levels of each workstation and the host computer are not always the same, and the WS of several generations may be connected to the latest host computer, or vice versa, and the workstations may recognize each other. Make a difference in the protocol. If there is such a difference in the protocol, there is a possibility that the lower function level may become inoperable, and the connected workstation and the host computer need to operate according to the lower level protocol. .

[0004] In order to avoid the above problems, usually,
In the vertical cooperation system, "function level information" in which all the functions that can be realized at the present time are described by bit strings of "1" and "0" are prepared in each of the workstations and the host computer 52, respectively. When a session is established between a workstation and a host computer, the function level information is exchanged with each other prior to all communications, and the function levels of the two are adjusted.

When there are a plurality of vertical cooperation systems as described above, as shown in FIG. 7, the host computers of each vertical cooperation system are connected to perform horizontal cooperation, and a so-called mixed vertical and horizontal cooperation is used. If a vertical / horizontal coordination system is configured, it is possible to use not only the resources (disk resources, printer resources, etc.) held by its own host computer, but also the resources held by other host computers. A distributed processing system with extremely large processing capacity can be constructed.

[0006]

In the case of the above-described vertical / horizontal cooperative system, if the target resource does not exist in its own host computer, it is necessary to transfer the request to another host computer. The following problems occur.

That is, the workstation can recognize only its own host computer directly cooperating, and cannot directly recognize other host computers cooperating horizontally. For example, if the host computer starts horizontal cooperation with another system's host computer to use the resources of another system while working vertically with the workstation, the workstation recognizes this completely. Can not do it.
Also, horizontal cooperation is conceptually possible between all host computers constituting the system, so that the terminal workstation determines to which host computer its request protocol is transferred before starting communication. It is impossible to know in advance.

Therefore, it is not possible to predict in advance the other host computers that may be transferred at each workstation in the future, and to create a request protocol in accordance therewith. It cannot be determined whether or not the function level is met unless the requested protocol is actually transferred to the host computer of the other party.

There is no problem if the transferred request protocol matches the function level of the other host computer, but if not, the other host computer cannot process the request, and an error occurs. turn into. Such a situation is particularly likely to occur when the function level of the host computer that has received the request protocol from the workstation is higher than the function levels of the other host computers to which the transfer is made.

[0010] The simplest method that can be taken in the event of such an error is to sign off and disconnect the workstation at that time. Processing cannot be realized even for the function of the level, which leads to a decrease in service of the entire system.

On the other hand, as another measure, when an error occurs, the WS obtains the function level of the transfer destination host computer, newly creates a request protocol matching the function level, and issues a processing request. However, the processing speed of the entire system is reduced, which leads to a reduction in the performance of the entire system.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the efficiency of each system according to the function level of each system without killing the functions of the systems as much as possible. It is an object of the present invention to provide a function level checking method for a vertical / horizontal cooperative system capable of performing a good service.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a function level check method according to the present invention comprises a plurality of vertical cooperative systems in which intelligent terminals such as workstations are connected to a host computer. In a vertical / horizontal cooperative system in which computers cooperate horizontally by connecting each other and transfer the requested protocol to another host computer when the target resource does not exist in its own host computer, each intelligent terminal And each host computer, prepares function level information indicating the functions currently implemented, and establishes a session between the intelligent terminal and the host computer and a session between the host computers when establishing a session between the intelligent terminal and the host computer. Machine With replacing the level information,
When the request protocol transmitted from the intelligent terminal to the host computer is a protocol of a function level corresponding to the extended function, the extended protocol information indicating the function level of the request protocol is added to the request protocol and transmitted, and the request protocol is transmitted. Is transferred to another host computer, the function level information of the exchanged transfer destination host computer and the extended function information of the request protocol are compared, and the function level of the transfer destination host computer and the function level of the request protocol are compared. The request protocol is transferred to another host computer only when they match.

[0014]

In the present invention, the request protocol from the intelligent terminal is transferred to another host computer only when the function level of the request protocol matches the function level of the transfer destination host computer. Therefore, in the case of a high-level request that cannot be processed by the transfer destination host computer, the request protocol itself is not transferred, so that it is possible to prevent an error from occurring due to a function level mismatch at the time of horizontal cooperation between the host computers. it can.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a vertical / horizontal cooperative system configured by applying the method of the present invention. The embodiment of FIG. 1 is an example of a case in which two vertically linked systems are horizontally linked for simplicity of explanation. Further, only one workstation for each vertical cooperation system is shown, and other workstations are not shown.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a first vertical cooperation system, and 2 denotes a second vertical cooperation system. The first vertical cooperation system 1 includes a host computer 3 and a workstation (WS) 4 connected thereto. The second vertical cooperation system 2 includes a host computer 5 and a workstation (W) connected thereto.
S) 6. Then, the host computers 3 and 5 of the first and second vertical cooperative systems 1 and 2 are horizontally cooperated with each other to construct one vertical / horizontal cooperative system as a whole.

Each of the host computers 3 and 5 and the workstations 4 and 6 stores function level information, as shown in FIG. 2, which describes all functions that can currently be realized. That is,
Each function level information illustrated in FIG.
Bits are assigned, and six functions A to F are described using six bits. In the 6-bit function level information,
The three bits on the LSB side correspond to basic functions A, B, and C,
The three bits on the SB side correspond to the extended functions D, E, and F, respectively. When "1" is set, it indicates that the corresponding function can be realized.

FIG. 2A shows the function level information 7 stored in the workstation 4, and "111110", that is, the basic functions A, B, and C and the extended functions D and E are realized as the function level information. . FIG. 2B shows the function level information 8 stored in the host computer 3,
“111111”, that is, all of the basic functions and the extended functions are realized as the function information. FIG. 2C shows the function level information 9 stored in the host computer 5, and "111011", that is, basic functions A, B, and C and extended functions E and F are realized as the function level information. The function level information on the workstation 6 is omitted.

The workstation 4 and the host computer 3 exchange their respective function level information 7 and function level information 8 when the session is established. When the session is established, the host computer 3 and the host computer 5 transmit the function level information 8 and the function level information 9 respectively.
Exchange.

The operation of the above embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 shows a flowchart of the operation of the workstation 4, and FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the operation of the host computer 3, respectively.

First, the operation of the workstation 4 will be described with reference to FIG. When the session between the workstation 4 and the host computer 3 is established, the workstation 4 creates a request protocol for a target process (Step S41). Then, the workstation 4 determines whether or not this request protocol is of a high level corresponding to the extended function by its own function level information 7.
(Step S4)
2). If the created request protocol is of a low level corresponding to the basic function, the process proceeds to processing step S44, and the request protocol is transmitted to the host computer 3 as it is.

On the other hand, if the created request protocol is of a high level corresponding to the extended function, the process proceeds to step S43, and as shown in FIG. By creating the extended function information 11 in which only the bit of “1” is set to “1” and adding it to the request protocol 10, transmission data including the request protocol 10 and the extended function information 11 is created.

In the example of FIG. 3, the bit string of the extended function information 11 is "010", and the second bit is "1". Therefore, it is indicated that the request protocol 10 has a function level corresponding to the extended function E corresponding to the second bit. The transmission data of FIG. 3 thus obtained is transmitted to the host computer 3 (step S4).
4).

Next, the operation of the host computer 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Upon receiving the request protocol from the workstation 4 (step S51), the host computer 3 determines whether or not the corresponding resource exists in its own system (step S52). The process proceeds to step S53,
The normal processing is performed using the resources, and the result is sent back to the workstation 4.

On the other hand, if the corresponding resource does not exist in the own system, the process shifts to step S54 to determine whether or not the requested protocol has a function level that can be processed by another host computer 5 in horizontal cooperation. Is determined. That is, when a session between the host computer 3 and the host computer 5 is established and the function level information 8 and 9 are exchanged with each other, the host computer 3 communicates with the function level information 9 sent from the host computer 5 and the work. Request protocol 10 from station 4
Then, it is determined whether or not the request from the workstation 4 can be processed by another host computer 5 which cooperates horizontally, by comparing the extended function information 11 sent together with the request.

In the case of the example shown in FIG. 1, the extended function information 11 sent from the workstation 4 is "010".
The extended function in the function level information 9 sent from the host computer 5 is “011”. Therefore, the position of "1" in the extended function information 11 of the workstation 4 matches the position of "1" of the extended function of the host computer 5, so that the host computer 5 can process the request of the workstation 4. I understand.

If the function level of the request protocol matches the function level of the host computer 5 in step S54, the process proceeds to step S55, where the host computer 3 transmits the request protocol 10 sent from the workstation 4 to the host computer 5. Transfer to computer 5. The host computer 5 processes the request from the workstation 4 using the corresponding resource, and sends the result back to the workstation 4 via the host computer 3.

On the other hand, if the function level of the request protocol does not match the function level of the host computer 5 in step S54, the process proceeds to step S56, where the host computer 3 receives the request from the workstation 4 by the host computer. Without forwarding to 5,
Sends error information back to workstation 3. Therefore, an unprocessable high-level request is not transferred to the host computer 5.

Although the above embodiment has been described using the function level information illustrated in FIG. 2, as described above, each function is added according to the needs of the user. Therefore,
When a new function is added, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2, a bit corresponding to the added function may be newly added.

[0030]

As is apparent from the above description,
According to the present invention, the workstation can perform processing using the resources of other horizontally linked systems while communicating only with the directly linked host computer. Efficient services according to the function level of each system can be provided without killing existing functions as much as possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a vertical / horizontal cooperative system configured by applying the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of function level information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of extended function information added to a request protocol.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of the workstation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the host computer.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vertical cooperation system.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vertical / horizontal cooperation system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 vertical cooperation system 3, 5 horizontal cooperation host computer 4, 6 workstation (intelligent terminal) 7-9 function level information 10 request protocol 11 extended function information

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 13/00 G06F 15/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A host computer includes a plurality of vertical cooperation systems in which intelligent terminals such as workstations are connected to each other, and the host computers of each vertical cooperation system are connected to each other to perform horizontal cooperation, and a target resource is stored in its own host computer. In a vertical / horizontal cooperation system in which the requested protocol is transferred to another host computer when it does not exist, the function level indicating the function currently implemented for each intelligent terminal and each host computer When the intelligent terminal and the host computer establish a session and the host computer establish a session, they exchange the function level information with their counterparts. If the request protocol to be sent to the host is a protocol of a function level corresponding to the extended function, extended function information indicating the function level of the request protocol is added to the request protocol and transmitted, and the request protocol is transmitted to another host. When transferring to the computer, the function level information of the exchanged destination host computer and the extended function information of the request protocol are compared, and when the function level of the destination host computer matches the function level of the request protocol, A function level check method in a vertical / horizontal cooperative system, wherein only the request protocol is transferred to another host computer.