JPH02153654A - Program control processing method for adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the management of a program by preparing a program for adapter by means of dividing it into a common module and plural load modules for respective components, setting the addresses of tables which respective load modules have and accessing the tables of respective components. CONSTITUTION:The program for the adapter 14 is prepared in an external storage device 11 by dividing it into the common module 12 and plural load modules 13a, 13b,... installed for respective components of respective processing function units. A computer mainbody device 10 read the common module 12 at the time of initializing the adapter 14, and loads it on the fixed area of an adapter memory 16. One load module corresponding to the designated component is selected from plural load modules 13a, 13b,... and it is loaded on the adapter memory 16. Thus, the tables belonging to respective components which are to be loaded can mutually referred, and the management of the program is facilitated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Summary) In a system in which multiple adapter programs are loaded onto an adapter having a microprocessor and memory, in order to manage the resources held by the programs,
Regarding the program management processing method for the adapter, which manages component tables using a chain from a fixed area.

The purpose is to provide a means to streamline the management of adapter programs and to flexibly deal with changes in the number and types of their components.

The adapter program is divided into a common module and multiple load modules for each component, and when the adapter is initialized, the process of loading the common module and the load module of the specified component, and the process of loading the common module and the load module of the specified component, and and a processing step for setting the address of the table held by each load module in the storage area of , and the table of each component is accessed by the address set in the fixed area.

(Industrial Application Field) In a system that loads a plurality of adapter programs onto an adapter having a microprocessor and memory, the present invention stores component tables from a fixed area in order to manage the resources of the programs. This invention relates to a program management method for an adapter, which is managed in a chain.

For example, in a computer system that performs data communication, communication is controlled by a predetermined transmission control procedure using a communication adapter or the like built into the system. Such adapters are equipped with a microprocessor and memory to reduce the processing load on the main unit regarding data input/output, and the microprocessor executes a program dedicated to the adapter.

Since it is desired that adapters have higher functionality, it is necessary to be able to execute not only a single adapter program but also a plurality of adapter programs depending on processing functions.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 shows an example of the prior art.

The program for the adapter is equipped with a microprocessor that performs line control, network control, etc.

Conventionally, it was stored in a ROM or the like and fixed, but in order to give it flexibility and make it easier to change, it is transferred from the computer main unit to which the adapter is connected at the time of initialization.
A method of loading a program into adapter memory is also used.

However, with conventional adapters, a single load module is loaded into the adapter memory, and the necessary functions are divided into multiple load module files, from which an appropriate one is dynamically selected. It was not possible to load it.

For example, in a communication adapter that performs transmission control.

Various processing functions are required depending on the predetermined protocols such as HDLC, packet switching, and BCIIJ control procedures, but according to conventional technology, it is not possible to create a single load module that has all these functions. Otherwise, it was necessary to create a load module for each computer system that combines these items in advance.

Figure 5 shows an example. In the case of Figure 5 (a), component A 51a and component B 51b
In order to create a program for a computer system river adapter that requires processing functions, the common section 50 and these components are combined/edited (linked) to create a single load module 52-1. There is. Then, when initializing the adapter, this load module 52-
1 into the adapter memory 16.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(b), if the processing functions of components B, 51b and C, 51C are required, these are combined/edited with the common part 50, and another load is performed. A module 52-2 will be created.

In this way, when a plurality of functions are combined into a single load module, the labels L1-L6 in the program are used to make it possible to refer to tables T1 to T6, etc., using absolute addresses. Therefore, when using a program (component) with other functions, it was necessary to recreate the load module by combining/&I collection processing.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

As described above, according to the conventional technology, it is not possible to load multiple load modules into the adapter memory.
If an attempt was made to load a load module with m losses, it would be necessary to change resource management such as tables held by each load module. As a result, management of adapter programs has become complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a means to solve the above-mentioned problems, to facilitate the management of adapter programs, and to flexibly deal with changes in the number and types of components.

(Means for solving problems) FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a computer main unit that performs data processing and includes a CPU and a memory, 11 is an external storage device such as a magnetic disk device, 12 is a common module, 13a, 1
3b, ... are load modules prepared for each component, 14 is an adapter for data input/output to the computer main unit W1tO, and 15 is a microprocessor (MP
U), 16 is an adapter memory composed of random access memory (RAM), etc., and 17 is a table address storage area 1 provided in a fixed area of the adapter memory 16.
18M, 18b, . . . represent main tables containing management information held by each component.

The adapter 14 controls data input/output to the computer main unit 1G by having the microprocessor 15 execute a program stored in the adapter memory 16.

In the present invention, the programs of these 14 adapters are stored in a common module 12 commonly set in a fixed area in the adapter memory 16, and a plurality of load modules 13a and 13b provided for each component of each processing function unit.
1... are created in advance in the external storage device 11.

When the computer main unit fIO initializes the adapter 14,
Due to processing overload fIP1, external storage device 1! The common module 12 is read from the adapter memory 16 and loaded into a fixed area of the adapter memory 16, that is, an area whose address is fixed as an absolute address.

Also, in the process P2, a plurality of load modules 1
3a, 13b, . . . , which correspond to the designated component 6, are sequentially loaded into the adapter memory 16. After loading is finished,
The operation of the microprocessor 15 is started.

In the adapter 14, in the process P3 executed by the microprocessor 15, the head of the main table 18a, 18b, . Set each address.

Since the table address storage area 17 is provided in a fixed area, it can be accessed using an absolute address. Therefore, by referring to this, even if the position of each component is variable from system to system, the main table 18a of each component.

18b,... can be accessed. By storing pointers to various internal tables possessed by each component in the main tables 18a, 18b, . . . , it becomes possible to access all necessary tables.

[Effect]

In the present invention, the main table 1 of each component is stored in a fixed area that can be accessed using an absolute address in the adapter memory 16.
Since the start addresses of 8a, 18b, ... will be stored, there is no need to link multiple components in advance.

You will be able to know which tables belong to each component. Therefore, these components are created as address-independent load modules, and combined as necessary to load the computer main unit fIO.
The processing function of the adapter 14 suitable for the user can be easily set.

【Example〕

FIG. 2 shows an example of a system to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 3 is a processing block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows an example of loading processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a communication adapter built into a relatively small computer as a board. In Figure 2, 20
is the display, and 21 is the CPU.

22 represents a memory, and 23 represents a modem.

The computer main unit 10 has a CPυ 21 and a memory 22 inside.
and through the adapter 14 for 9 communication 1lIrn,
The adapter 14, which performs data communication with other computers, has a microprocessor 15 and an adapter memory 16 on the board.
It is equipped with other LSIs and is connected to the modem 23 via a connector.

Adapter 14 is based on the protocol with the communication partner.

Processing functions corresponding to various transmission control procedures are required, but in the present invention, these can be flexibly combined.

3 shows the processing configuration executed by the computer main unit 10 and the adapter 14 shown in FIG.
is the source program of the adapter program, 31 is the translation/editing processing section, 33 is the keyboard, 34 is the environment setting processing section, 35 is the environment setting file, 36 is the activation processing section,
37 is a component activation processing unit, 38a, 38b, . . .
represents a component initialization unit that initializes each component.

The source programs 30 of the common module and the components for each processing function unit are individually translated.
They are compiled and linked by the collection processing unit 31 and created as a plurality of load modules 13.

On the other hand, the environment setting processing unit 34 inputs the designation of the processing function that the adapter program must have from the keyboard 33 or the like, and stores the information in the environment setting file 35.

The activation processing unit 36 includes a computer main body bag m10 shown in FIG.
, the loading process of the adapter program is performed, and by referring to the environment setting file 35, the common module and the necessary load module 13 are selected and transferred to the adapter memory 16.

The component activation processing unit 37 in the adapter is a program provided inside a common module, and includes component initialization units 38a and 38b prepared for each selected component.

Each component initialization unit 38a, 38b, . . . performs a process of sequentially activating .

FIG. 4 shows a specific example of the loading process. In this example, the adapter program includes the common module 12 and the load module 1 of component A.
3a and a component C load module 13c. The internal table 41 that each component has is pointed to from the main table 18a, 18c for each component.

The activation processing section 36 shown in FIG.
When loading into the fixed area of the adapter memory 16, the component start address table 4 shown in FIG.
The start address of each load module 13a, 13C is set to 0. The table address storage area 17 is kept cleared, and the common module 12. The load module 13a and the load module 13C are sequentially loaded into the adapter memory 16.

Immediately after loading, each component initialization unit 38a, 3
8C is now pointed.

Component startup processing unit 37 (fourth
(omitted in the figure) from this component start address table 40, each component initialization unit 313
Know the start addresses of a and 38C and start them sequentially.

Each component initialization section 38a, 38c.

Main table 18a that each component has
, 18c to table address storage area 1.
Set to 7.

When this initialization is completed, 5 For example, component A becomes
When it is necessary to refer to the internal table 41 of component C, the address of the main table 18C is obtained from the fixed table address storage area 17, and then the necessary internal table 41 can be accessed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the tables belonging to each component to be loaded can be mutually referenced even if the tables are composed of a plurality of load modules.

Program management becomes easier. In particular, in a system where the number of components or the size of the components changes, it is possible to modify nine individual load modules, so it is possible to easily handle the problem without relinking all components.

It is valid.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a processing configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an example of loading processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the prior art.

In the figure, 10 is the computer main unit, 11 is external storage 'jt7
1. 12 is a common module, 13a and 13b are load modules, 14 is an adapter, 15 is a microprocessor, 16 is an adapter memory, 17 is a table address storage area, tea and tab are main tables, and PI-P3 is a processing process.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A data input/output adapter (14) comprising a control microprocessor (15) and an adapter memory (16).
In a program management processing method for an adapter in a computer system that manages programs used by the adapter, the programs used by the adapter are divided into a common module (12) set in a fixed area in the adapter memory and each component of the processing function unit. When the adapter is initialized, the common module is loaded into a fixed area of the adapter memory, and the load modules of the specified components are sequentially created. Processing process of loading into adapter memory (P1, P2
), and after loading, a processing step (P
3) A program management processing method for an adapter, characterized in that the table of each component is accessed by an address set in a fixed area.