JPH0588903A - Control program load system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To variously use a terminal equipment by providing a means which changes the control program loaded to the terminal equipment. CONSTITUTION:While the terminal equipment executes the normal input/output processing, an operator starts a set program 3 to report the control program 10 of a required control program to a host system through a communication means 4. After this report, a boot program 6 stores the designated control program in a storage area 7 on the terminal system side from the host system, and an input/output control program 1 is started. Consequently, the function of the terminal equipment is changed in accordance with operator's need.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for loading a control program for a terminal device, and more particularly to a method for loading a plurality of control programs for a terminal device having no auxiliary storage device such as a magnetic disk device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a terminal device in a computer system requires a boot program and a control program loaded by the boot program.

The boot program is a program which is stored in a non-volatile memory (ROM) for loading another control program and is incorporated in the terminal device by hardware.

The other control program is a program for controlling the input / output processing of the terminal device and a control device additionally connected to the terminal device (for example, I for communication) in order to make the terminal device available. / O board). Since these control programs are described according to the hardware specifications of the device to be controlled, they are required for each control device, and either on an auxiliary storage device such as a magnetic disk device connected to the terminal device or a host system to which the terminal device belongs. Stored on the auxiliary storage device of the.

Normally, when the power of the terminal device is turned on, the boot program is started, the control program is loaded according to the connection information of the hardware, and the control program for input / output processing is started after the loading is completed. This brings the terminal device into a usable state.

[0006]

In recent years, one terminal device has been used for a plurality of purposes due to the progress of the hardware technology of the terminal device, the sophistication of the mounting technology of the control device, and the complexity of the host system to which the terminal device belongs. The need for wants to grow.

[0007] Further, in order to reduce the price in accordance with the user's need to increase the number of terminal devices, it has become an essential condition that the terminal does not require an auxiliary storage device such as a magnetic disk device.

From these needs, for one terminal device,
It was necessary to establish the technology to change the functional range of the terminal device by switching the control program loaded from the host system. However, the above-mentioned conventional method of loading the control program for the terminal device only loads the control program for controlling the terminal device and the additionally connected control device when the power is turned on. was there.

[0009]

According to the control program loading method of the present invention, a control program ID table for registering a control program ID to be loaded into a terminal device, which is created on a memory in a host system, and loaded by an operator. The setting program that receives the control program ID of the control program to be notified and notifies the communication means between the terminal device and the host system, and the control program registered in the control program ID table from the host system via the communication means. A boot program to be loaded into the control program storage area, and an input / output control program for controlling the data input / output processing for the terminal device and activating the setting program when a specific key is pressed by the key input device. , Notify the host system of the control program ID before To register the control program ID table also includes a communication means for loading from the host system side to the terminal device by the program for boot,
The setting program allows an operator to change the control program loaded in the terminal device.

[0010]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

When the terminal device operates as a terminal of the host system, the data input / output processing by the operator is processed by the input / output control program 1 and the communication means 4 is used.
-1 is sent to the upper system.

The input / output control program 1 activates the setting program 3 when a certain specified key is arbitrarily pressed. The setting program 3 requests the operator to input the control program ID of the control program to be loaded into this terminal device, and the input control program ID
To the communication means 4-1.

The communication means 4-1 for communicating between the terminal device and the host system notifies the host system of the control program ID, and the communication means 4-2 on the host system side is created in the memory of the host system. Control program ID
Register in Table 5. After the registration is completed, the communication means 4-1 on the side of the terminal system receives the registration completion notification from the communication means 4-2 and activates the boot program 6.

The boot program 6 requests the host system to load the control program via the communication means 4-1. When the communication means 4-2 receives this load request, it refers to the control program ID table 5 and controls the control program of the registered control program ID in the auxiliary storage device such as the magnetic disk device of the host system. It is acquired from the program group 8 and transmitted to the terminal device side.

The communication means 4-1 which has received the control program on the side of the terminal device stores the received control program in the storage area 7 on the memory in the terminal device and notifies the boot program 6 thereof. Boot program 6 that received the notification
Starts the input / output control program 1.

As a result, the terminal device becomes ready for use again, but since the control program loaded in the terminal device has been changed, the operator is required to operate the terminal within the functional range of the newly loaded control program. It is possible to use the device.

Therefore, if the operator previously mounts an additional control mechanism he or she needs in the terminal device,
When a need arises, a control program for controlling the control mechanism is loaded from the host system so that processing using the control mechanism can be performed.

Further, by changing many control programs, the terminal device can be used as a terminal device having a function different from before.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to load a necessary control program from the terminal device to the host system. Therefore, even a terminal device having no auxiliary storage device can be used as a data input / output device having different functions by converting the control program according to the operator's need.

In particular, in a large-scale computer system, when many terminal devices need to be connected or terminal devices having different functions are required, the control program loading method according to the present invention is effective.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input / output control program 2 Key input device 3 Setting program 4-1, 4-2 Communication means 5 Control program ID table 6 Boot program 7 Storage area 8 Control program group 9 Data input / output device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A terminal device, which is created on a memory in a host system, for registering a control program ID to be loaded into a terminal device, and a control program ID of a control program to be loaded from an operator, And a boot program that loads the control program registered in the control program ID table from the host system to the storage area of the control program of the terminal device via the communication means. Controlling the data input / output process for the terminal device and the input / output control program for activating the setting program when a specific key is pressed by the key input device, and the control program ID is sent to the upper system to notify the control program ID. Registered in the control program ID table and again And a communication means for loading from the host system side to the terminal device by a boot program, a control program load method which enables to change the control program the operator is loaded into the terminal device by the setting program.