JPS62284440A - Software resource maintenance system for terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a terminal equipment from the reduction of reliability and to easily and rapidly execute recovery processing by forming maintenance files in an external storage device for the terminal equipment and ding rewriting state indicators to existing files. CONSTITUTION:When a corrected file is sent from a host computer through a line 9, the file is received by a line control part 8 and sent to a central processing unit (CPU) 1. The CPU 1 converts the rewriting state indicators F added to the maintenance files 12 in the external storage device 4 through a read/write control part 3 during rewriting and transfers the received corrected file to the files 12. At the time of normal completion of transfer of the corrected file to the files 12, the CPU 1 changes the indicators F of the files 12 to the rewriting end state. When a rerise command is inputted from a keyboard 7 or the like, the CPU 1 inputs a necessary program file from the device 4 through the control part 3 and develops the contents in a main starage device 2 to start terminal control operation.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a software resource maintenance method for a terminal device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a method for online maintenance of software resources by rewriting existing files such as program files and data files stored in an external storage device of a terminal device with modified files sent from a host computer.

[Conventional technology]

In a large-scale online system consisting of many terminal devices connected to a host computer, this service is used to facilitate the maintenance of multiple program files and data files stored in external storage devices that define the operation of the terminal devices. Instead of having maintenance personnel go to the terminal equipment and perform maintenance work on each terminal, when maintenance is required, the host computer uses a line to send modified program files and program data to all terminals and receive them. A method (hereinafter referred to as an online maintenance method) is adopted in which the terminal itself rewrites the contents of the corresponding existing file with the contents of the corrected file it received.

In such cases, conventionally, when a modified file was sent from the host company, each terminal would directly rewrite the contents of the existing file with the contents of the received modified file. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional method described above, since the existing file stored in the external storage device of the terminal device is directly rewritten with the modified file, there is a problem such as a power failure during the rewriting. When an accident occurs, the existing file is destroyed and becomes a file with abnormal contents, and neither the contents of the existing file nor the contents of the modified file remain in the terminal device as normal contents. In addition, 'conventional methods do not have a mechanism to detect whether maintenance has been performed normally or not, that is, whether or not the contents of an existing file have been successfully replaced with a modified file. When the terminal device is started up, the above-mentioned abnormal file is expanded to the main storage device and executed, causing the program to run out of control, abnormal operation, etc., and the reliability of the terminal device is significantly impaired. As mentioned above, since neither the existing file nor the corresponding modified file remains with normal contents, maintenance personnel can perform the recovery process using only the contents of the terminal's own external storage device. There was also the problem that it took a long time to recover.

Note that one way to solve the above problem is to store two identical files for all files in an external storage device.
It is conceivable to rewrite one of the files by storing it in a central storage format, but normally, the external storage device of the terminal device has a capacity that is only about the same as the main storage device, and the external storage device It is economically disadvantageous to double the capacity of .

The present invention has solved these conventional problems, and its purpose is to prevent the reliability of the terminal device from decreasing due to a terminal accident during online maintenance, and to prevent the reliability of the terminal device from decreasing due to a terminal accident during online maintenance. The purpose is to enable recovery processing to be performed easily and quickly.

Means for Solving Problem C] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention replaces an existing file stored in an external storage device of a terminal device with a modified file sent from a host computer via a line. In a method of online maintenance of software resources by rewriting, a maintenance file is provided in the external storage device, a rewrite status indicator is added to the existing file, and the modified file is sent to the host computer. When a file is sent, the modified file is temporarily written to the maintenance file, and after the writing is completed normally, the rewriting status indicator of the existing file to be rewritten with the modified file is set to "Rewriting". and rewrites the existing file with the contents of the modified file, and when the rewriting is completed normally,
The rewriting indicator that has been changed to "rewriting in progress" is changed to "rewriting completed," and when reading the contents of the file from the external storage device, the content of the rewriting indicator is determined and the rewriting indicator is changed to "rewriting completed." If the file is "medium", the file is configured to be detected as abnormal.

[Operation] The modified file sent from the host computer is temporarily stored in a maintenance file, and when the corresponding existing file is rewritten with this modified file, the rewrite status instruction added to the existing file is used in advance. When the child is changed to "rewriting in progress" and the rewriting is completed normally, the rewriting status indicator is changed to "rewriting completed". Therefore, even if the power of the terminal device is cut off while the modified file is being transferred to the maintenance file, the contents of the existing file before maintenance will not be destroyed, and the contents will be used to restore the terminal device. The operation can be continued for a while, and even if the power is cut off while the existing file is being rewritten with the corrected file, the rewriting status indicator of the existing file will be "Rewriting in progress".
Since the file remains retained in the maintenance file, it will be detected as an abnormal file upon subsequent restart, preventing programs from running out of control on the terminal device, and furthermore, the contents of the modified file will remain in the maintenance file. Therefore, maintenance personnel can perform recovery processing using only the contents of the external storage device of the terminal device.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Program file group 10 to which status indicator F has been added.
Data file group 11 and program file group 10
and an external storage device 4 containing one maintenance file 12 having a capacity equal to or larger than the largest capacity file in the data file group 11, a keyboard/display control unit 5, a display 6, and a keyboard. 7, and a line control section 8 connected to a host computer (not shown) via a line 9.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the maintenance processing performed by the central processing unit 1 when a modified file is sent from a host computer (not shown) via the line 9, and FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the write control unit 3, and the operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to each figure.

Before maintenance, the rewriting status indicator F added to each file of the program file group 10 and data file group 11 stored in the external storage device 4 and the maintenance file 12 is "rewriting completed."

When a modified file is sent from a host computer (not shown) via the line 9, it is received by the line control unit 8 and sent to the central computer Wl. When the central processing unit 1 receives the modified file, it starts maintenance processing.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the central processing unit 1 performs reading/
The rewrite status indicator F added to the maintenance file 12 in the external storage bag W4 is changed to "rewriting in progress" via the write control unit 3 (Sl), and then the received modified data is added to the maintenance file 12 in the external storage bag W4. Transfer the file (S2).

When the transfer of the modified file to the maintenance file 12 is successfully completed, the central processing unit 1 transfers the modified file to the maintenance file 12.
Change the rewriting status indicator F in 2 to "Rewriting completed" in 3.
3) Next, set the rewriting status indicator F of the existing file (one file in program file group 10. data file group ll) that is to be rewritten with this modified file as "
"Rewriting in progress" (S4), and transfers the contents of the maintenance file 12 to the existing file to be rewritten (S4).
5).

Then, when the rewriting of the existing file by the maintenance file 12 is successfully completed, the rewriting status indicator F of the existing file is changed to "rewriting completed" (S6).

Thereafter, when the terminal operator inputs a restart command from the keyboard 7 or the like, the central processing unit 1 reads the necessary program file or data file from the external storage device 4 via the read/write control section 3, and stores it. The contents are expanded onto the main storage device 2 and terminal control operations are started. At this time, the read/write control unit 3
As shown in the figure, when reading is instructed from the central processing unit l, the abnormality detection unit 13 reads the rewrite state indicator F added to the instructed file (S10),
It is determined whether this rewriting status indicator F indicates "Rewriting completed" (Sll), and if it indicates "Rewriting completed", the contents of the specified file are read and transferred to the central processing unit 1. However, if it is not "rewriting completed" but "rewriting in progress" (312), a rewriting error is reported to the central processing unit l (S13). In response, the central processing unit l: The expansion process is stopped, and a message indicating that an abnormality has occurred is displayed on the display 6, for example.

In the process described above, if a failure such as a power outage occurs while the modified file is being transferred to the maintenance file 12, the entire contents of the modified file will be transferred to the maintenance file 12.
will not be written to. However, in this case, the existing file targeted for maintenance by the modified file is not destroyed, and its rewrite status indicator F is set to "Rewrite completed," so when restarting, It is possible to continue operation using the existing file.

Further, although the transfer of the modified file to the maintenance file 12 has been completed, if a power outage or the like occurs while the existing file is being rewritten, the contents of the existing file will remain destroyed.

However, in this case, since the rewrite status indicator F of the existing file is "rewriting in progress," the read/1 read control unit 3 performs steps 511 and 313 when restarting.
As a result of this process, the existing file is detected as an abnormal file and the expansion process is stopped, thereby preventing the terminal device from behaving abnormally. Since the contents of the modified file remain in the maintenance file 12, for example, when a maintenance person rushes to the faulty terminal, he or she can copy the contents of the maintenance file 12 to the accident file, and Accident file rewriting status indicator F
By changing "Rewriting completed" to "Complete rewriting", recovery and maintenance can be performed using only the file contents held in the external storage device of the terminal device. If the terminal device is then restarted, the program and data will be loaded onto the main storage device 2 as described above, and the terminal device will operate normally in the post-maintenance state.

FIG. 4 shows a computer that is rewriting the program file 10a stored in the external storage device 4 with the corrected file written to the maintenance file 12, when the online maintenance process is abnormally terminated due to a power cut, etc. , is a diagram showing a state when restarting is performed.

In this case, since the rewrite status indicator F of the program file 10a is held as "rewriting", this is detected by the read/It read control unit 3 in the process of being expanded to the main storage device 2. Program file 10
The expansion of the program 10a° of a is stopped.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when a situation similar to that in FIG. 4 occurs in the conventional system, where 14 is an external storage device having a program file group 16 and a data file group 17, and 15 is a main storage device. In the conventional method, the program file group 16 and the data file group 17 are appended with the rewrite status indicator F as in the present invention, the maintenance file 12 does not exist, and the read/write control unit 3 has an abnormality. A mechanism such as the detection unit 13 is not provided. Therefore, for example, if a failure occurs while writing a program file 16a, a message to that effect will not be sent even though the program file 16a has been destroyed. When restarting, this destroyed program file 16
The program 16a° of a is expanded to the main storage device 2. Therefore, as mentioned above, the normal operation of the terminal device cannot be guaranteed, and only the contents of the own external storage device 14 are used. Restoration through maintenance work will be impossible.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited only to the above embodiments, and various other additions and changes are possible. In addition, although the configuration is such that the rewriting status indicator F is also added to the maintenance file 12, this may be omitted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has a configuration in which a maintenance file is provided in the external storage device of a terminal device, a rewrite status indicator is added to the existing file, and when reading the contents of the file from the external storage device, The contents of the rewriting directive are determined, and if the file is "being rewritten", the file is detected as abnormal, and the modified file sent from the host computer is temporarily saved as a maintenance file. This modified file is then used to rewrite the corresponding existing file, and at that time, the rewrite status indicator of the corresponding existing file is changed to "Rewriting in progress J", and when the rewriting is completed normally, This is changed to "end of rewriting", and the following effects can be obtained.

[11 If the terminal device is disconnected while a modified file is being rewritten to a maintenance file, the contents of the existing file before maintenance will not be destroyed, and the rewriting status indicator will be set to "Rewriting completed." Therefore, the terminal device can temporarily continue operating using the contents.

(2) If a power outage occurs while an existing file is being rewritten with a corrected file, the rewriting status indicator of the existing file will remain "rewriting", so subsequent restarts will be required. Sometimes it is detected as an abnormal file, and it is possible to prevent programs from running out of control on the terminal device.

(3) In the case of (2) above, since the contents of the modified file remain in the maintenance file, maintenance personnel can perform re-maintenance using only the contents of the external storage device of the terminal device.

(4) Since the capacity of the maintenance file is sufficient to be at least as large as the maximum capacity of the existing files, this method is more economical than the method of preparing two sets of all files.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a terminal device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a maintenance process performed by the central processing unit 1 when a modified file is sent from a host computer (not shown) via a line 9. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the read/write control unit 3 when restarting the terminal device, and FIG. 4 shows how the program file 10a stored in the external storage device 4 is used for maintenance. While rewriting with the corrected file written to file 12, [maintenance processing terminated abnormally due to power cut, etc.]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state when restarting is performed, and an explanatory diagram of the operation when a situation similar to that in FIG. 4 occurs in the conventional system. In the figure, 1... central processing unit, 2... main memory, 3... read/write control section, 4... external storage device, 5... keyboard/display control section, 6
...Display, 7.Keyboard, 8.Line control unit, 9.Line connected to a host computer (not shown), IO.Program file group, 10a.
. . . Program file, 10a° . . . Program of the program file 10a that was about to be expanded to the main storage device 2, 11 . . . Data file group, 12 . . .
Maintenance file, 13... Abnormality detection section, 14... External storage device, 15... Main storage device, 1G... Program file group, 16a... Program file, 1
6a''...Program of the program file 16a developed in the main storage device 15, 17...Data file group. Flowchart of an example of file paraphrase processing of Nakao Endensuke! Fig. 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] Existing files stored in the external storage device of the terminal device,
In a method of maintaining software resources online by rewriting with a modified file sent from a host computer via a line, a maintenance file is provided in the external storage device and a rewriting status instruction is sent to the existing file. When a child is added and a modified file is sent from the host computer, the modified file is temporarily written to the maintenance file, and after the writing is completed normally, the modified file is When the rewriting status indicator of the existing file to be rewritten is changed to "rewriting" and the existing file is rewritten with the contents of the modified file, and the rewriting is completed normally,
The rewriting indicator that has been changed to "rewriting in progress" is changed to "rewriting completed," and when reading the contents of the file from the external storage device, the content of the rewriting indicator is determined and the rewriting indicator is changed to "rewriting completed." 1. A software resource maintenance method for a terminal device, characterized in that if the file is "medium", the file is detected as abnormal.