JP2002236588A - Data updating device and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to download data, etc., from another computer which is connected to a network even when data, etc., are deleted owing to some trouble. SOLUTION: A program performance part 202 performs an application program read in by a data read-in part 201 and a process monitor part 203 monitors the process of the performed program and decides whether the program ends normally or abnormally. If the program ends abnormally, the application program is downloaded from another server machine on a network according to application information found by a data storage control part 206 by using a data download part 205 and performed and a data update part 204 stores the downloaded application program to an external storage device to evade the problem that the application program can not be performed owing to some trouble.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data updating apparatus and a control method therefor, and more particularly to a data updating apparatus and a control method when an application program or data stored in a personal computer (PC) or embedded device has a fault. The present invention relates to a data updating device that can be automatically reinstalled, a control method thereof, and a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an application program or data stored in a PC or an embedded device cannot be started normally due to being deleted or partially damaged due to some failure, re-installation is required. Each individual or manager who owns these devices had to do it manually.

[0003]

However, in the conventional example described above, it is necessary for each individual or administrator to reinstall application programs and data.
When a failure occurs, it is necessary to analyze which data has the failure, and therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to repair the data.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to enable normal startup due to deletion or partial corruption of an application program or data due to some failure. An object of the present invention is to provide a data updating apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium that can download and start an application program and data that normally operate from another computer connected to a network even if the computer does not have the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a data updating apparatus for automatically re-installing an application program or data downloaded from another computer connected to a network to an external storage device, a control method thereof, and a storage medium.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 reads an application program stored in a storage device into a main storage device and executes the application program. In the data updating device,
Data reading means for reading an application program from the storage device, program execution means for executing the application program read from the data reading means, process monitoring means for monitoring a process of the program executed by the program execution means,
Data storage control means for reading and writing application information stored in the storage device, data download means for downloading an application program via a network, and storing the application program downloaded by the data download means in the storage device And a data updating means for the purpose.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is the first invention.
Wherein the process monitoring means checks whether the program executed by the program execution means has started normally or abnormally, and records or reads the information using the data storage control means. It is characterized by doing.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is the first invention.
In the invention described in (1), when the program executed by the program execution unit ends abnormally, the data download unit stores an application program that normally operates from the application information extracted by the data storage control unit. It is characterized in that an upper server machine is obtained, an application program is downloaded from the server machine, and the application program is passed to the program executing means and executed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a data updating device for reading an application program stored in a storage device into a main storage device and executing the read application program. Step, a program execution step of executing the application program read from the data reading step, a process monitoring step of monitoring a process of the program executed by the program execution step, and an application information stored in the storage device. A data storage control step for reading and writing, a data download step for downloading an application program via a network, and an application downloaded by the data download step. It is characterized in that a data updating step for storing a publication program in the storage device.

The invention described in claim 5 is the same as the invention in claim 4.
In the invention described in the above, the process monitoring step comprises:
It is characterized in that it checks whether the program executed by the program execution step has started normally or abnormally ended, and records or reads the information using the data storage control step.

[0011] The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 4.
In the invention described in the item (1), the data download step is a network in which, when the program executed in the program execution step ends abnormally, an application program that operates normally from the application information extracted in the data storage control step is stored. The above server machine is obtained, an application program is downloaded from the server machine, and the application program is passed to the program execution step and executed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the storage medium storing a program code to be executed by a data updating device that reads an application program stored in a storage device into a main storage device and executes the program. The program code is a data reading procedure for reading an application program from the storage device,
A program execution procedure for executing the application program read from the data reading procedure, a process monitoring procedure for monitoring a process of the program executed by the program execution procedure, and data for reading and writing application information stored in the storage device A storage control procedure, a data download procedure for downloading an application program via a network, and a data update procedure for storing the application program downloaded by the data download procedure in the storage device, and each procedure is made to function. It is characterized by the following.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Figure 1
Is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a data updating device according to the first embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a personal computer (PC), a workstation (WS), an embedded device, or the like. Reference numeral 102 denotes a central processing unit (CPU) configured by a microprocessor or the like that executes various processes described below.

Reference numeral 103 denotes a memory constituted by a RAM or the like. The memory 103 is used for storing and executing an operating system (OS) and application programs read from an external storage device 106. Reference numeral 104 denotes a display device such as a CRT display or a liquid crystal display, which is used to display the status of the program being executed.

Reference numeral 105 denotes an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device. Reference numeral 106 denotes an external storage device in the device 101, which includes a storage medium such as a hard disk and a magneto-optical disk, and is used to store an operating system (OS) and various application programs.

Reference numeral 107 denotes a bus, which is used for exchanging data and signals between the above components in the device 101. A network 108 is used to input and output data between the device 101 and the server machine 109 on the network. 109, a server machine;
And are connected by a network.

Reference numeral 110 denotes an external storage device in the server machine 109, which includes a storage medium such as a hard disk and a magneto-optical disk, and is used to store an operating system (OS) and various application programs.

In the data updating device having such a configuration, the application program stored in the external storage device 106 in the device 101 is read into the memory 103, and is executed by the central processing unit 102. The central processing unit 102 downloads an application program from another server machine on the network, and the central processing unit 102 executes the application program. Since the state of the application program being executed is displayed on the display device 104, data necessary for executing the application program is input through the input device 105.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the data processing function. In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes a data reading unit which reads an application program stored in the external storage device 106 and stores it in the memory 103. A program execution unit 202 executes an application program stored in the memory 103.

Reference numeral 203 denotes a process monitoring unit that checks whether the application program executed by the program execution unit 202 has started normally or abnormally. If the application program ends abnormally, the same application is sent from the server machine 109 on the network. It instructs a data download unit 205 described below to download the program.

Reference numeral 204 denotes a data update unit which stores an application program downloaded by a data download unit 205 described later in the external storage device 106. A data download unit 205 downloads the same application program from the server machine 109 on the network when the process monitoring unit 203 determines that the application program executed by the program execution unit 202 did not start normally, Hand over to 201.

Reference numeral 206 denotes a data storage control unit which reads and writes application information describing a start state of an application program and a storage location of a server machine on a network where a normally operating application program is stored.

With such a configuration, the external storage device 10
6, the data reading unit 201 reads the application program stored in the memory 103 and stores the application program in the memory 103.
The program execution unit 202 executes. Process monitoring unit 2
03 checks whether the application program started by the program execution unit 202 has started normally or abnormally, and stores the result in the external storage device 106 using the data storage control unit 206. When the process monitoring unit 203 determines that the application program has terminated abnormally, the same application program is downloaded from the server machine 109 in the application information read by the data storage control unit 206, and the application is stored in the memory 103 using the data reading unit 201. Store the program. The program execution unit 202 executes the stored application program.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the application information when the application information has not been normally started.
Reference numeral 1 denotes the storage location of the application 1 in the device, the start result flag, and the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network. In this case, since the start result flag is OK, it has been started normally. Is shown.

Reference numeral 302 denotes the storage location of the application 2 in the device, the start result flag, and the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network. Has started.

Reference numeral 303 denotes the storage location of the application 3 in the device, the start result flag, and the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network. Indicates that the process has been completed.

FIG. 4 shows that the application 3 stored in the server machine on the network has failed because the application 3 indicated by 303 in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of application information after an application program has been downloaded from the RL and reinstalled. Reference numeral 401 in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the URL of the application program being executed.
301.

Reference numeral 402 denotes the storage location of the application 2 in the device, the start result flag, and the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network. In this case, 302 in FIG.
Is the same as

Reference numeral 403 denotes the storage location of the application 3 in the device, the start result flag, and the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network. In this case, the start result 303 shown in FIG. Although the flag was NG, it was OK after the reinstallation, indicating that the reinstalled application program was started normally.

As described above, in the data updating device of the present embodiment, the data reading unit 201 for reading the application program from the external storage device 106, the program execution unit 202 for executing the application program read from the data reading unit 201, A process monitoring unit 203 for monitoring a process of a program executed by the program execution unit 202;
06, a data storage control unit 206 for reading and writing application information stored in the network, a data download unit 205 for downloading an application program from another server machine 109 on the network, and storing the downloaded application program in the external storage device 106. A data updating unit 204 for the external storage device 1
06, the application program is read and executed by the program execution unit 202. Process monitoring unit 203
Checks whether the program executed by the program execution unit 202 has started normally or terminated abnormally, and records or reads the information using the data storage control unit 206.

When the application program executed by the program execution unit 202 does not start normally, the data download unit 205 stores an application program that operates normally from the application information extracted by the data storage control unit 206. Ask for the server machine 109 on the network, download the application program from there,
The application program is executed by the program execution unit 2
02 to execute. Further, the downloaded application program is reinstalled in the external storage device 106 using the data updating unit 204.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control processing procedure of the data updating device. The program code of the processing program is stored in the memory 103, and the data reading unit 201, the program executing unit 202, the process monitoring unit 203, and the data updating unit 20 realized by executing the program code by the central processing unit 102
4. Data download unit 205, data storage control unit 2
The process is performed by 06.

This program code is stored in the external storage device 1
06 is read and executed, and if the application program cannot be started normally, the application program that operates normally is downloaded and executed from the server machine 109 on the network, and the downloaded application program is stored in the external storage. It corresponds to the control procedure until it is reinstalled on the device.

In this embodiment, the application program stored in the external storage device 106 is read and stored in the memory 103 (step 1), and the program execution unit 202 executes the read application program (step 2). The process monitoring unit 203 checks whether the executed application program has started normally or abnormally (Step 3). If it is determined that the application program has started normally (Step 4), the series of control procedures ends. I do.

If the application program does not start normally in step 4, the start result flag stored in the application information is set to NG using the data storage control unit 206 (step 5). At the same time, the information of the URL of the server machine 109 on the network where the normally operating application program is stored is extracted from the application information (step 6). Data download unit 205
Downloads the application program from the extracted URL (step 7) and executes the downloaded application program (step 8).
The process monitoring unit 203 checks whether the executed application program has started normally or abnormally (Step 9).

If it is determined in step 9 that the application program has started normally (step 1)
0), the data updating unit 204 reinstalls the downloaded application program in the external storage device 106 (Step 11). At the same time, the activation result flag stored in the application information is set to OK using the data storage control unit 206 (step 1).
2).

In step 10, if the application program does not start normally again, the user is notified by means such as mail or a warning sound (step 13).

As described above, according to the data updating apparatus of the present embodiment, even if the application program or data cannot be started normally due to the deletion or partial breakage of the application program or data due to some failure, By placing application programs and data that operate normally on the computer connected to the server, the application programs and data can be downloaded and started from there, which has the effect of eliminating the problem that the application programs cannot be executed. .

In addition, since the downloaded application program and data are automatically reinstalled in the external storage device, the owner or administrator of the device analyzes the failure and manually reinstalls the application program or repairs the data. There is an effect that the labor required for performing the operation can be saved.

In the present embodiment, the program code group shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the memory 103. However, the program code group shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the storage medium of the external storage device 106 or an internal storage resource. The program may be stored, and the central processing unit 102 may read out and execute the program code from the storage medium.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a memory map of a storage medium for storing a program code group of various control programs readable by the central processing unit. This storage medium contains
The program codes shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, that is, the program codes relating to the data read procedure, the program execution procedure, the process monitoring procedure, the data storage control procedure, the data download procedure, and the data update procedure are the first program code.
Is stored as a program code group corresponding to the control program of the above. Further, a program code according to a second embodiment described later is stored as a program code group corresponding to the second control program.

Although not shown, the storage medium stores information for managing a group of programs to be stored, for example, version information, a creator, etc., and stores information, for example, a program depending on the OS or the like on the program reading side. An icon or the like for identification display may be stored.

Further, data dependent on various programs is also managed in the directory. In addition, a program for installing various programs on a computer, or a program for decompressing when a program to be installed is compressed, may be stored.

The functions of the program code group shown in FIG. 9 may be executed by the present system by a program installed from the outside. In this case, CD-
With storage media such as ROM, flash memory, and FD,
Alternatively, a group of information including a program can be supplied to the present system from an external storage medium via a network.

As described above, the storage medium storing the program codes of the software for realizing the functions of the present embodiment is supplied to the system or the apparatus, and the computer (CPU or MMU) of the system or the apparatus is stored in the storage medium. The object of the present invention is also achieved by reading and executing the program code.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the novel function of the present invention, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, DVD,
A CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, EEPROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also an operating system or the like running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. The present invention also includes a case where some or all of the actual processing is performed, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instructions of the program code, The present invention includes a case where a central processing unit or the like provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, the present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices or to an apparatus constituted by a single device. Furthermore, a program represented by software for achieving the present invention may be read by a system or an apparatus being downloaded and read from a database by a communication program on a network.
The effects of the present invention can be enjoyed.

[Second Embodiment] In the above-described first embodiment, the application program and data downloaded from the network are unconditionally reinstalled in the external storage device. By providing a flag indicating whether or not to perform re-installation and re-installing only when re-installation is set, the owner or administrator of the device can also analyze the cause of the failure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the application information in the case where the application information has not been normally started.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a storage location of the application 1 in the device, a start result flag, a URL of an application program stored in a server machine on the network, and a re-storage flag. In this case, the start result flag is OK
This indicates that it has started normally.

Reference numeral 602 indicates the storage location of the application 2 in the device, the start result flag, the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network, and the re-storage flag.
Since the activation result flag is NG, it indicates that the operation has been abnormally terminated.

Reference numeral 603 indicates the storage location of the application 3 in the device, the start result flag, the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network, and the re-storage flag.
Since the activation result flag is NG, it indicates that the operation has been abnormally terminated.

FIG. 7 shows that the application 2 indicated by 602 in FIG. 6 terminates abnormally, and the U2 of the application program stored in the server machine on the network.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of application information after an application program has been downloaded from the RL and reinstalled. In the figure, reference numeral 701 denotes a storage location of the application 1 in the device, a startup result flag, and a server machine on the network. This indicates the URL of the application program being executed and the re-storing flag. In this case, it is the same as 601 in FIG.

Reference numeral 702 indicates the storage location of the application 2 in the device, the start result flag, the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network, and the re-storage flag. In this case, FIG. In 602, the start result flag is NG, but since the start result flag in 702 is OK, it indicates that the downloaded application program has started normally. Furthermore, since the restoring flag 602 in FIG. 6 is TRUE, it also indicates that the downloaded application program has been reinstalled in the external storage device.

Reference numeral 703 denotes the storage location of the application 3 in the device, the start result flag, the URL of the application program stored in the server machine on the network, and the re-storage flag. In this case, FIG. In 603, the start result flag is NG, but since the start result flag in 703 is OK, it indicates that the downloaded application program has started normally. However, since the re-storage flag 603 in FIG. 6 is FALSE, the downloaded application program has not been reinstalled in the external storage device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control processing procedure in the second embodiment of the data updating device. The program code of the processing program is stored in the memory 103, and the data reading unit 201, the program execution unit 202, and the process monitoring unit 20 realized by the central processing unit 102 executing the program code.
3. Data update unit 204, data download unit 20
5. The processing is performed by the data storage control unit 206.

This program code is stored in the external storage device 1
06 is read and executed, and if the application program cannot be started normally, the application program that operates normally is downloaded and executed from the server machine 109 on the network, and the downloaded application program is stored in the external storage. It corresponds to the control procedure until it is reinstalled on the device.

In this embodiment, the application program stored in the external storage device 106 is read and stored in the memory 103 (step 1), and the program execution unit 202 executes the read application program (step 2). The process monitoring unit 203 checks whether the executed application program has started normally or abnormally (Step 3). If it is determined that the application program has started normally (Step 4), the series of control procedures ends. I do.

If the application program does not start normally in step 4, the start result flag stored in the application information is set to NG using the data storage control unit 206 (step 5). Then, the information of the URL of the server machine 109 on the network in which the normally operating application program is stored is extracted from the application information (step 6). Data download unit 205
Downloads the application program from the extracted URL (step 7) and executes the downloaded application program (step 8).
The process monitoring unit 203 checks whether the executed application program has started normally or abnormally (Step 9).

If it is determined in step 9 that the application program has started normally (step 1
0), retrieve the re-storage flag from the application information, and if the re-storage flag is FALSE (step 11)
A series of these control procedures ends.

In step 11, the re-storage flag is set to T
If it is RUE, the data update unit 204 reinstalls the downloaded application program in the external storage device 106 (Step 12). At the same time, the activation result flag stored in the application information is set to OK using the data storage control unit 206 (step 13).

If it is determined in step 10 that the application program has not been normally started again, the user is notified using a means such as mail or a warning sound (step 14).

As described above, according to the data updating device of the second embodiment, the flag indicating whether the application program or data downloaded from the network is to be reinstalled in the external storage device is provided.
By performing re-installation only when it is set to be re-installed, there is an effect that the owner or administrator of the device can analyze the cause of the failure. In addition, even if the application program is not reinstalled, the application program is always downloaded and executed from the network, so that the problem that the application program cannot be executed can be avoided.

[0066]

As described above, according to the data updating apparatus of the first aspect, the application program read by the data reading means is executed by the program execution means, and the process monitoring means is executed by the program monitoring means. Monitor the process and determine whether it has started normally or terminated abnormally. Then, if the processing is abnormally terminated, the application program is downloaded from the application information obtained by the data storage control means via the network using the data download means and executed, and the downloaded application program is stored by the data update means. By storing the application program in the device, the problem that the application program cannot be executed due to some trouble can be avoided. The same effect can be obtained with the control method of the data updating device according to the fourth aspect and the storage medium according to the seventh aspect.

According to the data updating device of the present invention, the process monitoring means checks whether the program executed by the program execution means has started normally or abnormally, and the result is stored in the data storage control means. Can be recorded or read in reverse, so that it is possible to know whether the application stored in the storage device is running normally or needs to be reinstalled. . The same effect can be obtained in the control method of the data updating device according to the fifth aspect.

According to the data updating device of the present invention, when the program executed by the program executing means ends abnormally, the application program which operates normally from the application information extracted by the data storing control means is stored. Ask for a server machine on the network that is being done. Then, the data download means can download the application program from the requested server and pass it to the program execution means for execution. Therefore, as long as the normally operating application is stored in the server, the application program can be downloaded due to some trouble. The problem of being unable to start can be avoided. The same effect can be obtained in the control method of the data updating device according to the sixth aspect.

According to the storage medium of the present invention, in the storage medium storing the program code to be executed by the data updating device, the program code is a data reading procedure for reading an application program from the storage device. A program execution procedure for executing an application program read from the data reading procedure, a process monitoring procedure for monitoring a process of the program executed by the program execution procedure, and reading and writing application information stored in a storage device. It includes a data storage control procedure, a data download procedure for downloading an application program via a network, and a data update procedure for storing the downloaded application program in a storage device. Since expansion of the program execution device, it is possible to enhance the versatility.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a data updating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a data processing function in the first embodiment of the data updating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing application information in a case where the data updating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention does not start normally.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing application information after reinstallation in the first embodiment of the data updating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure in the first embodiment of the data updating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing application information when the data updating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention does not start normally.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing application information after reinstallation in a second embodiment of the data updating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure in the second embodiment of the data updating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a memory map of a storage medium that stores a program code group of various control programs that can be read by the central processing unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 101 device 102 central processing unit 103 memory 104 display device 105 input device 106 external storage device 107 bus 108 network 109 server machine 110 external storage device 201 data reading unit 202 program execution unit 203 process monitoring unit 204 data updating unit 205 data downloading unit 206 Data storage control unit

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A data updating device that reads an application program stored in a storage device into a main storage device and executes the application program. , A process monitoring means for monitoring a process of a program executed by the program execution means, a data storage control means for reading and writing application information stored in the storage device, and A data download unit for downloading the application program; and a data update unit for storing the application program downloaded by the data download unit in the storage device. A data updating device characterized by the following. 2. The process monitoring means checks whether the program executed by the program execution means has started normally or abnormally, and records or reads the information using the data storage control means. The data updating device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The data download unit according to claim 1, wherein when the program executed by said program execution unit terminates abnormally, said data download unit stores an application program which operates normally from application information extracted by said data storage control unit. 2. The data updating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data updating apparatus obtains a server machine, downloads an application program from the server machine, and passes the application program to the program executing means for execution. 4. A control method for a data updating device for reading an application program stored in a storage device into a main storage device and executing the read application program, wherein a data reading step of reading the application program from the storage device, and a reading process from the data reading step. A program execution step of executing the application program, a process monitoring step of monitoring a process of the program executed by the program execution step,
A data storage control step of reading and writing application information stored in the storage device, a data download step of downloading an application program via a network, and storing the application program downloaded by the data download step in the storage device. And a data updating step for controlling the data updating apparatus. 5. The process monitoring step checks whether the program executed by the program execution step has started normally or terminated abnormally, and records or reads the information using the data storage control step. The control method for a data updating device according to claim 4, wherein: 6. The data download step, wherein, when the program executed in the program execution step ends abnormally, an application program that operates normally from the application information extracted in the data storage control step is stored on a network. 5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: obtaining a server machine, downloading an application program from the server machine, and passing the application program to the program execution step for execution. 7. A storage medium storing a program code to be executed by a data updating device that reads an application program stored in a storage device into a main storage device and executes the application program. A data reading procedure for reading a program, a program execution procedure for executing an application program read from the data reading procedure, a process monitoring procedure for monitoring a process of the program executed by the program execution procedure,
A data storage control procedure for reading and writing application information stored in the storage device, a data download procedure for downloading an application program via a network, and storing the application program downloaded by the data download procedure in the storage device. A computer-readable storage medium comprising: a data update procedure for causing the computer to execute each procedure.