JP2003067219A - Electronic computer system and recovery processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic computer system and its recovery method allowing a maintenance engineer to perform recovery processing without going to an installation site. SOLUTION: An electronic computer system comprises at least two computers connected over a network; one is a computer 11 that sends a recovery processing request packet upon receiving a signal, which indicates that a computer has stopped, from failure detection means 13 checking whether the computer has stopped and the other is a computer 10 that has a recovery processing control circuit 104 executing recovery processing upon receiving the recovery processing request packet. If it is determined that the failure has been recovered after the computer 10 receives the recovery processing request packet and a microprocessor 101 executes recovery processing, the recovery processing control circuit 104 is set to the reset-inhibition state to end recovery processing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic computer system suitable for the restoration of a computer which has stopped its processing and the fault information collection processing among the computer systems connected to a general-purpose network. Regarding processing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional computer system, when a computer, which is an element of the system configuration, fails, an input from a keyboard or a command from a network is made in the failed computer. Is received, the microprocessor (hereinafter abbreviated as MPU) is restored and failure information is collected, and so-called restoration processing is executed. However, in such a recovery process, the recovery process cannot be executed when the electronic computer has stopped the process due to a runaway of the MPU or the like.

As a method for performing the restoration process even in such a case, as described in JP-A-6-301566,
A memory dump processing method in an electronic computer system is known in which a timer is interlocked with the recovery process and a reset is issued when the timer times out so that the recovery process can be performed even when the MPU is out of control. This method
The electronic computer is provided with a switch linked with a hardware timer, and the recovery process is performed by pressing the switch.

[0004]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention JP-A-6-30156
In the memory dump processing method described in Japanese Patent No. 6 publication, since a switch is provided in the electronic computer, when the MPU runs out of control and performs recovery processing, a maintenance worker must go to the installation location of the electronic computer. There is a drawback that. Also,
Since the reset restart is performed in any case, there is a problem that an unstable computer may be incorporated in the system.

It is a first object of the present invention to provide an electronic computer system and a recovery processing method thereof, which enables a maintenance worker to perform a recovery process without going to the place where the computer is installed.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an electronic computer system and its restoration processing method which can detect when the electronic computer is stopped and can perform a stepwise restoration by a restoration processing request signal.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an electronic computer system and a restoration processing method for the restoration processing of computers installed in a wide range.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an electronic computer system and a recovery processing method thereof, which can end the recovery processing when the recovery processing can be normally performed before the reset.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above first and third objects, the electronic computer system of the present invention transmits life / death monitoring information to another computer via a network at set time intervals. A first computer, and the other computer that receives the life-and-death monitoring information transmitted from the first computer and, if not stopped, transmits the survival contact bucket,
A failure detection means for detecting that the live communication bucket transmitted from the other computer has been interrupted, detecting that the computer has stopped, and transmitting a signal in which the computer has stopped to the first computer. It is a thing.

In order to achieve the above second and fourth objects,
The electronic computer system of the present invention includes a first computer that receives a signal indicating that the computer has stopped from a failure detection unit that determines whether the computer has stopped, and transmits a recovery process request bucket, and the recovery process request bucket. An electronic computer system comprising at least two computers connected via a network to a second computer having a recovery processing control circuit that receives and executes recovery processing, wherein the second computer is the recovery computer. When the recovery processing control circuit receives the processing request bucket and executes the recovery processing of the microprocessor, and when it is determined that the processing has been recovered, the recovery processing control circuit is set to the reset prohibited state and the recovery processing is terminated. Is.

Further, when the restoration processing control circuit executes the restoration processing of the microprocessor and determines that the restoration processing has not been performed, the restoration processing control circuit resets or starts the microprocessor to reset the restoration processing. It ends.

Further, in the method of recovering an electronic computer, the first computer transmits the life-and-death monitoring information to another computer via a network at a set time interval, and the other computer which has transmitted the life-and-death monitoring information If it is not stopped, the live communication bucket is transmitted to the failure detection means, and the failure detection means detects that the live communication bucket transmitted from the other computer has stopped and detects that the computer has stopped. The computer transmits a stopped signal to the first computer, the computer receives the stopped signal, the first computer transmits a restoration processing request bucket to the stopped computer, and the restoration processing request bucket is received. The computer executes the restoration process of the microprocessor by the restoration process control circuit, and when the restoration process control circuit is judged to be restored, the restoration process control circuit is set to the reset prohibited state. It is intended to end the constant to the recovery process.

If it is determined that the microprocessor has not been restored as a result of the restoration processing control circuit executing the restoration processing, the restoration processing control circuit resets the microprocessor or resets the microprocessor to perform restoration processing. It ends.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the electronic computer system shown in FIG. 1, as an example, an electronic computer A indicated by reference numeral 10 issues a restoration processing request via the network 12 by the reference numeral 1
1 shows the case where the computer B is connected to the computer 1. Further, the electronic computer A is connected to the electronic computer B via the failure detection means 13. In order to confirm whether or not the electronic computer A is stopped, the electronic computer B transmits life-and-death monitoring communication to the electronic computer A at set time intervals. Computer A that received this life-and-death monitoring communication
When not stopped, it sends the survival contact bucket to the failure detection means 13. The failure detecting means 13 detects that the live communication bucket has been cut off, and detects the stop of the electronic computer A. With this configuration, it is possible to detect a stopped computer even when the computers are distributed over a wide area.

The electronic computer A is MPU101, MPU1
01 is connected in parallel via an interrupt signal line 105 and a reset signal line 106 provided in parallel with 01.
4, restoration processing control circuit 104 and restoration processing request signal line 10
7, a packet comparison circuit 103 connected by 7 and a network interface 102 connected to the packet comparison circuit 103.
2 is connected to the network 12. The operation of the recovery processing control circuit 104 is performed by the interrupt / reset switching flag 1041, the reset permission / prohibition flag 104, as described later.
2, it is determined by the reset operation setting flag 1043.

When the failure detecting means 13 detects the stop of the computer A, the computer B determines the network 1
Recovery processing request packet 1 to computer A via 2
Issue 21 and send. The packet received through the network interface 102 is compared by the packet comparison circuit 103, it is determined that the received packet is the restoration processing request packet 121, the restoration processing request signal is output from the packet comparison circuit 103, and restoration is performed. It is transmitted to the restoration processing control circuit 104 via the processing request signal line 107.

Upon receiving the restoration processing request signal through the restoration processing request signal line 107, the restoration processing control circuit 104 transmits the restoration processing request signal to the MPU 101 through the interrupt signal line 105 and sends the restoration processing request signal to itself. Feedback is performed to switch to a state in which a reset signal can be output from the reset signal line 106.

When the recovery processing is normally performed, that is, when the failure detection means 13 starts receiving the live communication bucket as a result of transmitting the recovery processing request signal to the MPU 101, the MPU 101 resets the recovery processing control circuit 104. Set to prohibited state. (After that, in order to return the interrupt / reset switching flag 1041, the reset permission / prohibition flag 1042, and the reset operation setting flag 1043 to the initial setting state, the computer B issues the restoration processing request packet 121 again after a lapse of a certain time. Although it is transmitted to the electronic computer A, since the received recovery process control circuit 104 of the computer A is in the reset-prohibited state, the recovery process request is ignored and the recovery process ends. Can be changed by a setting after a certain period of time after the transmission of the.

When the restoration processing is not normally performed, the restoration processing control circuit 104 in the reset-permitted state.
Outputs a reset signal to the reset signal line 106 according to a preset reset operation setting flag. The electronic computer B that has received the reset signal is in a reset stop or a reset restart.

With such a configuration, it is possible to perform the recovery processing of the stopped electronic computer even if the person does not go out. or,
When the restoration process is normally performed by transmitting the restoration process request signal, the restoration process can be ended without resetting.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the electronic computer system of this embodiment. In this example, the duplicated server computer 20 and terminal computer 21 are connected to the network 22.
, And the server computer 20 issues a recovery processing request. The server computer 20 is composed of a server computer master system 20a and a server computer slave system 20b. Each of the server computer master system 20a and the server computer slave system 20b has a function of issuing and transmitting a restoration processing request and a server. It has a function of receiving a restoration processing request transmitted from one of the computers and executing the restoration processing. Further, the terminal computer 21 has a function of executing restoration processing in response to a restoration processing request transmitted from the server computer 20 via the network 22.

The server computer 20 performs alive monitoring communication 220 to the server computer of another system and the terminal computer 21 via the network 22. The server computer or the terminal computer 21 of the other system that has received the alive monitoring communication 220 transmits the alive contact bucket when it is not stopped. The server computer 20 detects that the live communication bucket has been cut off, thereby detecting that the server computer of the other system or the terminal computer 21 has stopped. With this configuration, the stopped computer can be detected even when the terminal computers and the server computers of other systems are installed over a wide range.

The server computer 20 issues and sends a restoration processing request packet 221 to the computer whose stoppage is detected by the survival monitoring communication 220. The computer that has received the restoration processing request and executed the restoration processing transfers the failure information 222 to the server computer 20 in the process. The server computer 20 receives the failure information 222 and records the failure information 222 so that the degree of failure can be analyzed.

Taking the electronic computer system having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 as an example, the operation thereof will be described in detail with reference to the processing sequences shown in FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows a processing sequence when the restoration processing can be performed. As shown in step 301, in the recovery processing control circuit of each terminal computer 21 and the server computer of the other system, the interrupt / reset switching flag is initially set to interrupt signal generation and the reset enable / disable flag is initially set to reset enable. ing. The server computer 20 performs life-and-death monitoring communication with each terminal computer 21 and the server computers of other systems at a set time interval. As a result, as shown in step 310, when any of the terminal computers 21 and server computers of other systems are stopped, as shown in step 311, transmission of the survival contact packet from that computer is stopped, and step 312 Detects that the computer has stopped. Here, the server computer of the other system is a server computer other than the server computer 20, a server computer main system 20a of the server computer 20 and a server computer slave system 20b that is not transmitting the life / death monitoring communication. It refers to a calculator.

The server computer 20 which has detected that the computer has stopped issues a restoration processing request packet to the computer stopped in step 313 and sends it to the stopped computer. In the stopped computer, the packet comparison circuit detects that the restoration processing request packet is received, and in step 314, the restoration processing control circuit generates an interrupt and starts the restoration processing. In step 302, the interrupt / reset switching flag of the recovery processing control circuit is switched to reset signal generation. When the restoration processing is normally performed, the reset permission / prohibition flag of the restoration processing control circuit is changed to reset inhibition in step 303. As shown in step 315, after the elapse of a certain period of time, the restoration processing request is again issued and transmitted from the server computer in step 316, but since the restoration processing control circuit of the received computer is in the reset prohibited state, step 317 As shown by, the recovery processing request is ignored, and the recovery processing ends in step 318. Upon completion of the restoration process, each flag of the restoration process control circuit of the computer restored in step 304 is reset to the initial state.

FIG. 4 shows a processing sequence when the restoration processing operation is impossible. Also in this processing sequence, as shown in step 401, in the recovery processing control circuit of each computer, the interrupt / reset switching flag is initially set to interrupt signal generation and the reset permission / prohibition flag is reset to reset permission.

The server computer 20 carries out life-and-death monitoring communication with each computer and the server computers of other systems at a certain set time interval. When one of the computers is stopped as shown in step 410, the stop of the computer can be detected because the reply of the survival communication packet is stopped from the stopped computer as shown in step 411. The server computer 20 that has detected the stop of the computer in step 412
Issue and send a recovery processing request packet to the computer stopped in step 2. In the stopped computer, the packet comparison circuit detects the reception of the restoration processing request packet. The restoration processing control circuit that has received the restoration processing request packet generates an interrupt signal in step 414, but the restoration processing does not operate.

In this case, in step 402, the interrupt / reset switching flag of the recovery processing control circuit is switched to reset signal generation, but the reset permission / prohibition flag remains reset permission. As shown in the step, after a certain time elapses at 415, the server computer 20
Since the recovery processing request is issued and transmitted again from, the stopped computer transmits the reset signal to the MPU 1 through the reset signal line according to the preset reset operation setting flag. When this reset signal is received by the MPU, the computer server is reset stopped or reset restarted as shown in step 417.

With such a configuration, even if the MPU is out of control, it is possible to execute the recovery process via the network, so that the time until the recovery of the terminal computer can be shortened and the computer system The operating rate can be increased. Further, even when computers are installed in a wide range, it is possible to perform the recovery process of the stopped electronic computer even if the person does not go out. In addition, when the restoration process is normally performed by transmitting the restoration process request signal,
The recovery process can be ended without resetting.

In the above description, the server computer 20 for issuing and transmitting the restoration processing request is explained as a duplicated one, but the invention is applicable even if it is not a duplicated one. Further, the type of network is not particularly specified, and various types of networks including general-purpose networks can be applied.

[0032]

According to the present invention, even when the MPU is running out of control, it is possible to execute the recovery process via the network, so the time until the recovery of the terminal computer can be shortened, and the operation as an electronic computer system can be achieved. The rate can be increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic computer that constitutes an electronic computer system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an electronic computer system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a processing sequence diagram when the restoration processing according to the present embodiment is operable.

FIG. 4 is a processing sequence diagram when the recovery processing in the present embodiment is inoperable.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Computer A, 11 ... Computer B, 12 ... Network, 13 ... Failure detection means, 101 ... Microprocessor (MPU), 102 ... Network interface, 103 ... Packet comparison circuit, 104 ... Recovery processing control circuit, 105 ... Interrupt signal line, 106 ... Reset signal line,
107 ... Restoration processing request signal line, 121 ... Restoration processing request packet, 1041 ... Interrupt / reset switching flag, 104
2 ... Reset permission / prohibition flag, 1043 ... Reset operation setting flag, 20a ... Server computer main system, 20b ... Server computer slave system, 21 ... Terminal computer, 22 ... Network, 220 ... Survival monitoring communication, 221 ... Restoration processing request packet 222 ... Fault information.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hideki Nonoi             5-2-1 Omika-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture             Information Control Systems Division, Hitachi, Ltd.             Within F-term (reference) 5B042 GA12 GC16 GC19 JJ05 JJ08                       JJ13 JJ18 KK02

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A first computer that receives a signal indicating that the computer has stopped from a failure detection unit that determines whether the computer has stopped, and sends a restoration process request bucket, and a first computer that receives the restoration process request bucket. An electronic computer system comprising at least two computers connected to a second computer having a restoration processing control circuit for executing restoration processing via a network, wherein the second computer is the restoration processing request bucket. Is received and the recovery processing control circuit executes the recovery processing of the microprocessor, and when it is determined that the recovery processing has been recovered, the recovery processing control circuit is set to the reset prohibited state and the recovery processing is ended. 2. A first computer for receiving a signal indicating that the computer has stopped from a failure detecting means for determining whether or not the computer has stopped, and transmitting a restoration process request bucket, and receiving the restoration process request bucket. An electronic computer system comprising at least two computers connected to a second computer having a restoration processing control circuit for executing restoration processing via a network, wherein the second computer is the restoration processing request bucket. When the recovery processing control circuit executes the recovery processing of the microprocessor by receiving the message, and it is determined that the recovery processing is not recovered, the recovery processing control circuit resets the microprocessor to stop or reset and start the recovery processing. Electronic computer system to do. 3. A first computer which transmits life-and-death monitoring information to another computer at a set time interval via a network, and a life-and-death monitoring information transmitted from the first computer, which is stopped. If there is not, the other computer that transmits the live communication bucket and the signal that the computer has stopped by detecting that the live communication bucket transmitted from the other computer has stopped and the computer has stopped The first
Computer system provided with a failure detection means for transmitting to another computer. 4. When the failure detecting means has not stopped by receiving the life-or-death monitoring information transmitted from the first computer, it is confirmed that the live communication bucket transmitted from the second computer has been interrupted. The electronic computer system according to claim 1 or 2, which detects and stops the computer. 5. The electronic computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first computer receives and records the failure information transmitted from the second computer. 6. The first computer transmits life-and-death monitoring information to another computer via a network at set time intervals,
If the other computer that has transmitted the life-and-death monitoring information has not stopped, it transmits a live communication bucket to the failure detection means,
The failure detection means detects that the live communication bucket transmitted from the other computer has stopped, detects that the computer has stopped, and transmits a signal that the computer has stopped to the first computer, The first computer that receives the stopped signal transmits a restoration process request bucket to the stopped computer, and the computer that receives the restoration process request bucket executes the restoration process of the microprocessor by the restoration process control circuit, A method of recovering an electronic computer, wherein the recovery process control circuit is set in a reset-prohibited state and the recovery process is terminated when it is determined that the recovery process is completed. 7. When the restoration processing control circuit executes restoration processing of the microprocessor, and it is determined that the restoration processing has not been performed, the restoration processing control circuit resets the microprocessor or resets the microprocessor to perform restoration processing. The method for recovering an electronic computer according to claim 6, which is completed.