JP2006228120A - File updating method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To update a program without affecting service for a communication device. <P>SOLUTION: After a program file is transferred to line processor parts 5 and 6, the service functions of the line processor parts 5 and 6 are temporarily switched to a redundant processor part 7. While the service is continued by using the redundant processor part 7, the line processor parts 5 and 6 are reset to update the program. After the updating of the program is completed, a service providing function is switched from the redundant processor part 7 to continue the service by the line processor parts 5 and 6. These steps above are scheduled for all line processor parts and performed in order. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a file update method for a program of a communication apparatus constituting a network.

  In recent years, information communication services including voice and data communication have been diversified as information communication needs have increased and communication has been liberalized. Against this background, the number of operators (carriers) newly entering the communication service field has increased, and service competition between carriers has become active. The new carrier is referred to as NCC (New common carrier), and provides various services using technologies such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP is a technology that integrates a voice network and a data network by packetizing and transmitting digital voice data.

  NCCs often borrow equipment such as an exchange from a specific carrier that already has a subscriber line at a predetermined charge. Many NCCs build their own exchange networks such as IP networks with their own funds. In addition, a communication system is formed by adding a circuit switching network (PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network) of a specific carrier, and these facilities are used in combination for providing services to general users.

  In the existing communication system, the NCC exchange network is located on the network side from the exchange as viewed from the user. That is, a call originated from a user terminal first reaches the PSTN exchange via the subscriber line, and is then sent from the exchange to either the PSTN or the exchange network. In other words, the NCC arranges its own switching network after the exchange of the specific carrier and constructs its own communication system.

  In order to construct a communication system combining a PSTN and an IP network, a communication device such as a gateway device is used. This type of apparatus includes an IP conversion unit that converts voice data and binary data into IP (Internet Protocol) packets, a packet switch unit that switches IP packets, and various interfaces.

  By the way, the IP conversion unit, the packet switch unit, and various interfaces are often formed as relatively independent modules in the gateway device. Each module includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an internal memory, and operates based on a program loaded into the internal memory. Depending on the optimization design, a different OS (Operation System) may be mounted for each module.

When each program is upgraded, the gateway device needs to download the latest version of the program from the network monitoring device and update the program file. Various file update methods have been devised in a communication apparatus including a plurality of processors (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the existing technology, the program update is completed by transferring the program from the network monitoring device to a plurality of processors constituting the gateway device and then resetting the program.
JP-A-08-106399

In the existing technology, the program is transferred to the communication device and then reset immediately. For this reason, in the processor to be reset, the service in operation is interrupted until the updated program starts operating after the program being executed is restarted.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a file update method capable of updating a program without affecting the service of a communication apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, a communication device comprising a plurality of line processors and a redundant processor provided with N + 1 redundancy for the plurality of line processors, and communicating with the communication device A file update method used in a transmission system including a network monitoring device that distributes a program file via a network, the transfer step transferring the program file from the network monitoring device to the plurality of line processors, A step of sequentially switching the service function of the line processor to the redundant processor, a step of resetting the line processor whose service function has been switched to the redundant processor, and a service function of the line processor that has been reset to the redundant processor File update method characterized by comprising the steps of returning et cutting is provided.

  By taking such means, before the line processor to be reset is reset, the service function of this line processor is switched to the redundant processor and taken over. Therefore, the service is continued by the redundant processor, and the line processor can be reset and the program can be restarted without affecting the service of the communication device. In other words, even if the reset line preset is reset, the service of the communication apparatus is not affected and the program can be updated.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a file update method capable of updating a program without affecting the service of the communication apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a communication apparatus used in a communication system according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the communication device 3 services a communication function for connecting lines (here, line A and line B). The communication device 3 is connected to the network 2 and has interfaces such as a line A8 and a line B9, and provides a communication environment for each line interface.

  The communication device 3 includes a control unit 4, a line processor A unit 5, and a line processor B unit 6. The line processor A unit 5 performs interface control of the line A, and the line processor B unit 6 performs interface control of the line B. In order to implement the communication service of each interface in such a configuration, the program of each line processor unit needs to be operating normally. However, when each line processor is reset or restarted, the interface communication service of each line processor unit cannot be temporarily provided.

  The control unit 4 performs overall control of the communication device 3. That is, the control unit 4 requests the line processor A unit 5 and the line processor B unit 6 to control the line A8 and the line B7, and detects a failure detected by the line processor A unit 5 and the line processor B unit 6. Or manage it comprehensively. The control unit 4 is connected to the network monitoring device 1 via the network 2. The network monitoring device 1 communicates with the control unit 4 and comprehensively manages the communication device 3. The information obtained by the management is displayed on the network monitoring device 1 side, whereby the communication device 3 can be monitored and managed remotely.

  Further, the communication device 3 includes a redundant processor unit 7. The redundant processor unit 7 is provided for automatically switching service functions when an arbitrary line processor unit fails. For example, it is assumed that a failure occurs in the line processor A unit 5 and the communication service on the line A8 cannot be continued. Then, this failure is detected by the line processor A unit 5 and the fact is notified to the redundant processor unit 7. In response to this, the line A8 is switched to the redundant processor unit 7, and the redundant processor unit 7 substitutes for the service function of the line processor A unit 5.

  When the failure is recovered by replacing the line processor A unit 5 or the like, the line A8 connected to the redundant processor unit 7 is switched back to the line processor A unit 5, and the line processor A unit 5 is switched to the redundant processor unit. 7 service function is substituted. In this way, it is possible to provide a service without impairing the inheritance of the service function by substituting the service function with another processor unit. In the above configuration, the communication device 3 includes a plurality of racks, and each rack includes a plurality of line processor boards on which the line processor units are individually mounted and a redundant processor board on which the redundant processor units 7 are mounted.

  By the way, each of the line processor units 5 and 6 is loaded with a program for realizing a service. In order to expand the functions of the program and correct defects, it is necessary to update the program during service operation. A new program for updating is prepared in the network monitoring device 1 and sent to the control unit 4 via the network 2, and then the secondary storage of the line processor A unit 5, the line processor B unit 6, and the redundant processor unit 7. Delivered to the region. In order to operate each of the line processors 5 and 6 with a new program, it is necessary to reset each of the line processors 5 and 6 and develop the new program from the secondary storage area to the program operation memory for operation.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the file update method according to the present invention. When the program update process is started in FIG. 2 (step S21), the update program is first transferred to all the line processors (step S22). Next, prior to resetting each line processor, the service of the line processor unit to be reset is switched to the redundant processor unit 7 (step S23). Thereafter, the processor to be reset is reset (step S24), a new program is loaded on the processor, and then the operation is started. Next, the service is switched back from the redundant processor unit 7, and the service function is taken over by the line processor unit that has been reset (step S25). In the next step, it is determined whether or not the processing in steps S23 to S25 has been performed for all the line processors (step S28). The processing loop of steps S23 to S25 is repeated until a Yes determination is made in step S28. When the processing for all the line processors is completed (Yes in step S28), the redundant processor unit 7 is reset (step S26), and when this is completed, the program update of the communication device 3 is completed (step S27).

  In step S24 of FIG. 2, all line processors are not reset all at once, but are scheduled and reset sequentially. This is because the number of redundant processor units 7 is smaller than the number of line processor units, and this is referred to as N + 1 redundancy. The scheduling is automatically processed by the control unit 4 in FIG. That is, when the network monitoring device 1 in FIG. 1 instructs the control unit 4 to reset the communication device 3, the control unit 4 performs scheduling, sequentially and automatically switches the service function to the redundant processor, reset instruction, A service function switchback instruction is issued from the redundant processor. When the update of the file is completed, the control unit 4 instructs the switching of the service function to the redundant processor unit 7 of the next line processor. When the last redundant processor unit 7 is reset, no service is provided to any of the line interface units, so the redundant processor unit 7 is reset as it is. In this way, the program update of all the line processors can be completed, and the program update of a plurality of line processors can be executed without stopping the service.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the file update method in the existing technology. In the existing technology, after transferring the program to all the line processor units at once (step S32), the line processor unit is reset in all the line processor units (steps S33 and S36). Then, after all the line processors have been reset (Yes in step S36), the redundant processor unit 7 is reset. For this reason, the service is stopped because the program is not operating until the new program starts operating after resetting the line processor.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, after the program file is transferred to the line processor unit, the service function of the line processor unit is temporarily switched to the redundant processor unit 7. Then, while continuing the service using the redundant processor unit 7, the line processor unit is reset and the program is updated. After the program update is completed, the service providing function is switched back from the redundant processor unit 7 to continue providing the service by the line processor unit. This is scheduled for all line processor units and executed sequentially. As described above, when the file of the line processor unit is updated, the provision of the service is temporarily switched to the redundant processor unit 7, so that the program update of the plurality of line processors can be executed without stopping the service. It is possible to provide a file update method capable of updating the program without affecting the service of the file.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment.

The functional block diagram which shows the communication apparatus used for the communication system concerning this invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the file update method concerning this invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the file update method in the existing technique.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Network monitoring apparatus, 2 ... Network, 3 ... Communication apparatus, 4 ... Control part, 5 ... Line processor A part, 6 ... Line processor B part, 7 ... Redundant processor, 8 ... Line A, 9 ... Line B

Claims (2)

Transmission comprising a communication device comprising a plurality of line processors and a redundant processor provided with N + 1 redundancy for the plurality of line processors, and a network monitoring device for delivering program files to the communication devices via a communication network A file update method used in the system,
A transfer step of transferring the program file from the network monitoring device to the plurality of line processors;
A switching step of sequentially switching service functions of the plurality of line processors to the redundant processor;
Resetting the line processor that has switched the service function to the redundant processor;
A file updating method comprising the step of switching back the service function of the reset-completed line processor from the redundant processor. The communication device includes a plurality of racks,
Each of the racks includes a plurality of line processor boards that individually mount the line processors;
The file update method according to claim 1, further comprising a redundant processor board on which the redundant processor is mounted.

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