JP2010170325A - Information processor, log storage method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To log the detail content of setting change in a setup utility in an information processor. <P>SOLUTION: In an information processor, a BIOS includes a setup utility function for providing a setting change function related to a system operation to a user. The BIOS holds current setting before the start of the setup utility, and confirms whether or not there is any change in a value after the end of the setup utility. When there is any change, it means that the setting change has been performed, and which setting item has been changed, what is the previous item, or what is the value after change, is checked, and it is logged. In analyzing a log when any failure occurs, when any failure occurs after the log showing the change of the setup utility is registered, there is high possibility that the setting is the factor of the occurrence of the failure, and valid information to specify the failure site is obtained. Thus, it is possible to achieve an information processor having high maintainability. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a log storage method, and a program for storing a change in setting related to the operation of the information processing apparatus in a log.

  For example, some information processing apparatuses (computer systems) such as personal computers register a System Reconfigured event SEL (System Event Log). This SEL is a sensor event of the System Event defined in the IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) specification. This event is performed by the user (the person who operates the information processing device) using the BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) operating on the information processing device or the setup utility function provided by the system firmware. Occurs when the setting is changed (hereinafter referred to as setting change). When BIOS or the like detects this event (setting change has been made), it logs the event to BMC (Baseboard Management Controller). As a result, information indicating that the user has changed the setting using the setup utility is stored (registered) in the log. By analyzing this log, it is possible to know that the setting change operation has been performed.

JP 2000-311080 A JP 2001-92642 A JP 2000-298579 A

  However, detailed information regarding setting changes made by the user is not stored in the above-described log. Therefore, even if the log is analyzed, only the fact that the user has changed the setting using the setup utility can be known. That is, there is a problem in that it is impossible to know the details of the setting change such as which setting is changed by the user.

  As technical examples related to the present invention, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a method of storing setting information itself when a user changes a setting. As another technical example, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of selecting a setting value using a setup utility when a setting is changed by a user. However, the present invention does not store setting information itself or select a setting value, but registers only setting difference information as an event log. The setting difference information is used for failure analysis or the like, and is not used for setting change. Therefore, the present invention is different from the inventions of Patent Documents 1 to 3.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and stores information on setting changes made by a user in a log, and an information processing apparatus and a log storage method that can be used for log analysis And to provide a program.

  In order to achieve such an object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an information processing apparatus in which a user can change a setting related to apparatus operation by using a setup utility, and before the execution of the setup utility. Based on the two settings after execution, the details of the setting change made by the user are specified, and the specified contents are stored in a log.

  The log storage method according to the present invention is a log storage method for an information processing apparatus that allows a user to change settings related to apparatus operation by using a setup utility, and is performed before and after the execution of the setup utility. Based on one setting, the details of the setting change made by the user are specified, and the specified contents are stored in a log.

  The program of the present invention is a program for causing a computer that allows a user to change the settings relating to the operation of the apparatus by using a setup utility, and is configured to have two settings before and after execution of the setup utility. Based on the above, the details of the setting change made by the user are specified, and the computer is caused to execute a process of storing the specified contents in a log.

  According to the present invention, by storing detailed information related to setting changes made by the user in the log, the details of the setting changes can be grasped from the information in the log by log analysis.

It is a block diagram which shows the basic architecture of the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the detection method of the setting item change performed with the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the log stored in the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  One embodiment of the information processing apparatus (computer system) of the present invention is shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a computer that operates by program control, and examples thereof include a central processing unit, a processor, and a data processing device.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 100 includes a microprocessor 110, a processor bus 120, a north bridge 130, a memory 140, a south bridge 150, an LPC (Low Pin Count) bus 160, a BIOS 170, a BMC 180, a log storage NVRAM ( Non Volatile Random Access Memory) 190. The south bridge 150 has a built-in NVRAM 151. FIG. 1 is merely an architecture and shows one of many different architectures.

  Each means shown in FIG. 1 operates as follows.

  The microprocessor 110 operates as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the information processing apparatus 100.

  The processor bus 120 is an interface bus used between the microprocessor 110 and the north bridge 130.

  The north bridge 130 controls the memory 140 and controls communication between the CPU 110 and other components (means).

  The south bridge 150 mainly controls a device having a low operation speed.

  The NVRAM (nonvolatile memory) 151 is built in the south bridge 150, and mainly includes setting values (setting information) for controlling the operation of the information processing apparatus. Also has a function of holding the set value.

  The LPC bus 160 is an interface bus used between the south bridge 150 and the BIOS 170 or BMC 180.

  The BIOS 170 is system firmware used in the information processing apparatus 100, and has functions such as hardware initialization and a setup utility.

  The BMC 180 has a function of monitoring the temperature and voltage of the information processing apparatus 100 and a function of recording a log.

  The log storage NVRAM (nonvolatile memory) 190 is a non-volatile memory that stores events generated in the information processing apparatus 100 as a log, and is controlled by the BMC 180.

  Next, the operation of the information processing apparatus of this embodiment (one embodiment of the log storage method of the present invention) will be described in detail with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1 and the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the user performs an operation for instructing activation of the setup utility during POST (Power On Self Test) (step A1).

  Next, before starting the setup utility engine, the BIOS 170 saves the current setting value (first setting information) stored in the NVRAM 151 in advance in the memory 140 (step A2).

  After the setup utility is activated and the user performs a predetermined operation, the setup utility is terminated (step A3).

  The BIOS 170 saves the setting value (previous setting value, first setting information) saved in the memory 140 in advance after the setup utility is completed and the current setting value (second setting value) stored in the NVRAM 151. Setting information) (step A4).

  Here, if the contents of the two setting values are the same as a result of the comparison, the user's setting has not been changed, and the process proceeds to the next process based on the result indicated by the setup utility (step A5 / NO). ). On the other hand, if the contents of the two setting values are different as a result of the comparison, the user's setting has been changed, and the process proceeds to log storage processing (step A5 / YES).

  The BIOS 170 specifies (detects) the details of the setting change based on the contents (differences) of the two setting values before and after the execution of the setup utility, and acquires the setting change detailed information indicating the specified contents (step A6). Examples of the details of the setting change include “which setting has been changed”, “what is the previous setting (before changing)”, and “what is the setting after changing”. In this case, the detailed setting change information is “changed item”, “previous (pre-change) set value”, and “current (post-change) set value”.

  The BIOS 170 issues a command that instructs the BMC 180 to store (register) a log based on the acquired setting change detailed information (step A7).

  When the BMC 180 receives the command from the BIOS 170, the BMC 180 creates a log including the setting change detailed information included in the command, and stores (registers) the log in the log storage NVRAM 190 (step A8).

  The BIOS 170 performs the processing operation from step A6 to step A8 on all items (step A9 / NO to step A8), and after that is completed, the next processing is performed based on the result indicated by the setup utility. Proceed (step A9 / YES).

  The above is the operation in the present embodiment. Here, the steps A6 to A8 will be described with reference to specific examples shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which the BIOS 170 detects a setting changed by the user using the setup utility. Items that can be set in the setup utility are managed by Item numbers. This corresponds to the setting item Item table in FIG. The BIOS 170 has an NVRAM function (A) for reading the value of the specified item number from the contents of the NVRAM saved before executing the setup utility, and an NVRAM function (B) for reading the value of the specified item number from the actual NVRAM. . The example of FIG. 3 shows a process for obtaining the previous setting and the current setting of the setting item of Item number 0. The NVRAM function (A) knows from the setting item Item table that the bit address of Item number 0 is 90h and the number of bits is 1. Based on this information, the saved NVRAM contents are accessed to obtain that the set value is zero. Similarly, the NVRAM function (B) also obtains the bit address and the bit number of Item number 0 from the setting item Item table, but the access destination is the actual NVRAM and the setting value is 1. In such a case, since the Item number, the previous setting value, and the current setting are already known, a log is registered in the BMC 180 based on this information.

  FIG. 4 is an example of log contents based on the IPMI specification registered in FIG. One log includes a Record ID uniquely assigned to each registered log, a Record Type indicating the type of log, a time stamp indicating the date and time of registration, and a data area. The blank portion of the data area in FIG. 4 is used to store a uniquely assigned number indicating the setup utility change log in the information processing apparatus. In this data area, the Item number, the previous setting, and the current setting are stored. Since the BIOS developer can know what setting the Item number has, if this log is registered at the time of log analysis, it can know which setting item has been changed by the user. In addition, since the information of the previous set value and the current set value is also known, it is possible to know what value is set. For example, if this item number 0 is a setting item related to a function in the memory, the setting value 0 is invalid, and the setting value 1 is valid, a failure occurs at the next start after changing this setting Can be instructed to perform maintenance and replacement of the memory.

  As described above, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment identifies details that have been set and changed by the System BIOS or System Firmware before and after the execution of the setup utility, acquires information including the identified details, Store that information in the log. Thereby, in the information processing apparatus of this embodiment, when a user changes a setting, it operates so that the changed item and the change of the setting value may be logged. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, by analyzing the information in the stored log, it is possible to grasp the details of the setting change made by the user, and an information processing apparatus with higher maintainability can be obtained. realizable.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the following two effects are also achieved.

  The first effect is that it is possible to determine whether or not the user has changed the setting from log information in a factor investigation at the time of failure occurrence. The reason is that it is possible to know which setting is changed to what value in the log, and it is possible to specify a range in which the setting affects.

  The second effect is that the time required for investigating the factor when a failure occurs can be shortened. The reason is that information related to the details of the setting changes made by the user is stored in the log to be analyzed, so it is specified that the setting change is the cause of the failure during log analysis. This is because it is not necessary to acquire more detailed information if possible.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, it is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary.

  For example, the operation in the above-described embodiment can be executed by hardware, software, or a combined configuration of both.

  When executing processing by software, a program in which a processing sequence is recorded may be installed and executed in a memory in a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware. Or you may install and run a program in the general purpose computer which can perform various processes.

  For example, the program can be recorded in advance on a hard disk or a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a recording medium. Alternatively, the program is temporarily or permanently stored on a removable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), an MO (Magneto optical) disc, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a magnetic disc, or a semiconductor memory. It can be stored (recorded). Such a removable recording medium can be provided as so-called package software.

  The program may be wirelessly transferred from the download site to the computer in addition to being installed on the computer from the removable recording medium as described above. Or you may wire-transfer to a computer via networks, such as LAN (Local Area Network) and the internet. The computer can receive the transferred program and install it on a recording medium such as a built-in hard disk.

  In addition to being executed in time series in accordance with the processing operations described in the above embodiment, the processing capability of the apparatus that executes the processing, or a configuration to execute in parallel or individually as necessary Is also possible.

  In addition, the system described in the above embodiment can be configured to have a logical set configuration of a plurality of devices or to mix the functions of each device.

100 Information processing equipment (computer system)
110 Microprocessor 120 Processor bus 130 North bridge 140 Memory 150 South bridge 151 NVRAM
160 Low Pin Count bus 170 BIOS
180 BMC
190 Log storage NVRAM

Claims (10)

An information processing device that allows a user to change settings related to device operation by using a setup utility,
An information processing apparatus characterized in that details of a change in settings made by the user are specified based on two settings before and after execution of the setup utility, and the specified contents are stored in a log. A save means for saving first setting information indicating a current setting before starting the setup utility when the user gives an instruction to start the setup utility;
Comparison means for comparing the second setting information indicating the current setting with the first setting information saved in advance after completion of the setup utility;
As a result of the comparison, if the contents of the first setting information and the second setting information are different, the specifying means for specifying the details of the setting change made by the user based on the contents of the two setting information When,
Log storage means for storing setting change detailed information indicating the specified contents in a log;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   3. The setting change detailed information includes information indicating which setting has been changed, information indicating what the setting is before the change, and information indicating what the setting is after the change is. Information processing device.   3. As a result of the comparison, when the contents of the first setting information and the second setting information are the same, the process proceeds to a predetermined process based on the result indicated by the setup utility. Or the information processing apparatus of 3.   5. The save means, the comparison means, the specifying means, and the log storage means are BIOS or system firmware that provides the setup utility and operates on the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims.   5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the saving unit, the comparing unit, the specifying unit, and the log storage unit are the setup utility itself. 6. A method of storing a log of an information processing apparatus that allows a user to change settings related to apparatus operation by using a setup utility,
A log storage method comprising: specifying details of a change in settings made by the user based on two settings before and after execution of the setup utility, and storing the specified contents in a log. A save step of saving first setting information indicating a current setting before starting the setup utility when the user gives an instruction to start the setup utility;
A comparison step for comparing the second setting information indicating the current setting with the first setting information saved in advance after the end of the setup utility;
As a result of the comparison, if the contents of the first setting information and the second setting information are different, a specifying step of specifying details of a setting change made by the user based on the contents of the two setting information When,
A log storing step for storing setting change detailed information indicating the specified content in a log;
The log storage method according to claim 7, further comprising: A program to be executed by a computer that allows a user to change settings related to device operation by using a setup utility,
Based on two settings before and after the execution of the setup utility, the details of the setting change made by the user are specified, and the computer is caused to execute a process of storing the specified contents in a log. program. A save process for saving first setting information indicating a current setting before starting the setup utility when the user gives an instruction to start the setup utility;
A comparison process comparing the second setting information indicating the current setting with the first setting information saved in advance after the end of the setup utility;
As a result of the comparison, if the contents of the first setting information and the second setting information are different, a specifying process for specifying the details of the setting change made by the user based on the contents of the two setting information When,
Log storage processing for storing the setting change detailed information indicating the specified content in a log;
10. The program according to claim 9, wherein the program is executed by a computer.

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