JP2010218510A - System and method for monitoring of condition - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce communication load and eliminate the need of a setting change on the monitoring device side caused by a configuration change in a device to be monitored. <P>SOLUTION: A transmitter 1 includes: a state change detection unit 10 for monitoring the state of a relevant device; and a transmission unit 11 for transmitting state change informing data to a monitoring device 2 at intervals of fixed time until the relevant device returns to a steady state when the state change detection unit 10 decides that the relevant device is in the changing state. The monitoring device 2 includes: a memory 21; a no-communication monitoring timer 22 for measuring the time elapsed from the point of time when the state change informing data is written to the memory 21; and a monitoring control unit 24 for regarding the case where the state change informing data is written to the memory 21 as the changing state of the transmitter 1 and regarding the case where the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined no-communication detection time as the restoration to the steady state of the transmitter 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a status monitoring system and a status monitoring method that collectively monitor the status of a plurality of devices to be monitored by a monitoring device.

  Conventionally, in a system composed of a plurality of devices, there has been a request to collectively monitor the status (errors, etc.) of each device. As one of the methods for this purpose, a method (wired OR) for physically connecting the digital output buses of each device has been used. However, in this method, the output signals of the devices to be monitored simultaneously must be physically connected. For this reason, a monitoring method using communication has been proposed as a method when it is impossible to physically connect the output signals of the devices (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, one monitoring device sends a request packet to a communication path at a fixed period, and each monitoring target device connected to the communication path returns a response packet in response to the request packet. By doing so, the monitoring device collects the status information of the device to be monitored.
In the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, a diagnostic signal is transmitted from a monitored human interface to a plurality of programmable controllers, an abnormality diagnosis is performed using the diagnostic signal received by each programmable controller, and diagnosis is performed. The results are returned to all human interfaces, and each human interface inputs diagnosis results from all programmable controllers to perform final diagnosis.

Japanese Patent No. 3077610 Japanese Patent No. 3884275

  In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that a constant communication load is always generated on the communication path because the monitoring device performs communication at regular intervals. Further, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is necessary to change the setting on the monitoring device side when the configuration of the device to be monitored is changed. That is, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, the monitoring device needs to know information (IP address or the like) of the device to be monitored.

  Also in the invention described in Patent Document 2, since a diagnostic signal is transmitted and received between the human interface and the programmable controller, there is a problem that a constant communication load is always generated on the communication path. Further, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, each programmable controller needs to have an abnormality diagnosing means corresponding to the monitored human interface. For this reason, when the configuration of the human interface is changed, the programmable controller side There was a problem that setting change was necessary.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and is a state monitoring system that can reduce a communication load and can eliminate a setting change on the monitoring device side due to a configuration change of a device to be monitored. It is another object of the present invention to provide a state monitoring method.

The state monitoring system of the present invention includes a plurality of transmission devices that are devices to be monitored and at least one monitoring device, and the transmission device includes state change detection means for monitoring the state of the own device, and the own device. Transmission means for transmitting state change notification data to the monitoring device at regular intervals until the device returns to a steady state when the state change detection unit determines that the monitoring device is in a change state, Receiving means for receiving the state change notification data; storage means for storing the received state change notification data; and a process for measuring an elapsed time from when the state change notification data was written to the storage means. When the state change notification data is written in the time measurement means and the storage means, the transmission device that is the transmission source of the state change notification data is regarded as a change state, and the elapsed time is If past the no-communication detection time constant, the transmission source of the transmission apparatus of the status change notification data is characterized in that and a monitoring control unit considered to have returned to a steady state.
Moreover, in one configuration example of the state monitoring system of the present invention, the transmission unit of the transmission device multicasts the state change notification data to all the monitoring devices when there are a plurality of the monitoring devices. Is.

  Further, the state monitoring method of the present invention includes a state change detection procedure in which a transmitting device that is a device to be monitored monitors the state of the own device, and when the transmitting device is in a changed state, A transmission procedure for transmitting state change notification data to a monitoring device at regular intervals until the state returns to a steady state, a storage procedure for the monitoring device to write the received state change notification data to a storage means, and the monitoring device, An elapsed time measurement procedure for measuring an elapsed time from when the state change notification data was written to the storage means, and whether the monitoring device has written the state change notification data to the storage means When the state change notification data is written, the transmission device that is the source of the state change notification data is regarded as a change state, and the elapsed time has passed a predetermined no-communication detection time. When on, the source of the transmission apparatus of the status change notification data is characterized in that and a monitoring control procedure considered to have returned to a steady state.

  According to the present invention, information is not transmitted from the monitoring device to the transmission device, and the state change notification data is transmitted from the transmission device to the monitoring device only when the transmission device is in a change state. The load can be reduced. In the present invention, it is possible to monitor with less than half the packet as compared with the conventional case where a request packet is transmitted from a monitoring device and a response packet is returned from a device to be monitored. Further, in the present invention, since the information is not transmitted from the monitoring device to the transmission device and the state change notification data is transmitted from the transmission device to the monitoring device, the monitoring device stores information on the transmission device (such as an IP address) in advance. There is no need to keep it. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the setting on the monitoring device side even if the transmission device is changed, added, or deleted. Further, in the present invention, since the transmitting device can immediately transmit the change of the own device, the change of the transmitting device cannot be detected except at the timing when the monitoring device confirms, compared to the conventional method. It can be detected quickly.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the transmission apparatus of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the monitoring apparatus of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically an example of operation | movement of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the other example of operation | movement of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the other example of operation | movement of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the other example of operation | movement of the state monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a state monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The state monitoring system includes a plurality of transmission devices 1 that are devices to be monitored, a monitoring device 2, and a network 3 that connects the transmission device 1 and the monitoring device 2.

  Each transmitting device 1 is in a steady state when the state change detecting unit 10 that monitors the state of the own device and the state change detecting unit 10 determines that the own device is in a changed state (for example, an alarm is generated). And a transmission unit 11 that transmits the state change notification data to the monitoring device 2 at regular intervals until the process returns to FIG.

  The monitoring device 2 includes a reception unit 20 that receives data from the transmission device 1, a storage unit 21 for data storage, and an elapsed time from when the state change notification data is written in the storage unit 21. If there is a non-communication monitoring timer 22 that is an elapsed time measuring means for measuring every one, a display unit 23 for displaying the state of each transmitting device 1, and writing of state change notification data in the storage unit 21, When the transmission device 1 that is the transmission source of the state change notification data is regarded as a change state, and the elapsed time has passed the predetermined no-communication detection time, the transmission device 1 that is the transmission source of the state change notification data has returned to the steady state. A monitoring control unit 24 to be considered.

  The storage unit 21 stores monitoring data 211 indicating the state (steady state or change state) of the transmission device 1 for each transmission device 1 and a predetermined no-communication detection time 212.

Next, the operation of the state monitoring system of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the transmission device 1, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the monitoring device 2.
The state change detection unit 10 of the transmission device 1 constantly monitors the state of the own device (step S100 in FIG. 2). The transmission unit 11 of the transmission device 1 transmits state change notification data to the monitoring device 2 when the state change detection unit 10 determines that the own device is in a change state (step S101). The transmission unit 11 repeatedly transmits the state change notification data (step S101) at regular time intervals until the state change detection unit 10 determines that the own device has returned to the steady state (NO in step S100).
In this way, the processes of steps S100 to S101 are performed until the operation of the transmitting device 1 is completed (YES in step S102).

  On the other hand, when the reception unit 20 of the monitoring device 2 receives the state change notification data from the transmission device 1 via the network 3 (YES in step S200 in FIG. 3), the state change notification data is transmitted to the transmission device 1 of the transmission source. The corresponding monitoring data 211 is written in the storage unit 21 (step S201). Since the monitoring data 211 has been written, the monitoring control unit 24 causes the display unit 23 to display that the transmission device 1 is in a change state. When the receiving unit 20 receives the state change notification data, the no-communication monitoring timer 22 resets the elapsed time measured for the transmission device 1 that is the transmission source of the state change notification data to 0, and measures the elapsed time. Start from 0 (step S202).

  Subsequently, the monitoring control unit 24 checks the elapsed time measured by the no-communication monitoring timer 22 (step S203) and determines whether the elapsed time has passed the no-communication detection time 212 (step S204).

  If the elapsed time measured by the no-communication monitoring timer 22 has not passed the no-communication detection time 212 (NO in step S204), the monitoring control unit 24 returns to step S200. In addition, when the elapsed time measured by the no-communication monitoring timer 22 exceeds the no-communication detection time 212 (YES in step S204), the monitoring control unit 24 sets the elapsed time after the no-communication detection time 212. The corresponding monitoring data 211 for the transmitting device 1 is returned to a value representing the steady state (step S205). In this case, the monitoring control unit 24 causes the display unit 23 to display that the transmission device 1 has returned to the steady state.

That is, when there is state change notification data written in the monitoring data 211, the monitoring control unit 24 regards the transmission device 1 that is the transmission source of the state change notification data as a change state, and the non-communication monitoring timer 22 further measures. If the elapsed time exceeds the no-communication detection time 212, that is, if the state change notification data is not written again for a period longer than the no-communication detection time 212 after the state change notification data is written, It is assumed that the transmission device 1 that has transmitted the state change notification data has returned to the steady state.
In this way, the processes of steps S200 to S205 are performed until the operation of the monitoring device 2 is completed (YES in step S206).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, information is not transmitted from the monitoring device 2 to the transmission device 1, and state change notification data is transmitted from the transmission device 1 to the monitoring device 2 only when the transmission device 1 is in a change state. Since it did in this way, communication load can be reduced compared with the past. In the present embodiment, it is possible to monitor with less than half of packets compared to the case where a request packet is transmitted from a monitoring device and a response packet is returned from a device to be monitored as in the prior art.

  In the present embodiment, the monitoring device 2 does not transmit information from the monitoring device 2 to the transmission device 1, but transmits state change notification data from the transmission device 1 to the monitoring device 2. Therefore, the monitoring device 2 transmits information on the transmission device 1 ( It is not necessary to store an IP address or the like in advance, and it is only necessary that each transmission device 1 recognizes information of the monitoring device 2 as a transmission destination. Therefore, even if the transmission device 1 is changed in configuration or the transmission device 1 is added or deleted, it is not necessary to change the setting on the monitoring device 2 side.

  4A to 4C are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of the operation of the state monitoring system according to the present embodiment. 4A to 4C, “0” is set when the receiving unit 20 has not received the state change notification data, and “1” is set when it is received. Further, “0” is set when the monitoring data 211 represents the steady state of the transmission device 1, and “1” is set when the monitoring data 211 represents the change state of the transmission device 1.

  FIG. 4A shows a normal time when there is no state change in the transmission devices 1-1 to 1-3. Next, when a state change occurs in the transmission device 1-1, the transmission device 1-1 transmits state change notification data to the monitoring device 2 (FIG. 4B). Thereby, the receiving unit 20 of the monitoring device 2 receives the state change notification data, and the monitoring data 211 corresponding to the transmission device 1-1 is rewritten to a value representing the change state of the transmission device 1-1.

  FIG. 4C shows a case where the transmitting device 1-1 returns to a steady state. Here, the transmission of the state change notification data is stopped, but since the elapsed time from the transmission of the previous state change notification data has not passed the no-communication detection time 212, the monitoring data 211 has the state shown in FIG. Is maintained. When the elapsed time from the transmission of the last state change notification data passes the no-communication detection time 212, the state returns to the state of FIG.

FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C and FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C are diagrams schematically showing another example of the operation of the state monitoring system of the present embodiment.
FIG. 5A shows a normal time when there is no state change in the transmission devices 1-1 to 1-3. Next, when a state change occurs in the transmission device 1-1, the transmission device 1-1 transmits state change notification data to the monitoring device 2 (FIG. 5B). As a result, the receiving unit 20 of the monitoring device 2 receives the state change notification data (the value “1” in the first stage of the receiving unit 20 in FIG. 5B), and the monitoring data 211 corresponding to the transmitting device 1-1. Is rewritten to a value representing the change state of the transmitting device 1-1 (the value “1” in the first stage of the monitoring data 211 in FIG. 5B).

  Furthermore, when a state change occurs in the transmission device 1-2, the transmission device 1-2 transmits state change notification data to the monitoring device 2 (FIG. 5C). As a result, the receiving unit 20 of the monitoring device 2 receives the state change notification data (the second stage value “1” of the receiving unit 20 in FIG. 5C), and the monitoring data 211 corresponding to the transmitting device 1-2. Is rewritten to a value indicating the change state of the transmitting device 1-2 (the value “1” in the second stage of the monitoring data 211 in FIG. 5C).

  FIG. 6A shows a case where the transmission device 1-1 returns to the steady state, and FIG. 6B shows a case where the transmission device 1-2 subsequently returns to the steady state. In FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the transmission of the state change notification data is stopped, but since the elapsed time from the transmission of the previous state change notification data has not passed the no-communication detection time 212, the monitoring data 211 maintains the state of FIG. When the elapsed time from the last data transmission by the transmitting device 1-1 passes the no-communication detection time 212, the state shown in FIG. 6C is entered, and there is no elapsed time from the last data transmission by the transmitting device 1-2. When the communication detection time 212 has passed, the state returns to the state of FIG.

In the present embodiment, the case where there is one monitoring device 2 is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of monitoring devices 2 may be provided. Further, the transmission device 1 and the monitoring device 2 do not need to exist separately, and one device may have both functions of the transmission device 1 and the monitoring device 2.
7A to 7C schematically illustrate an operation example in the case where there are a plurality of monitoring devices 2 and these devices have both functions of the transmission device 1 and the monitoring device 2. FIG. Here, the monitoring devices 2-1 to 2-4 have both functions of the transmission device 1 and the monitoring device 2.

  FIG. 7A shows a normal time when there is no state change in the monitoring devices 2-1 to 2-4. Next, when a state change occurs in the monitoring device 2-2, the monitoring device 2-2 multicasts state change notification data to the other monitoring devices 2-1, 2-3, 2-4 (FIG. 7B )). Thereby, in each of the monitoring devices 2-1, 2-3, 2-4, the receiving unit 20 receives the state change notification data, and the monitoring data 211 corresponding to the monitoring device 2-2 is the monitoring device 2-2. It is rewritten to a value indicating the change state.

FIG. 7C shows a case where the monitoring device 2-2 returns to a steady state. Here, the transmission of the state change notification data is stopped, but since the elapsed time from the transmission of the previous state change notification data has not passed the no-communication detection time 212, the monitoring data 211 has the state of FIG. Is maintained. When the elapsed time from the transmission of the last state change notification data passes the no-communication detection time 212, the state returns to the state of FIG.
Thus, in the present embodiment, when there are a plurality of monitoring devices 2, the monitoring device 2 can be made redundant by multicast transmission of the state change notification data from the device whose state has changed to each monitoring device 2.

  In this embodiment, normally, it is necessary to make the no-communication detection time longer than the transmission interval of the transmission device 1, but when the time is synchronized between the monitoring device 2 and the transmission device 1, The no-communication detection time can be made equal to the transmission interval of the transmission device 1, and the quick response of monitoring can be further improved.

  In the present embodiment, the case of the monitoring data 211 corresponding to the transmission device 1 on a one-to-one basis is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transmission device 1 corresponding to the monitoring data 211 is described. There may be more than one. In this case, a plurality of transmission devices 1 can be monitored collectively using a single monitoring data 211.

  Further, in the present embodiment, “0” is set when the monitoring data 211 represents the steady state of the transmission device 1, and “1” is set when the change state of the transmission device 1 is represented. There may be a plurality of change states of the transmission device 1 such that the change state A of the transmission device 1 is represented by “1” and the change state B of the transmission device 1 is represented by “2”. In this case, it goes without saying that the state change notification data can also take a plurality of values according to the change state of the transmitting device 1.

  At least a part of the monitoring device 2 according to the present embodiment can be realized by a computer having a CPU, a storage device, and an external interface, and a program for controlling these hardware resources. In such a computer, a program for realizing the state monitoring method of the present invention is provided in a state of being recorded on a recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a memory card. The CPU writes the program read from the recording medium into the storage device, and executes the processing described in this embodiment according to the program.

  The present invention can be applied to a field where a plurality of devices to be monitored need to be collectively monitored.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transmission apparatus, 2 ... Monitoring apparatus, 3 ... Network, 10 ... State change detection part, 11 ... Transmission part, 20 ... Reception part, 21 ... Memory | storage part, 22 ... Non-communication monitoring timer, 23 ... Display part, 24 ... Monitoring control unit, 211... Monitoring data, 212.

Claims (4)

A plurality of transmitting devices that are devices to be monitored and at least one monitoring device;
The transmitting device is
State change detection means for monitoring the state of the device itself;
When the state change detection unit determines that the own device is in a change state, the transmission device transmits state change notification data to the monitoring device at regular intervals until the own device returns to a steady state.
The monitoring device is
Receiving means for receiving the state change notification data;
Storage means for storing the received state change notification data;
An elapsed time measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from the time when the state change notification data was written in the storage means;
When the state change notification data is written in the storage means, the transmission device that is the source of the state change notification data is regarded as a change state, and when the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined no-communication detection time, A state monitoring system comprising: a monitoring control unit that considers that a transmission device that is a transmission source of the state change notification data has returned to a steady state. The state monitoring system according to claim 1,
The state monitoring system characterized in that the transmission means of the transmission device multicasts the state change notification data to all the monitoring devices when there are a plurality of the monitoring devices. A state change detection procedure in which the transmitting device that is the device to be monitored monitors the state of the device itself;
When the transmission device is in a change state, the transmission device transmits state change notification data to the monitoring device at regular intervals until the device returns to a steady state;
A storage procedure in which the monitoring device writes the received state change notification data in a storage means;
An elapsed time measurement procedure in which the monitoring device measures an elapsed time from when the state change notification data was written to the storage unit;
The monitoring device confirms whether or not the state change notification data is written in the storage means, and if there is the state change notification data written, the transmission device that is the transmission source of the state change notification data is changed to the change state. And a monitoring control procedure that, when the elapsed time has passed a predetermined no-communication detection time, considers that the transmission device that is the transmission source of the state change notification data has returned to a steady state. Monitoring method. In the state monitoring method according to claim 3,
In the transmission procedure, when there are a plurality of the monitoring devices, the state change notification data is multicast-transmitted to all the monitoring devices.

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