JP6096423B2 - Communication system and redundant switching method for communication system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system and a redundant switching method of a communication system, and more particularly to a communication system and a redundant switching method of a communication system capable of shortening the switching time from an active system to a standby system while suppressing power consumption.

  In a communication system that requires high reliability, prepare a standby system that has basically the same configuration as the active system in operation. If a failure occurs in the active system, switch to the standby system. Multiple redundancy is in operation.

  In general, there are a hot standby system and a cold standby system as an operation system for multiple redundancy in a communication system. The hot standby method is a method in which the standby standby system is operated in the same way as the active system, and when a failure occurs in the active system, the active system is immediately switched to the standby system. is there. The cold standby method is a method in which the standby system is started after a failure occurs in the active system. For this reason, the hot standby method consumes power because the standby system is always operated. The cold standby method starts the standby system after a failure occurs in the active system, so it can be operated with low power, but it takes time to start the standby system. It takes time to switch to.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an emergency disaster warning transfer system that can be operated with low power and that can shorten the time required for switching the active system to the standby system after a failure occurs. The system disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an operational computer system arranged in a disaster area network, and a standby computer system and an emergency disaster warning receiver arranged in a non-disaster area network. The emergency disaster warning receiver transfers emergency disaster information to the standby computer system when it receives an emergency disaster warning including an emergency earthquake warning distributed from the Japan Meteorological Agency, that is, immediately before the occurrence of the disaster. The standby computer is activated in response to the emergency disaster information and is switched from the cold standby state to the hot standby state.

  As described above, the emergency disaster alarm transfer system disclosed in Patent Document 1 normally has a standby system in a cold standby state, and when an emergency disaster alarm is received, that is, immediately before a disaster occurs, To. For this reason, normally, since the standby system is in a cold standby state, no power is applied. When an emergency disaster warning is received, the system enters a hot standby state. If a failure occurs in the operating system thereafter, the system can be immediately switched from the operating system to the standby system. For this reason, it takes no time to switch from the active system to the standby system while suppressing power consumption.

JP 2010-081030 A

  In the emergency disaster alarm transfer system described in Patent Document 1 described above, the standby system is normally in a cold standby state. When an emergency disaster warning is received, the system enters a hot standby state, and when a failure occurs in the operation system thereafter, the operation system can be immediately switched to the standby system. However, the system described in Patent Document 1 normally switches the standby system to the cold standby state and switches to the hot standby state when an emergency disaster warning is received. Therefore, since the hot standby state is switched only when an emergency disaster alarm is received, it is not possible to switch to the hot standby state when a failure occurs in the operational system not at the time of occurrence of the emergency disaster alarm but at the normal time. For this reason, when a failure occurs in the active system during normal operation, it is necessary to start the standby system after the failure has occurred. For this reason, there is a problem that it takes time to start the standby system, and therefore it takes time to switch the active system to the standby system.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and to reduce the time required for switching from the active system to the standby system when a failure occurs in the active system while reducing power consumption, and a communication system and It is to provide a redundant switching method for a communication system.

  The communication system of the present invention, in a communication system that transmits and receives data to and from the network via a plurality of interface units provided between the network, the operational interface unit that indicates a currently operating state, The standby interface unit that is in the cold standby state and receives the signal to shift to the hot standby state and shifts to the hot standby state, and the operational interface based on the tight operating status of the operational interface unit An information storage failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of a unit, and a signal that causes the standby interface unit to transition to the hot standby state when the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the interface unit of the active system And a switch unit for outputting.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a communication system and a communication system redundancy switching method capable of reducing the time for switching from the active system to the standby system when a failure occurs in the active system while suppressing power consumption. can do.

It is a figure which shows an example of the communication system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the communication system which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the communication system which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the communication system which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The communication system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an active interface unit 2, a standby interface unit 3, an information storage failure prediction unit 4, and a switch unit 5.

  The communication system 1 has a plurality of interface units, receives data from the network 6 through the interface units, and sends the data to the network 6 through the interface units based on, for example, a destination of the data.

  The active interface unit 2 is an interface unit that indicates a currently operating state, and sends data received from the network 6 to the switch unit 5 and sends data received from the switch unit 5 to the network 6. The standby interface unit 3 is normally in a cold standby state, and shifts to a hot standby state in response to a signal for shifting to a hot standby state. The standby interface unit 3 is not operating in the cold standby state. In the hot standby state, the same operation as that of the operational interface unit 2 is performed except that data is not transmitted to the network 6 and the switch unit 5. The information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 2 based on the tight operating status of the active interface unit 2. When the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 2, the switch unit 5 outputs a signal for causing the standby interface unit 3 to shift to a hot standby state.

  Therefore, in normal operation, the active interface unit 2 is in operation, and the standby interface unit 3 is in a cold standby state and is not operating. Then, the operational interface unit 2 receives data from the network 6 and sends this data to the switch unit 5. The switch unit 5 sends the data received from the active interface unit 2 to the destination based on the destination information included in the data via the active interface unit 2. Then, during operation of the communication system 1, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 examines the operating status of the operational interface unit 2, and for example, when there is no room in the traffic status or power consumption status, It is predicted that a failure will occur in the operational interface unit 2. When the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 2, the switch unit 5 outputs a signal for causing the standby interface unit 3 to shift to a hot standby state. The standby interface unit 3 shifts to a hot standby state in response to a signal for switching to hot standby from the switch unit 5.

  In the above description, the case where there is one standby interface unit 3 as shown in FIG. 1 has been described. However, the number of standby interface units 3 is not limited to one, and a plurality of standby interface units 3 may be set. When a plurality of standby interface units 3 are set, the switch unit 5 detects the failure of the active interface unit 2 when the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 3. One of the standby interface units 3 is selected. Then, a signal for shifting to the hot standby state is output to the selected standby interface unit 3. Then, the standby interface unit 3 that has received the signal for shifting to hot standby shifts to the hot standby state.

  Thereafter, when a failure such as the occurrence of a data communication error occurs in the operational interface unit 2, the operational interface unit 2 notifies the switch unit 5 of the occurrence of the failure. Then, the switch unit 5 stops the active interface unit 2 and operates the standby interface unit 3 that has shifted to the hot standby state. At this time, since the standby interface unit 3 is in a hot standby state, it can be operated immediately. When a plurality of standby interface units 3 are set, the switch unit 5 detects an abnormality in the standby interface unit 3 when operating the standby interface unit 3 that has shifted to the hot standby state. In this case, the other standby interface unit 3 is operated.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the operational interface unit 2 based on the tight operating status of the operational interface unit 2. When a failure of the operational interface unit 2 is predicted, the switch unit 5 outputs a signal for shifting to the hot standby state. Then, the standby interface unit 3 in the cold standby state receives this signal and shifts to the hot standby state.

Therefore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, during normal operation, a standby interface unit in a cold standby state is connected to a hot interface when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. Transition to the standby state. For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a cold standby state during normal operation, so that power consumption can be suppressed. The standby interface unit shifts to a hot standby state when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a hot standby state when a failure occurs in the active interface unit, and thus can operate immediately. As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the occurrence of a failure is predicted before a failure occurs in the operation system while suppressing power consumption, and when the failure occurs in the operation system. The switching time from the active system to the standby system can be shortened.
(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, the operational interface unit 2 and the information storage failure prediction unit 4 in the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 are further embodied. Therefore, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The communication system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an active interface unit 2, a standby interface unit 3, an information storage failure prediction unit 4, and a switch unit 5.

  The operational interface unit 2 measures the flow rate of traffic between data received from the network 6 and transmitted to the switch unit 5 and data received from the switch unit 5 and transmitted to the network 6. Further, the operational interface unit 2 measures the power consumption of its own interface unit.

  The information storage failure prediction unit 4 examines the traffic state of the active interface unit 2 and predicts a failure of the active interface unit 2 when the traffic flow rate is expected to stay high or increase. Further, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 examines the power consumption state of the operational interface unit 2 and predicts a failure of the operational interface unit 2 when an increase in power consumption is expected.

  Therefore, in normal operation, the active interface unit 2 is in operation, and the standby interface unit 3 is in a cold standby state and is not operating. Then, the operational interface unit 2 receives data from the network 6 and sends this data to the switch unit 5. The switch unit 5 sends the data received from the active interface unit 2 to the destination based on the destination information included in the data via the active interface unit 2. The operational interface unit 2 measures the flow rate of traffic between data received from the network 6 and transmitted to the switch unit 5 and data received from the switch unit 5 and transmitted to the network 6 during operation of the communication system 1. . Further, the operational interface unit 2 measures the power consumption of its own interface unit. The information accumulation failure prediction unit 4 accumulates traffic flow information measured by the operational interface unit 2 in time series, for example, and changes the traffic flow based on the change state of the accumulated information. I expect. When the traffic flow rate is expected to stay high or increase, a failure of the operational interface unit 2 is predicted. Further, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 stores power consumption information measured by the operational interface unit 2 in, for example, a time series, and predicts a change in power consumption based on a change state of the stored information. . If an increase in power consumption is expected, a failure of the operational interface unit 2 is predicted. When the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 2, the switch unit 5 outputs a signal for causing the standby interface unit 3 to shift to a hot standby state. The standby interface unit 3 shifts to the hot standby state in response to a signal for shifting to the hot standby from the information storage failure prediction unit 4.

  Thereafter, when a failure such as the occurrence of a data communication error occurs in the operational interface unit 2, the operational interface unit 2 notifies the switch unit 5 of the occurrence of the failure. Then, the switch unit 5 stops the active interface unit 2 and operates the standby interface unit 3 that has shifted to the hot standby state. At this time, since the standby interface unit 3 is in a hot standby state, it can be operated immediately.

  In the above description, as shown in FIG. 2, the case where there is one spare interface unit 3 has been described. However, as described in the first embodiment, the spare interface unit 3 need not be limited to one. Multiple settings may be made.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 changes the traffic status of the active interface unit 2 or the power consumption status of the active interface unit 2. Based on this, a failure of the operational interface unit 2 is predicted. When a failure of the operational interface unit 2 is predicted, the switch unit 5 outputs a signal for shifting to the hot standby state. Then, the standby interface unit 3 in the cold standby state receives this signal and shifts to the hot standby state.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, during normal operation, a standby interface unit in a cold standby state is connected to a hot interface when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. Transition to the standby state. For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a cold standby state during normal operation, so that power consumption can be suppressed. The standby interface unit shifts to a hot standby state when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a hot standby state when a failure occurs in the active interface unit, and thus can operate immediately. As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the occurrence of a failure is predicted before a failure occurs in the operation system while suppressing power consumption, and when the failure occurs in the operation system. The switching time from the active system to the standby system can be shortened.
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  In the third embodiment of the present invention, the operational interface unit 2 and the information storage failure prediction unit 4 in the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 are described in more detail. . Therefore, the difference from the second embodiment will be mainly described.

  The communication system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an active interface unit 2, a standby interface unit 3, an information storage failure prediction unit 4, and a switch unit 5. The operational interface unit 2 includes a data transmission / reception unit 7, a switch transmission / reception unit 8, a flow rate monitoring unit 9, and a power consumption monitoring unit 10. The standby interface unit 3 has the same configuration as the active interface unit 2. The information storage failure prediction unit 4 includes an information storage unit 11 and a failure prediction unit 12.

  The data transmission / reception unit 7 transmits / receives data to / from the network 6. The switch transmission / reception unit 8 transmits / receives data to / from the switch unit 5. The flow rate monitoring unit 9 measures the flow rate of traffic based on data transmission / reception. The power consumption monitoring unit 10 measures the power consumption of its own interface unit. The information storage unit 11 stores information on the traffic flow rate measured by the operational interface unit 2. The information storage unit 11 stores power consumption information measured by the active interface unit 2. The failure prediction unit 12 predicts that a failure will occur in the operational interface unit 2 when the traffic flow rate is expected to stay high or increase based on the change state of the information stored in the information storage unit 11. Also, the failure prediction unit 12 predicts that a failure will occur in the operational interface unit 2 when an increase in power consumption is expected based on the change state of the information stored in the information storage unit 11.

  Next, the operation of the communication system 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

  In normal operation, the active interface unit 2 is in operation, and the standby interface unit 3 is in a cold standby state. Therefore, the standby interface unit 3 is not operating. During operation of the communication system 1, the operational interface unit 2 receives data from the network 6 by the data transmission / reception unit 7 and sends this data to the switch unit 5 by the switch transmission / reception unit 8. The switch unit 5 receives data from the switch transmission / reception unit 8 of the active interface unit 2, and sends the received data to a destination based on destination information included in the data, for example. The operational interface unit 2 receives the data transmitted by the switch unit 5 by the switch transmission / reception unit 8 and transmits the data to the network 6 by the data transmission / reception unit 7.

  Then, during operation of the communication system 1, the standby interface unit 3 in the cold standby state is shifted to the hot standby state as follows.

  In step S1 of FIG. 4, the flow rate monitoring unit 9 of the operational interface unit 2 measures the flow rate (data band) of traffic communicated during this period every predetermined period (for example, 1 second), It outputs to the information storage part 11 for every period. The predetermined period may be appropriately changed by the communication system 1 such as 10 seconds, 1 minute, or more without being particular about 1 second. The traffic flow rate (data bandwidth) indicates the volume of data passing through the unit time, for example, the number of bits passing through the unit time. The power consumption monitoring unit 10 of the active interface unit 2 measures the power consumption of its own interface unit, for example, every predetermined period (for example, 1 second), and outputs it to the information storage unit 11 every period. To do.

  In step S <b> 2 of FIG. 4, the information accumulation unit 11 receives traffic flow information from the flow rate monitoring unit 9 every predetermined period and accumulates it in time series, for example. In addition, the information storage unit 11 receives power consumption information from the power consumption monitoring unit 10 every predetermined period and stores the information in a time series, for example.

  In step S3 of FIG. 4, the failure prediction unit 12 predicts a traffic abnormality (such as a high stop or an increase in traffic flow) based on a change state of traffic flow information accumulated by the information accumulation unit 11. It is predicted that a failure will occur in the operational interface unit 2. Then, a failure occurrence prediction signal is output to the switch unit 5.

  Generally, when the traffic flow rate is continuously high (that is, the bandwidth is high) or when the traffic flow rate tends to increase, an increase in power consumption is expected. For this reason, there is a possibility that the operating interface unit 2 will run out of heat on the basis of an increase in power consumption. The state in which the flow rate of traffic is continuously high is, for example, a case where a situation close to the upper limit communication band of the operational interface unit 2 has continued for, for example, five periods (five predetermined periods) or more. is there. This period may be appropriately changed without being limited to five periods. Further, even if the traffic flow rate is repeatedly increased and decreased, if the traffic flow rate is generally increasing, the traffic flow rate is considered to be increasing.

  Further, the failure prediction unit 12 predicts that a failure occurs in the operational interface unit 2 when an increase in power consumption is expected based on the change state of the power consumption information stored in the information storage unit 11. Then, a failure occurrence prediction signal is output to the switch unit 5. “When power consumption is expected to increase” means that power consumption is continuously increasing (for example, 1 hour), and there is a possibility that it will reach a value that causes thermal runaway of the operational interface unit 2. Shows the case. The “value that causes thermal runaway of the operational interface unit 2” is, for example, an upper limit value (eg, 85 ° C., 100 ° C., etc.) of an operation guarantee temperature of an LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuit). This upper limit value is not limited to this value, and may be appropriately changed to a value more suitable for the communication system 1.

  In step S4 of FIG. 4, the switch unit 5 receives a failure occurrence prediction signal from the failure prediction unit 12, and outputs a signal for causing the standby interface unit 3 to shift to a hot standby state.

  In step S5 of FIG. 4, the control unit (not shown) of the standby interface unit 3 receives the signal for shifting to the hot standby from the switch unit 5 and shifts the standby interface unit 3 to the hot standby state. .

  In the above description, the case where there is one standby interface unit 3 as shown in FIG. 3 has been described, but the number of standby interface units 3 is not limited to one, and a plurality of standby interface units 3 may be set. When a plurality of standby interface units 3 are set, the switch unit 5 receives one failure occurrence prediction signal from the failure prediction unit 12, and then one of the plurality of standby interface units 3. The interface unit 3 is selected. Then, a signal for shifting to the hot standby state is output to the selected standby interface unit 3. Then, the standby interface unit 3 that has received the signal for shifting to hot standby shifts to the hot standby state.

  Thereafter, when a failure such as the occurrence of a data communication error occurs in the operational interface unit 2, the operational interface unit 2 notifies the switch unit 5 of the occurrence of the failure. Then, the switch unit 5 sends an operation stop signal to the active interface unit 2. A control unit (not shown) of the active interface unit 2 receives this signal and stops the operation of the active interface unit 2. Then, an operation start signal is sent to the standby interface unit 3 that has shifted to the hot standby state. A control unit (not shown) of the standby interface unit 3 receives the operation start signal and operates the standby interface unit 3 as the active interface unit 2. At this time, since the standby interface unit 3 is in a hot standby state, it can be operated immediately.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the traffic flow rate and the power consumption are monitored by the operational interface unit 2. Then, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 2 based on the traffic status of the active interface unit 2 or the power consumption status of the active interface unit 2. When a failure of the operational interface unit 2 is predicted, the switch unit 5 outputs a signal for shifting to the hot standby state. Then, the standby interface unit 3 in the cold standby state shifts to the hot standby state.

  Therefore, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, during normal operation, a standby interface unit in a cold standby state is connected to a hot interface when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. Transition to the standby state. For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a cold standby state during normal operation, so that power consumption can be suppressed. The standby interface unit shifts to a hot standby state when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a hot standby state when a failure occurs in the active interface unit, and thus can operate immediately. As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the occurrence of a failure is predicted before a failure occurs in the active system while suppressing power consumption, and when the failure occurs in the active system. The switching time from the active system to the standby system can be shortened.

In the above description regarding the third embodiment of the present invention, the case where there is one flow rate monitoring unit 9 as shown in FIG. 3 has been described, but a plurality of flow rate monitoring units 9 may be set. In this case, for example, a plurality of flow rate monitoring units 9 are set corresponding to a plurality of predetermined periods with different time intervals for measuring the flow rate. When there are two predetermined periods, for example, the flow rate monitoring unit 9 for a short period (for example, 1 second) and the flow rate monitoring unit 9 for a long period (for example, 10 seconds) are set. The short-term flow rate monitoring unit 9 and the long-term flow rate monitoring unit 9 measure the flow rate of traffic based on data transmission / reception for each period, and output the measured flow rate to the information storage unit 11 for each period. To do. The information accumulating unit 11 receives and accumulates the traffic flow rate from these flow rate monitoring units 9 for each period. For example, the failure prediction unit 12 receives and accumulates every long period even if the traffic flow received and accumulated every short period is continuously high (for example, 5 periods (5 seconds) in a short period). If the traffic flow rate is not continuous (eg, 5 long periods (50 seconds)), it is assumed that this flow rate has increased and decreased temporarily, and the traffic abnormal state is temporary. to decide. In this case, even if it is determined that the traffic is abnormal according to the flow rate information measured by the short-term flow monitoring unit 9, the flow rate information measured by the long-term flow monitoring unit 9 is not determined as a traffic abnormality. Therefore, in this case, the standby interface unit 3 is not shifted to the hot standby state. In this way, by setting a plurality of flow rate monitoring units 9, it is possible to prevent the standby interface unit 3 from frequently shifting to the hot standby state based on temporary fluctuations in traffic.
(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  The communication system 15 according to the present embodiment includes an active interface unit 16, a standby interface unit 17, an information storage failure prediction unit 4, and a switch unit 18.

  The communication system 15 has a plurality of interface units, receives data from the network 6 through the interface unit, and sends the data to the network 6 through the interface unit based on, for example, a destination of the data.

  The active interface unit 16 is an interface unit that indicates a currently operating state, sends data received from the network 6 to the switch unit 18, and sends data received from the switch unit 18 to the network 6. The standby interface unit 17 is normally in a cold standby state, and operates upon receiving a signal (operation start signal) for shifting to an operating state. The standby interface unit 17 is not operating in the cold standby state. The information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 16 based on the tight operating status of the active interface unit 16. When the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 16, the switch unit 18 outputs an operation start signal to the standby interface unit 17. The standby interface unit 17 receives the operation start signal, shifts to an operating state, and operates in the same manner as the active interface unit 16.

  Therefore, in normal operation, the active interface unit 16 is in operation, and the standby interface unit 17 is in a cold standby state and is not operating. Then, the operational interface unit 16 receives data from the network 6 and sends this data to the switch unit 18. The switch unit 18 sends the data received from the operational interface unit 16 to the destination based on the destination information included in the data via the operational interface unit 16. Then, during operation of the communication system 15, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 checks the operating status of the operational interface unit 16. For example, when the traffic status or the power consumption status is tight and tight, It is predicted that a failure will occur in the operational interface unit 16. When the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 16, the switch unit 18 outputs an operation start signal to the standby interface unit 17. The standby interface unit 17 receives an operation start signal from the switch unit 18, shifts to an operating state, and operates in the same manner as the active interface unit 16. Then, the switch unit 18 outputs an operation start signal to the standby interface unit 17 and operates the standby interface unit 17, and then sets a predetermined value for the currently operating interface unit 16. Instructs to send and receive the destination data for the range. Then, data in a destination different from the destination in the predetermined range instructed to the active interface unit 16 is transmitted / received to / from the standby interface unit 17 shifted to the currently operating state. Instruct. The active interface unit 16 transmits and receives destination data within a predetermined range based on an instruction from the switch unit 18, and the standby interface unit 17 transmits a predetermined range based on an instruction from the switch unit 18. Send and receive data in a destination different from the destination.

  In the above description, as shown in FIG. 5, the case where there is one spare interface unit 17 has been described. However, the spare interface unit 17 need not be limited to one, and a plurality of spare interface units 17 may be set. When a plurality of standby interface units 17 are set, the switch unit 18 detects the failure of the active interface unit 16 when the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the active interface unit 16. One of the standby interface units 17 is selected. Then, an operation start signal is output to the selected standby interface unit 17. Then, the standby interface unit 17 that has received the operation start signal operates.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the information storage failure prediction unit 4 predicts a failure of the operational interface unit 16 based on a tight operating state of the operational interface unit 16. When a failure of the operational interface unit 16 is predicted, an operation start signal is output by the switch unit 18. Then, the standby interface unit 17 in the cold standby state receives the operation start signal, shifts to the operating state, and operates in the same manner as the active interface unit 16.

  Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, during normal operation, the standby interface unit in the cold standby state is operated when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. . For this reason, the standby interface unit is in a cold standby state during normal operation, so that power consumption can be suppressed. The standby interface unit operates in the same way as the active interface unit when a failure of the active interface unit is predicted. For this reason, the standby interface unit is operated in the same manner as the active interface unit while the active interface unit is in operation, so that the data communicated between the networks processed by the active interface unit is reserved. It can be distributed to the system interface. For this reason, traffic can be distributed between the active interface unit and the standby interface unit, which improves the operational status of the active interface unit and avoids failures in the active system. be able to. As described above, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, while suppressing power consumption, the occurrence of a failure is predicted before a failure occurs in the active system, and the failure occurring in the active system is avoided. be able to.

Part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited thereto.
(Appendix 1)
In a communication system for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network through a plurality of interface units provided between the network and the network,
The interface part of the operational system showing the current operational state;
In the normal state, it is in a cold standby state, and receives the signal to shift to hot standby and shifts to the hot standby state, the standby interface unit,
An information storage failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the active interface unit based on a tight operating situation of the active interface unit;
When the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operational interface unit, a switch unit that outputs a signal that causes the standby interface unit to transition to the hot standby state;
A communication system comprising:
(Appendix 2)
A plurality of the standby interface units are set,
The switch unit, when the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the active interface unit, one of the plurality of standby interface units excluding the active interface unit Select the interface part of the selected standby system, and output a signal to shift to the hot standby state to the selected standby interface part.
The communication system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein
(Appendix 3)
The information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operational interface unit when the traffic flow rate of the operational interface unit is expected to stay high or increase. The communication system described.
(Appendix 4)
The communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operation interface unit when an increase in power consumption of the operation interface unit is expected. .
(Appendix 5)
The operational interface unit measures the traffic flow of the data received from the network and sent to the switch unit, and the data received from the switch unit and sent to the network;
The information storage failure prediction unit stores information on the traffic flow rate measured by the operational interface unit, and predicts a high stop or an increase in the traffic flow based on a change state of the stored information. ,
The communication system according to supplementary note 3, wherein
(Appendix 6)
The operational interface unit measures the power consumption of its own interface unit,
The information storage failure prediction unit stores the information on the power consumption measured by the operational interface unit, and predicts an increase in the power consumption based on a change state of the stored information.
The communication system according to supplementary note 4, characterized by:
(Appendix 7)
The interface unit is
A data transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network;
A switch transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the switch unit;
A flow rate monitoring unit for measuring a flow rate of the traffic (band of data to pass) based on transmission and reception of the data;
The communication system according to appendix 2, 3 or 5, characterized by comprising:
(Appendix 8)
The interface unit is
When the own interface unit is the active interface unit, or when the own interface unit is the standby interface unit in a hot standby state,
A data transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network;
A switch transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the switch unit;
A power consumption monitoring unit for measuring power consumption of the interface unit of itself;
The communication system according to appendix 2, 4 or 6, characterized by comprising:
(Appendix 9)
The information storage failure prediction unit, an information storage unit for storing information on the traffic flow rate measured by the operational interface unit;
A failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the interface unit of the active system, when a high flow rate or an increase in the traffic flow is expected based on a change state of the information stored by the information storage unit;
The communication system according to appendix 3, 5 or 7, characterized by comprising:
(Appendix 10)
The information storage failure prediction unit includes an information storage unit that stores information on the power consumption measured by the operational interface unit;
When an increase in the power consumption is expected based on the change state of the information stored in the information storage unit, a failure prediction unit that predicts a failure in the operational interface unit;
The communication system according to appendix 4, 6 or 8, characterized by comprising:
(Appendix 11)
The flow rate monitoring unit measures the flow rate of the traffic communicated in the period for each predetermined period and outputs the measured flow period for the predetermined period,
The information accumulation unit receives and accumulates the traffic flow rate from the flow rate monitoring unit for each predetermined period;
The communication system according to supplementary note 9, wherein
(Appendix 12)
A plurality of the flow rate monitoring units are set corresponding to a plurality of the predetermined periods with different period intervals,
The information accumulation unit receives and accumulates the traffic flow rate from the plurality of flow rate monitoring units for each of the plurality of predetermined periods;
The communication system according to supplementary note 11, characterized by that.
(Appendix 13)
In a communication system for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network through a plurality of interface units provided between the network and the network,
The interface part of the operational system showing the current operational state;
The standby interface, which is normally in a cold standby state, operates in response to a signal for shifting to an operating state, and shifts to an operating state; and
An information storage failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the active interface unit based on a tight operating situation of the active interface unit;
When the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the active interface unit, a switch unit that outputs a signal that causes the standby interface unit to shift to the operating state;
A communication system comprising:
(Appendix 14)
The switch unit outputs a signal for transitioning to the operating state to the standby interface unit, operates the standby interface unit, and then operates the active interface unit currently in operation. Instructed to transmit / receive data in a predetermined range of destinations, and directed to the active interface unit to the standby interface unit that has shifted to the currently operating state. Instructed to send and receive data for a destination that is different from the destination for the range,
The operational interface unit transmits and receives the data of the destination in the predetermined range based on an instruction from the switch unit,
The standby interface unit transmits and receives the data of the destination in a range different from the destination of the predetermined range based on an instruction from the switch unit;
The communication system according to supplementary note 13, characterized by that.
(Appendix 15)
In a redundant switching method of a communication system that transmits and receives data to and from the network through a plurality of interface units provided between the network,
Predict the failure of the operational interface unit based on the tight operating status of the operational interface unit,
A redundant switching method for a communication system, characterized in that when a failure of the operational interface unit is predicted, a standby interface unit that is normally in a cold standby state is shifted to a hot standby state.
(Appendix 16)
When a failure of the active interface unit is predicted, one standby interface unit is selected from the plurality of standby interface units excluding the active interface unit, and the selected standby system unit is selected. The redundant switching method for a communication system according to appendix 15, wherein the interface unit is shifted to a hot standby state.
(Appendix 17)
The redundant switching of the communication system according to appendix 15 or 16, wherein a failure of the operational interface unit is predicted when a high flow rate or an increase in traffic flow of the operational interface unit is expected. Method.
(Appendix 18)
The redundant switching method for a communication system according to appendix 15 or 16, wherein a failure of the active interface unit is predicted when an increase in power consumption of the active interface unit is expected.
(Appendix 19)
In a redundant switching method of a communication system that transmits and receives data to and from the network through a plurality of interface units provided between the network,
Predict the failure of the operational interface unit based on the tight operating status of the operational interface unit,
When a failure of the operational interface unit is predicted, the standby interface unit that is normally in a cold standby state is operated and shifted to an operational state.
A redundant switching method for a communication system.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication system 2 Operation system interface part 3 Standby system interface part 4 Information storage failure prediction part 5 Switch part 6 Network 7 Data transmission / reception part 8 Switch transmission / reception part 8
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Flow monitoring part 10 Power consumption monitoring part 11 Information storage part 12 Failure prediction part 15 System 16 Operation system interface part 17 Standby system interface part 18 Switch part

Claims (10)

In a communication system for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network through a plurality of interface units provided between the network and the network,
The interface part of the operational system showing the current operational state;
In the normal state, it is in a cold standby state, and receives the signal to shift to hot standby and shifts to the hot standby state, the standby interface unit,
An information storage failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the active interface unit based on a tight operating situation of the active interface unit;
When the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operational interface unit, a switch unit that outputs a signal that causes the standby interface unit to transition to the hot standby state;
Equipped with a,
The information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operational interface unit when a high flow rate or increase in traffic flow of the operational interface unit is expected,
A communication system characterized by the above. A plurality of the standby interface units are provided ,
The switch unit, when the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the active interface unit, one of the plurality of standby interface units excluding the active interface unit Select the interface part of the selected standby system, and output a signal to shift to the hot standby state to the selected standby interface part.
The communication system according to claim 1. The communication according to claim 1, wherein the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operation interface unit when an increase in power consumption of the operation interface unit is expected. system. The operational interface unit measures the traffic flow of the data received from the network and sent to the switch unit, and the data received from the switch unit and sent to the network;
The information storage failure prediction unit stores information on the traffic flow rate measured by the operational interface unit, and predicts a high stop or an increase in the traffic flow based on a change state of the stored information. ,
The communication system according to claim 1 or 2 . The operational interface unit measures the power consumption of its own interface unit,
The information storage failure prediction unit stores the information on the power consumption measured by the operational interface unit, and predicts an increase in the power consumption based on a change state of the stored information.
The communication system according to claim 3 . The interface unit is
A data transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network;
A switch transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the switch unit;
A flow rate monitoring unit for measuring a flow rate of the traffic (band of data to pass) based on transmission and reception of the data;
The communication system according to claim 1, 2, or 4 .   In a communication system for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network through a plurality of interface units provided between the network and the network,
  The interface part of the operational system showing the current operational state;
  In the normal state, it is in a cold standby state, and receives the signal to shift to hot standby and shifts to the hot standby state, the standby interface unit,
  An information storage failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the active interface unit based on a tight operating situation of the active interface unit;
  When the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the operational interface unit, a switch unit that outputs a signal that causes the standby interface unit to transition to the hot standby state;
  With
  A plurality of spare interface units are provided,
  The switch unit, when the information storage failure prediction unit predicts a failure of the active interface unit, one of the plurality of standby interface units excluding the active interface unit Select the interface part of the selected standby system, and output a signal to shift to the hot standby state to the selected standby interface part.
  The interface unit is
  A data transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network;
  A switch transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the switch unit;
  A flow rate monitoring unit for measuring a flow rate of traffic based on transmission and reception of the data (band of data to pass);
  A communication system comprising: The interface unit is
When the own interface unit is the active interface unit, or when the own interface unit is the standby interface unit in a hot standby state,
A data transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network;
A switch transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving the data to / from the switch unit;
A power consumption monitoring unit for measuring power consumption of the interface unit of itself;
The communication system according to claim 2, 3, or 5 . The information storage failure prediction unit, an information storage unit for storing information on the traffic flow rate measured by the operational interface unit;
A failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the interface unit of the active system, when a high flow rate or an increase in the traffic flow is expected based on a change state of the information stored by the information storage unit;
8. A communication system according to claim 1, 2, 4, 6, or 7 . The information storage failure prediction unit includes an information storage unit that stores information on the power consumption measured by the operational interface unit;
When an increase in the power consumption is expected based on the change state of the information stored in the information storage unit, a failure prediction unit that predicts a failure in the operational interface unit;
The communication system according to claim 3 or 5, further comprising:

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