JPH0264845A - Electronic computer multiplexing main control part - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute a maintenance work without interrupting the operation of an electronic computer by executing the maintenance work by connecting a maintenance part to a holding main control part and selecting the main control part as a present-use system hereafter. CONSTITUTION:If a main processor 1 switches a bus interface circuit 10 to the side of a control bus 7 by activating a switching circuit 11 when a maintenance device 8 is connected to the main processor 1 through a control bus 6, the maintenance device 8 is switched to the side of a main processor 2 in a standby system. Subsequently, software can be altered and data in a main memory 4 can be altered by using the maintenance device 8. The main processor 2 starts a switching circuit 11, switches the bus interface circuit 10 to the side of a control bus 6, and a selection circuit for present-use/standby system 5 executes selection by setting the processor 1 to be the standby system and the processor 2 to the present-use system. Thus, the maintenance work can be executed without interrupting the operation of the electronic computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a main controller multiplexed electronic computer with excellent operation continuity.

[Conventional technology]

In general, electronic computers that require a high level of reliability to continue normal operation, such as distributed control quantum switches, have a configuration that includes a plurality of main processors and main memories. One main processor and main memory are used as the active system, and the other main processor and main memory are placed on standby as the backup system, so that if a failure occurs in the active system, operation can be continued using the backup system. .

In this type of electronic computer, the standby main processor and main memory do not directly contribute to the operation of the system, at least while they are selected as the standby system. Therefore, in the past, each part of an electronic computer has, in principle, been configured to be connected to the active system.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, conventional electronic computers have a problem in that operations may have to be interrupted when certain types of maintenance are performed.

That is, when performing maintenance, the maintenance device accesses the active memory processor to monitor the operating state and read or write to the main memory. For this reason, when performing maintenance such as changing the main memory or software, the active main processor has no choice but to stop operating. As mentioned above, this type of electronic computer is particularly required to continue normal operation, and therefore, it has been a major problem that the continuity of operation is inhibited by such circumstances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and to provide a main controller multiplexed electronic computer that can continue operating even during maintenance.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a main control section multiplexed electronic computer that includes the following means.

(1) A plurality of main control units, one of which is selected as the active system and connected to the controlled unit, and performs main control operations of the computer.

(2) Main control section; maintenance section for accessing and performing maintenance and operation.

(3) An input section for instructing which main control section the maintenance section should be connected to.

(4) A connection switching unit that connects the maintenance unit to one of the main control units based on instructions from the input unit.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, by issuing an instruction to connect the maintenance section to a desired main control section using the input section, the maintenance section can be connected to any main control section regardless of whether it is selected as the active system. can.

Therefore, when performing maintenance work that requires the main control unit to stop its ongoing operation, the maintenance unit is connected to the main control unit that is on standby and the maintenance work is performed, and then
By selecting the main control unit as the active system, maintenance work can be performed without interrupting the operation of the computer.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below using the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a distributed control electronic exchange using a dual processor system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The main processor 1.2 controls the electronic exchange. The main memories 3.4 each store programs, data, etc. of the main processor 1.2. The active/standby system selection circuit 5 is connected to the main processor 1.
2 as the active system and the backup system, and switches between the active system and the backup system. control bus 6
The main processor 1 is connected to the main memory 3, an external memory (not shown), and other peripheral devices.

Control bus 7 similarly connects main processor 2 with main memory 4 and peripheral devices such as subscriber circuits and trunk circuits (not shown).

The maintenance device 8 accesses the main processor 1.2 to monitor the operating status of the electronic exchange and to access the main memory 3.
．． It is used to perform read or write control of 4. The maintenance device connection circuit 9 connects the maintenance device 8 and the main processor 1.2, and includes a bus interface circuit 10 and a switching circuit 11. The bus interface circuit 10 controls the connection between the maintenance device 8 and one of the control buses 6.7. The switching circuit 11 connects the bus ink face circuit 10 to the control bus 6.7 to the maintenance device 8.
This is used to select and switch which one to connect. The keyboard 12 has a standby system connection instruction button and a standby system disconnection instruction button (not shown), and is used to input an instruction to connect the maintenance device to the main processor selected as the standby system or an instruction to cancel the connection. belongs to.

Next, the operation of this electronic exchange will be explained. Here, it is assumed that main processor 1 is selected as the active system and main processor 2 is the standby system.

Normally, the maintenance device 8 is connected to the main processor 1 via the control bus 6. and main processor 1
It reads out and changes the main memory 3 under the control of the main memory 3, and is used as a terminal for monitoring the operating status of the system.

When the software is changed during operation to add a service function, or when the data in the main memory 3 is changed, the connection of the maintenance device 8 is switched.

First, the operator issues a backup system connection instruction by pressing down on the backup system connection instruction button on the keyboard 12. In response to this, the main processor 1 activates the switching circuit 11,
The bus interface circuit 10 is switched to the control bus 7 side. As a result, the maintenance device 8 is switched to the standby main processor 2 side.

Thereafter, the operator can use the maintenance device 8 to change the software or change the data in the main memory 4. It is also possible to monitor the operational status of the standby memory processor 2.

When the maintenance work is completed, the operator presses down the standby system connection release instruction button on the keyboard 12 to instruct the standby system connection release. In response to this, the main processor 2 activates the switching circuit 11 and switches the bus interface circuit IO to the control bus 6 side.

As a result, the maintenance department @8
Switch to the side.

Then, the operator uses the maintenance device 8 to manually issue an instruction to switch between the active and standby systems. In response to this, the active/standby system selection circuit 5 is activated and selects the main processor 1 as the standby system and the main processor 2 as the active system, thereby making it possible to operate the system with new programs and new data.

In this embodiment, a keyboard 12 is provided in the maintenance device connection circuit 9, and a mode is shown in which a backup system connection instruction etc. is input using this keyboard 12. However, a command indicating a backup system connection instruction etc. is set and the maintenance device 8 is It is also possible to input those commands using

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the maintenance section can be connected to any main control section, regardless of whether it is selected as the active system. Therefore, when performing maintenance work that requires the main control unit to stop its ongoing operation, connect the maintenance unit to the main control unit that is on standby, perform the maintenance work, and then disconnect the main control unit. By selecting it as the active system, maintenance work can be performed without interrupting the operation of the computer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a distributed control electronic switching system using a dual processor system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 12... Main processor, 3.4... Main memory, 5... Working/standby system selection circuit, 6.7...
...Control bus, 8...Maintenance device, 9...
・Maintenance device connection circuit, 10...Bus interface circuit, 11...
...Switching circuit, 12...Keyboard. Applicant NEC Corporation Agent Patent Attorney Umeo Fan Yamauchi 1

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A plurality of main control units, one of which is selected as the active system and connected to the controlled unit, and performs main control operations of the computer, and a main control unit that accesses these main control units for maintenance and operation. an input section for instructing which main control section this maintenance section should be connected to; and an input section for instructing which main control section this maintenance section should be connected to; A main control unit multiplexing electronic computer comprising: a connection switching unit connected to a main control unit multiplexing computer.