JPH03121543A - Operation state monitoring system for system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the burden on a system controller and to facilitate and smooth the maintenance and operation of the system by utilizing gathered operation information effectively, and selecting and performing the optimum operation when the operation state deviates from a reference state. CONSTITUTION:Operation reference information on respective equipments which constitute the system is stored in an area 9 previously and the actual operation information is gathered every time an equipment operates or at certain intervals and stored and updated in an area 8. A check start means actuates a check means 1 at the best timing, e.g. every time the operation information is gathered or at the end of daily operation to check the operation information and operation reference information. When it is decide that the operation state is not the reference state, an operation selecting means selects proper operation and an operation execution means executes the operation. Consequently, the system controller can outputs a message for requesting proper action and perform operation required for preventive maintenance automatically at a proper point of time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for viewing the operating status of a system in a control device that controls a plurality of devices.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, system operating state monitoring methods have been limited to providing a control device with a means for collecting operating information of equipment and outputting it. Note that related devices of this type include, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-223954.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned conventional technology detects that a part of the system is close to an abnormal state, that the processing capacity is reduced, etc.

The system administrator must make decisions based on the output operating information, which places a heavy burden on the system administrator.

Additionally, there is a risk of overlooking abnormal conditions, which poses problems in terms of preventive maintenance.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to reduce the burden on system administrators, and to enable appropriate preventive maintenance to be carried out and smooth maintenance and operation of the system. The object of the present invention is to provide a system operating state monitoring method.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above objects include a storage means for storing operation standard information, a checking means for checking the operation information and the operation standard information to determine whether the operating state is out of the standard, a check starting means for starting the checking means, and a checking means for starting the checking means. This is achieved by providing an operation selection means for selecting a necessary operation based on the check result performed by the operator and an operation execution means for executing the selected operation.

[Effect]

Operation standard information for each device constituting the system is stored in advance, and actual operation information is collected, stored, and updated each time the device is operated or at a certain period.

Then, the check activation means activates the checking means at an optimal timing such as every time the operation information is collected or at the end of one day's operation, and checks the operation information and the operation reference information. As a result of the check, if it is determined that the operating state is outside the standard, the operation selection means selects an appropriate operation and the operation execution means executes the operation.

This makes it possible to output a message requesting the system administrator to take an appropriate action at an appropriate time, and also to automatically execute operations necessary for preventive maintenance.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of this embodiment. In this example, the system is controlled by the control unit 1. POS terminals 7 and 1 consist of an input section 21, a display section 3, a printing section 4, a line connection section 5, a storage section 6, etc.
It is composed of a store processor 10 that is connected to a line connection section 5 via a line and manages a plurality of POS terminals.

The POS terminal 7 is under the control of the control unit 1. Based on the input data that the operator inputs from the input section 2 such as a keyboard or scanner, the display on the display section 3 and the printing section 4 are performed.
sales information is stored in the storage unit 6 while making inquiries to the store processor 10 via the line connection unit 5 as necessary, and collecting operating information of each device in the operating information area 8. go.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation information area 8 included in the storage section 6 and the operation reference information area 9 provided according to the present invention. The operating information in the operating information area 8 consists of operating item names and operating values, etc. The operating values are collected, stored, and updated each time each device in the POS terminal 7 is operated or at a certain cycle. For example, the collection of each operating information in this example is as follows.

■ The number of printing lines 8α is updated every time one line is printed in the printing unit 4 (
+1).

■ The number of printing internal errors 8b is updated (+1
)do.

■ The number of line internal errors 80 is operational information that is uniquely stored in the line connection unit 5, and is collected and updated at regular intervals.

■ Inquiry performance 8d is the average value of the inquiry response time to the store processor 7, and is calculated and updated every time an inquiry occurs.

The operation standard information area 9 holds operation item names, operation reference values, and operation instruction information when the operation information exceeds the reference values. This item is one of the items in the operating information area 8 that needs to be monitored.

Furthermore, it is possible to have multiple reference values for the same item. This is to switch the execution operation depending on the extent to which the reference value is exceeded, and in this embodiment, the higher reference value is set near the beginning of the operation reference information area 9.

Next, check the operation information and operation standard information, select the operation,
The operating state monitoring process for executing operations will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 3.

\First, search whether the same item exists in the operation standard information area 9 in order from the first item in the operation information area 8 (300).
If there is no identical item, proceed to the next item (301N), but if there is an identical item (301Y), determine whether the operating status is outside the standard based on the operating value and operating standard value, etc., and if it is outside the standard (302Y). ), extracts the corresponding operation instruction information (303), executes it (304), skips these if it is within the standard (302N), and repeats this until all items in the operation information area 8 are completed. (3
05N).

The operating state monitoring process is started at an appropriate timing, such as during the payment processing at the end of one day's operation of the POS terminal 7.

Now, when the operating standard information area 9 is set as shown in FIG. 2, the operation as a result of the operating state monitoring process will be executed depending on the content of the operating information.

■ When the number of printed lines is 8 a = 10,000 lines, "Ink ribbon needs to be replaced" is displayed.

■ When the number of printing internal errors is 8b = 1, the operation is not executed because it is within the standard.

■ When the number of printing internal errors is 8b = 5, "Frequent Printer Errors" is displayed.

(2) When the number of printing internal errors 8b = 10, the printing unit 4 is locked and the message "Printer disconnected, needs to be replaced" is displayed.

■ When query performance 8d = 5 seconds, display "Review of query scheduling in store processor required".

In this example, the operation instruction information is included in the operation reference information area 9, but it may be separated into another area. In addition, although the items of the operation standard information are selected from the items of the operation information, it is also possible to set a unique item as the operation standard information and check it based on multiple items of the operation information or other collected information. It is also possible to create a database of the operating information area and the operating reference information area.

The operation status monitoring process can be started automatically at a certain period every time specific operation information is updated, or at the operator's instruction.
Various startup methods are possible, such as by instructions from a higher-level device such as a store processor, but it is sufficient to adopt the method that is most suitable for the target system.Furthermore, operating information is collected in the higher-level device, and operation status monitoring processing is performed within the higher-level device. The effects of the present invention are not impaired even if it is implemented all at once or hierarchically with lower devices.

Note that this example does not specifically mention setting information in the operating reference area, but there is no particular method involved as long as it is set before starting the operating status monitoring process.For example, if the information is loaded from the store processor at system startup, It is possible to do so. Furthermore, it is natural that the operating information be initialized at an appropriate timing for each item, such as when a device is replaced. A FD, DISK, SRAM, or the like is used as a storage unit to hold the stored contents of operating information.

In this example, the system is implemented on a POS terminal, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and can also be applied to a network management system, considering various subnetworks and nodes therein as component devices.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, collected operational information is effectively utilized, and when the operational state falls outside the standard, an optimal operation is selected and executed.

For this reason, it is possible to output messages requesting appropriate actions from system administrators at appropriate times, and to automatically execute actions necessary for preventive maintenance.

(1) Reducing the burden on system administrators (2) Facilitating system maintenance and operation2.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the storage unit shown in the figure, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an operating state monitoring process for checking operating information and operating reference information, selecting an operation, and executing an operation. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Control part, 2... Input part, 3... Display part, 4
...Printing section, 5...Storage section, 6...Line connection section,
7...pos terminal, 8...operation information area,
9... Operation standard information area, 10... Store processor. First mistake? Ridai area

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a system having an operation information collection means for collecting operation information of a device, and an operation information storage means for storing the operation information, an operation reference information storage means for storing operation standard information, the operation information and the operation standard. A checking means for checking information and determining whether the operating state is out of the standard, a check starting means for starting the checking means, an operation selection means for selecting a necessary action based on the check result performed by the checking means, and a selection means. 1. A method for monitoring the operating state of a system, characterized in that an operation execution means for executing an operation is provided.