JPH03127215A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the availability of an information processor by securing the automatic restart of the processor even if an operator is distant away from the processor to prevent the discontinuation of drive of the processor owing to an intermittent fault that can be recovered. CONSTITUTION:When the abnormality is detected from the diagnosis of an information processing part 1, a temporary cut-off command of a power supply is issued to a power control part 3 from the part 1. The part 3 cuts off the power supply based on the received command and applies the power supply after a fixed time. Thus the part 1 is restarted. Thus the part 1 is automatically restarted as long as the abnormality of the part 1 is caused by an intermittent fault and can be solved by the restart. As a result, the part 1 is started as usual and can perform a due task. In such constitution, the availability of an information processor can be improved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to an information processing device equipped with a power control unit that automatically turns on/off the power, and which automatically restarts even when an operator is not near the information processing device. The purpose of this system is to prevent the equipment from stopping due to intermittent failures that may cause normal operation, and to increase the availability of the equipment. An information processing device consisting of a power supply section to be created, and a power supply control section that controls turning on/off of power supplied to the information processing section, the power supply control section controlling the power supply to the information processing section according to instructions from the information processing section. The power is turned off and turned on again after a predetermined period of time.

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an information processing device equipped with a power control unit that automatically turns on/off power.

Typically, in an information processing device, a diagnostic program diagnoses the hardware after power is turned on, and if an abnormality is found, a message is displayed on the operation panel to notify the operator of the abnormality. When an abnormality occurs, if it is a fixed failure, it is necessary to turn off the power to the device and replace the abnormal part (printed board unit, etc.) inside the device with a normal one. On the other hand, in the case of an abnormality caused by an intermittent failure, the abnormality may not occur again and normal processing may be performed by resetting the device or turning the power off/on again. For example, in a low-temperature environment such as a cold region. If you start up under the following conditions, the magnetic disk device, etc. may malfunction due to the low temperature.In this case, the temperature of the device will rise to some extent during the first startup, so it will work normally on the second restart. .

[Conventional technology] Conventionally, when an information processing device becomes abnormal due to hardware diagnosis, the first step is to reset the device or turn off/on the power to determine whether it is a fixed failure or an intermittent failure. someone was doing it.

In the case of an abnormality due to an intermittent failure, if the operator can confirm that normal operation is achieved by turning on the power for the second time, normal operations can be carried out.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in recent years, in order to save labor, information processing devices are increasingly being started automatically by setting a timer, etc. Because there is no
The above operations cannot be performed, and if an intermittent failure occurs that returns to normal operation when the power is turned on again, the equipment will remain stopped and the execution time of the user's work will be reduced. This caused a problem.

The present invention was created in view of these problems, and
An information processing device that can automatically restart even when an operator is not near the information processing device, preventing the device from stopping due to intermittent failures that allow normal operation, and increasing the availability of the device. is intended to provide.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The means in the present invention for achieving the above object are as follows:
As shown in the diagram showing the configuration of the present invention, a CPU (not shown),
An information processing section 1 that has a main memory and peripheral devices such as a display device and a magnetic disk device and performs data processing; a power supply section 2 that generates power supply to each part in the device; and a power supply section 1 that supplies power to the information processing section 1. Power supply control unit 3 that controls turning on/off of
The information processing apparatus is characterized in that the power supply control section 3 turns off the power supply to the information processing section 1 according to a command from the information processing section 1, and turns it on again after a predetermined period of time. .

[Function] As shown in the timing chart of FIG. 2, the power supply unit 3 automatically controls the power supply unit 2 at a predetermined time by setting a timer, for example, and powers on the information processing unit l. . When the information processing unit l is started, normally,
A diagnostic program diagnoses the hardware. As a result, if there is no abnormality, the computer will start up normally and the user's business will be executed.

On the other hand, if an abnormality is discovered by hardware diagnosis, the information processing section 1 issues a command to the power supply control section 3 to temporarily turn off the power. In accordance with the command, the power supply control section 3 controls the power to be turned off once and then turned on again after a predetermined period of time.As a result, the information processing section 1 starts the program for diagnosing the hardware again and performs the diagnosis.

At this time, the abnormality that occurred when the power was turned on previously was due to an intermittent failure that could have caused normal operation, and if the abnormality does not reoccur when the power is turned on again, the system will start up normally and the user will not be able to perform his or her work. It will be done.

[Example] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a power supply control section configured in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure,
The power supply control unit 3 includes a microprocessor (MPU) 31'
, a memory 32 . in which control programs and data for the MPU 31 are stored. Interface circuit 33 with power supply unit 2.
Interface circuit 34 with the information processing section 1. timer 3
5. The MPU 31 is an information processing unit 1
Analyzes the command from the information processing unit 1 to the power supply unit 2.
In addition to controlling the on/off of power supply to the power supply section 2, the control section 2 also monitors the state of the power supply section 2 via the interface circuit 33, and controls to notify the information processing section 1 if there is an abnormality. This power supply control section 3 is constantly supplied with power from the power supply section 2, and is always in an operating state.

The information processing apparatus of this embodiment is one in which the power is automatically turned on/off to execute/stop the user's work, and normally, when the work is finished, the information processing unit 1 turns on/off the power to the power control unit 3.
It issues a command to turn off the power to the device and automatically stops its operation. When turning on the power, the information processing unit 1 notifies the power supply control unit 3 of the power-on time in advance, and the power supply control unit 3
1, the power-on time is set in the timer 35, and when the timer 35 times up, the MPU 31
controls power-on. When the information processing section 1 is started by turning on the power, a diagnostic program performs hardware diagnosis of peripheral devices such as the main memory and disk devices. If an abnormality is detected at this time, a display indicating the abnormality is made to the outside as in the conventional case, and a command is issued to the power supply control section 3 to turn off the power when the power is off.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the MPU 31 of the power supply control section 3 in response to a power-off command from the information processing section 1.

Control of power-off will be explained according to the same flowchart.

(1) First, the power supply section 2 is controlled to cut off the power supply to the information processing section 1 .

(2) Next, determine whether the power-off command is a power-off command at normal termination or a -time power-off command, and if the power is disconnected at normal termination, the power-off state remains as is. .

(3) If it is a -time disconnection command, check the temporary disconnection flag indicating whether it is the second command.

- If the time cutoff flag is "ON", that is, it is the second command, the power supply remains cut off.

(4), (5) - If the time cutoff flag is "OFF", a predetermined time is counted; (6) when the predetermined time has elapsed, the power is turned on;
Restart the information processing section 1.

(7) Set the - time disconnection flag to "ON" to end.

As described above, in this embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the diagnosis in the information processing section 1, the information processing section 1 issues a command to temporarily cut off the power to the power supply control section 3. The power control section 3 turns off the power in accordance with the command, turns on the power after a predetermined period of time, and restarts the information processing section 1. As a result, if the abnormality in the information processing unit l is due to an intermittent failure and can be resolved by restarting, the restart will be performed automatically, allowing normal startup and business execution. Can be done. In addition, if the abnormality occurs again upon restart, it is a fixed failure, so the power supply control unit 3
The power supply is maintained in a disconnected state by the second temporary disconnection command.

In the above embodiment, it is determined whether or not the failure is an intermittent failure after one temporary disconnection, but the determination may be made after repeating the temporary disconnection several times.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, even when an information processing device is started up unattended by automatically turning on the power using a timer or the like, the power is automatically turned off when an abnormality occurs. Intermittent failures in which the abnormality does not occur again after restarting the system can be automatically avoided without the presence of an operator, thereby increasing the availability of the information processing apparatus.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a timing chart explaining the present invention, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a power supply control section according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a power supply control section according to an embodiment. 2 is a control flowchart. 1... Information processing section, 2... Power supply section, 3...
Power control unit, 31... Microprocessor (MPU), 32...
Memory, 33, 34...Interface circuit, 35...Timer Figure 1 Timing chart of the present invention Figure 2 Block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention Control flowchart of the power supply @ mark section of the example

Claims (1)

[Claims] An information processing unit (1) that performs data processing, a power supply unit (2) that creates power supply to each part in the device, and an information processing unit (1) that performs data processing;
1) A power supply control unit (
3), wherein the power supply control section (3) is configured to cut off the power supply to the information processing section (1) according to a command from the information processing section (1), and turn it on again after a certain period of time. An information processing device characterized by: