JPH04342013A - Memory dumping system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To start a device while the contents of a storage part from which memory dump is to be picked up is preserved without being broken by switching the operating system and the standby system of the storage device when the memory dump is required, and afterwards, to pick up the memory dump. CONSTITUTION:The storage device 2a is provided with an address area 9 and the address area 10 in its inside. The storage contents read out of the storage device 2a are written in an external storage device 4. A memory switching control part 7 receives a reset signal from the outside, and switches the address area 9 and the address area 10. A dump program starting part 5 outputs a memory dump instruction for reading out the storage contents of the storage part 2a and writing them to the external storage device 4. An executing part 1 executes the memory dump on the basis of the instruction of the dump program starting part 5. An external storage device control part 3 writes the storage contents of the storage part 2a read out on the basis of the instruction from the executing part 1 to the external storage part 4.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a memory dump method, and more particularly to a memory dump method when starting up a device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional memory dump method in an information processing device, as shown in FIG. This is executed, and the contents of the storage section 2b are recorded in the external storage device 4 via the external storage device control section 3.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional memory dump method described above, when the device is restarted, the contents of the memory are reset and destroyed, so it is necessary to restart the device until the memory dump collection is completed. It has the disadvantage that it cannot be used.

An object of the present invention is that when a memory dump is required, by switching between the active system and the standby system of the storage unit, the contents of the storage unit from which the memory dump should be taken can be preserved without being destroyed. The object of the present invention is to provide a memory dump method that can start up a device and then collect a memory dump.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The memory dump method of the first invention includes (A) a storage section having an address area used as an active memory and an address area used as a standby memory; ) When a reset signal is received from the outside, the address areas of the active memory and the standby memory are switched, and the address area used as the active memory is made the address area to be used as a new standby memory; a memory switching control unit that sets an address area used as a standby memory to a new address area to be used as an active memory; (C) outputs a memory dump instruction for reading the storage contents of the storage unit and writing them to an external storage device; (D) an execution unit that executes a memory dump according to an instruction from the dump program activation unit; (E) a dump program activation unit that executes a memory dump according to an instruction from the execution unit; and an external storage device control unit that writes data to the external storage device.

[0006] Furthermore, the memory dump method of the second invention is as follows:
(A) Two storage devices whose addresses correspond to each other, (
B) When the first storage device, which is one of the two storage devices, is used as the active storage device, and the other storage device, the second storage device, is used as the standby storage device, when the external storage device When a reset signal is received, the active storage device and the standby storage device are switched, the first storage device used as the active storage device is used as a new standby storage device, and the standby storage device is switched. The second used as a device
(C) a storage device switching control unit that performs switching to use the storage device as a new active storage device; (C) a dump program startup that outputs a memory dump instruction to read out the storage contents of the storage device and write it to an external storage device; Part, (
D) an execution unit that executes a memory dump according to instructions from the dump program starting unit; (E) an external storage device control unit that writes the storage contents of the storage unit read out according to instructions from the execution unit to the external storage device. , is configured with.

[0007]

Embodiments Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the memory dump method of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the memory dump method of this embodiment includes a storage section 2a having an address area 9 and an address area 10 therein, and an external storage device into which the storage contents read from the storage section 2a are written. 4. A memory switching control unit 7 that receives a reset signal from the outside and switches between the address area 9 and the address area 10; a dump program that outputs a memory dump instruction for reading the storage contents of the storage unit 2a and writing them to the external storage device 4; a startup unit 5, an execution unit 1 that executes a memory dump according to instructions from the dump program startup unit 5, and a storage unit 2a read out according to instructions from the execution unit 1;
It is composed of an external storage device control section 3 that writes the stored contents of the memory into an external storage device 4, and a common bus 6 that connects each section.

Next, the operation will be explained.

In FIG. 1, the storage unit 2a is composed of an address area 9 and an address area 10, and the address area 9 is currently set as the active system and the address area 10 is set as the standby system. shall be.

Normally, if there is an instruction from the dump program starting section 5 during operation, the execution section 1 loads the dump program into the storage section 2a via the common bus 6, executes it, and updates the storage section 2a. The contents of the address area 9 of the active system are recorded in the external storage device 4 via the external storage device control section 3.

However, when a failure or the like occurs in the information processing device currently in operation and the device is restarted, a reset signal is sent to the memory switching control unit 7 a little earlier than the reset signal sent to other parts of the device. When the input of the reset signal 8 for memory switching is applied, the memory switching control unit 7 switches between the active system address area 9 and the standby system address area 10 of the storage unit 2a, and Address area 9, which was an address area, becomes a standby address area, and address area 10, which was previously a standby address area, becomes an active address area. In this state,
When a reset signal for restarting the device is also applied to the storage unit 2a, this reset signal resets the contents stored in the address area 10, which is the address area of the active system, but the contents stored in the address area of the standby system are The contents stored in the address area 9 remain without being reset.

That is, by separating the storage unit 2a into an active system and a standby system and making it possible to switch between them, when a memory dump becomes necessary, the storage unit 2a can be removed before the storage unit is reset. If you switch between the active system and the standby system, you can restart the device without destroying the contents of the storage section where the memory dump should be collected, and then collect the memory dump. Can be done.

Next, a specific circuit for switching between the active address area and the standby address area of the storage unit 2a will be described.

In FIG. 2, the flip-flop 12 is
This is a specific circuit of the memory switching control section 7 in FIG. 1, and the memory 14 is a specific circuit of the storage section 2a. The output signal of the flip-flop 12 is connected to the terminal of the most significant address bit 13 of the memory 14.

When the flip-flop 12 receives the reset signal 8 for memory switching, the logical value of the output signal input to the most significant bit of the address of the memory 14 becomes
When the logical value "1" is switched to the logical value "0" and further the reset signal 8 is received, the logical value of the output signal input to the most significant bit of the address of the memory 14 changes from the logical value "0" again to the logical value. Returns to value "1". In this way, each time the reset signal 8 is received, the most significant bit of the address of the memory 14 is switched from the logical value "1" to the logical value "0" or from the logical value "0" to the logical value "1".

Note that an address selection signal is applied to the input terminal 15 of each bit of the address of the memory 14 except for the most significant bit.

Assuming that the capacity of the memory 14 is 32K bytes, the address is "00" as shown in FIG.
Address ``00'' to address ``3FFF'' is one address area (16K bytes) 16, and address ``4FFF'' is 16.
” to address “7FFF” is another address area (16K bytes) 17. Of these, the 16 Kbyte address area 16 from address "0000" to address "3FFF" is initially allocated as the active system, and the other address area 17 is initially allocated as the standby system.

Next, to explain the bits that make up the address of the memory 14, the bits that make up the first numerical value "0" at address "0000" in the memory 14 are "000".
The bits constituting the first numerical value "3" at address "3FFF" are "011". Also, the bits that make up the first number “4” at address “4FFF” are “100”.
The bits constituting the first numerical value "7" at address "7FFF" are "111". As shown above, for the address area 16 set as the active memory, the most significant bit of the address of the address area 16 is "
0'', and for the address area 17 set as a standby memory, the most significant bit of the address of the address area 17 is ``1''. In other words, an address area where the most significant bit of the address is "0" is an address area set as active memory, and an address area where the most significant bit of the address is "1" is set as standby memory. address area.

Now, in FIG. 2, flip-flop 1
When the input of the reset signal 8 for memory switching is applied to 2, the address area 16 for the active system and the address area for the standby system of the memory 14 are switched, and the address area that was the address area for the active system until then is changed. 9 becomes the address area of the standby system, and address area 10, which was previously the address area of the standby system, becomes the address area of the active system. In this state, a reset signal for restarting the device (applied to the storage unit 2a at a later timing than the reset signal 8 for memory switching) causes data to be stored in the address area 10, which is the address area of the active system. The contents stored in address area 9, which is a standby address area, will be left without being reset.

[0022] In the above explanation, a case is explained in which two address areas are provided in one storage unit, one of which is used as active memory, and the other address area is used as standby memory. However, instead of two address areas, two storage devices may be used as an active storage device and a standby storage device.

[0023]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the memory dump method of the present invention eliminates the need for memory dumps by configuring the storage unit to be separated into an active system and a standby system and switchable. If you switch the storage between the active system and the standby system, you can start up the device without destroying the contents of the storage where a memory dump should be collected, and then collect the memory dump. It has the effect of being able to do the following.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a memory dump method according to a first invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a memory switching control section of a second invention.

3 is a diagram showing an address structure of the memory 4 shown in FIG. 2. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional memory dump method.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Execution part 2a, 2b Storage section 3 External storage device control unit 4 External storage device 5 Dump program startup part 6 Common bus 7 Memory switching control section 8 Reset signal 9,10 Address area

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: (A) a storage unit having an internal address area used as an active memory and an address area used as a standby memory; (B) when a reset signal is received from an external source, the active memory and the standby memory, the address area used as the active memory becomes the new address area used as the standby memory, and the address area used as the standby memory becomes the address area of the new active memory. a memory switching control unit that sets the address area to be used as a memory; (C) a dump program activation unit that outputs a memory dump instruction for reading out the storage content of the storage unit and writing it to an external storage device; (D) the dump program activation unit and (E) an external storage device control section that writes the storage contents of the storage section read out according to the instructions from the execution section to the external storage device. Memory dump method. 2. (A) two storage devices whose addresses correspond to each other; (B) a first storage device that is one of the two storage devices as an active storage device; When a second storage device, which is another storage device, is set as a standby storage device, if a reset signal is received from the outside, the active storage device and the standby storage device are switched, and the second storage device is used as the active storage device. Storage device switching control for switching to use the first storage device that was used as a new standby storage device and to use the second storage device that was used as the standby storage device as a new active storage device. Department, (C)
a dump program starting section that outputs a memory dump instruction for reading the storage contents of the storage device and writing them to an external storage device; (D) an execution section that executes a memory dump according to instructions from the dump program starting section; (E) the execution section; 1. A memory dump method comprising: an external storage device control section that writes stored contents of the storage section read out from the storage section into the external storage device according to an instruction from the external storage device.