JPH0468416A - Peripheral equipment user calling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute the system so that all users of the computer concerned can know the present use state in each own terminal by providing a user ID setting part for recognizing the user on a peripheral equipment for recording an external medium connected to the computer main body. CONSTITUTION:The system is provided with local users (LU) 41- 4n being terminals connected directly to a computer main body 1, a magnetic tape recorder (MT) 2 for loading a medium 3, and remote users (RU) 61- 6n being terminals installed separately, and a user of the MT2 sets an intrinsic user ID to a UID 21 on the MT2 at the time of loading the medium 3 prior to use of the LU 4i or the RU 6i, and when loading of the medium 3 and setting of the user ID to a UID 21 are both completed, the UID 21 sets the MT 2 to an on-line state with respect to the computer main body 1, and a recording work to the medium 3 by a user is started. In such a way, a use state of the MT 2 which regers to the UID 21 from the computer main body 1 can be grasped.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention provides a peripheral device user calling method for a user of a peripheral device for recording an external medium provided in a computer system and commonly used by a plurality of users. Regarding.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when multiple users commonly use a computer and record data, etc. on an external medium of the computer, the user has to check whether the user at the current location is using the peripheral device for recording the external medium. In order to find out whether the system is empty or not, either investigate the process execution status of other users, or visit the location where the relevant external media recording peripheral device is installed and visually check the empty status. Ta.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional operating method for these peripheral devices described above, when using the peripheral device, the user checks whether other users are currently using it, the status of process execution, or the installation location of the peripheral device. I had to go up there and check the availability.

In particular, if the former process execution investigation reveals that another user is using the device, the user will occasionally have to voluntarily check whether the peripheral device in question is empty or not, which can be a tedious task. It became. In addition, if the current user does not start the processing process for some reason and leaves the medium loaded, even though it is actually unusable, the relevant peripherals will be checked during the process execution investigation. Since the device was displayed as empty, I often had to go to the corresponding peripheral device in vain. Furthermore, with recent advances in networking, the distance between relevant peripheral devices and work terminals has expanded, and the time required for people to move has also increased, making it difficult to check the empty status of peripheral devices. There is a problem in that the number of man-hours is so large that it cannot be ignored.

[Means to solve the problem]

The peripheral device user calling method of the present invention is a computer system having a peripheral device for recording external media that is commonly used by a plurality of users. A user ID setting section for setting an ID is provided, and a computer main body constituting the computer system includes a monitoring section for monitoring the usage status of the peripheral equipment, a message sending section for sending a message to each of the users, and a message sending section for sending a message to each of the users. a storage unit for storing a usage request from a next user requesting the same, and when the monitoring unit detects that the recording medium is removed from the peripheral device and becomes empty, the message sending unit The configuration is such that a processing completion message is sent to the user, and a device usable message is sent to the next user.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment in which a magnetic tape recording device is used as an external medium recording peripheral device of a computer system to which the present invention is applied.

Local users (hereinafter referred to as LU) 41 to 4n, which are terminals directly connected to the computer main body 1, and a magnetic tape recording device (hereinafter referred to as MT) 2 in which a medium 3 is loaded are input/output interfaces within the computer main body 1. Face (hereinafter referred to as I10)
Remote users (hereinafter referred to as RU) 61 to 6n, which are terminals connected to 17 and installed separately from the computer main body 1
is connected to the network interface NW118 in the computer main body 1 via the terminal server TSV5. There is a user ID in MT2 to identify the user.
A user ID setting section (hereinafter referred to as VID) for setting the user ID is provided.

In the present invention, an MT2 user can use LLJ4 i or R
Prior to using U6 i, a unique user ID is set in UID 21 on MT2 when the medium 3 is loaded. UID2
1 consists of a key for ID input and a display section for displaying the setting ID, and when the loading of the medium 3 and the setting of the user ID for the UID 21 are both completed, the MT2 is brought into the online state with respect to the computer main body 1. , the user starts recording on the medium 3. By taking this procedure, the MT2 that refers to the LID21 from the computer main body 1
The next user can know whether the MT2 is empty (medium removed) or in use <a rest) at his or her own terminal. At this time, if MT2 is empty, the user goes to MT2 and starts working, but if it is in use, the user can check the usage status of MT2 by issuing a next usage request to computer main unit 1. 1 to monitor it and receive a message when it becomes vacant. The computer main body 1 stores the next usage request in the main memory (hereinafter referred to as TMM) 11, and uses an input/output monitoring unit (hereinafter referred to as IOM) 16 and an interrupt controller (hereinafter referred to as CTL).
This series of processing is performed by using a timer (hereinafter referred to as TIM) 14 to monitor the release of the UID 21.

Next, the call processing operation of the peripheral device user will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the calling and processing operations.

In FIG. 2, it is assumed that a current MT user A (hereinafter referred to as A) is using the MT 2 according to the above-described procedure. At this time, MT
Assume that next user B (hereinafter referred to as B) issues a request for the next use of MT2 and requests that a message be sent at the end of A's processing.

When the processing of A in MT2 is completed in step (hereinafter referred to as S) 1, the computer main unit 1 first sends a message to A to notify the completion in S2, and in S3 waits for the time required for A to remove the medium. shall be. After that, in S4, the medium attachment/detachment state is determined by setting/cancelling tJID21, and if it is in the released state (medium removal), MT2 is set for B in S5.
Notify me when it is available. Upon receiving this, B starts work. If the UID21 is still in the setting state (medium storage) even after a certain period of time has passed by monitoring in S6 after the start of the waiting state,
In S7, the medium removal message by A is sent again, and in S8, the process is further put into a waiting state for a certain period of time, and is monitored in S9. During this time, if medium 3 is removed and MT2 becomes empty, SIO sends a usable message to B as before. If a certain period of time has passed, it is possible that A has forgotten that he is using MT2, so
When the timer times out, B is forcibly allowed to use it at 811, and a message is sent to inform B of this fact. At this time, information regarding A is also added so that A can be contacted if necessary. Similarly, the right to use is forcibly given to A.
Send a message to inform that it has been handed over to B along with information about B.

At this time, the medium A is still attached to the MT, but S12
The setting of UID21 is automatically canceled and the state goes offline, and B removes the medium of A, loads medium 3, and
The UID 21 is set and recording on the medium is started in step 313.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides a user ID setting section for recognizing users in the peripheral device for recording external media connected to the computer main body, so that all the users of the five computers can be individually assigned. Since it is possible to know the current usage status of terminals, it is no longer necessary for users to visit their peripheral devices to check the usage status, as was the case in the past. This has the effect of reducing wasted man-hours for users. In addition, the notification of the processing end message and the device usable message prompts the current peripheral device user and the next user to perform termination procedures and prepare for operation, thereby facilitating the smooth use of the device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart regarding call processing operations and messages sent in the embodiment. 1... Computer body, 2... Magnetic tape recording device (M
T), 3...Medium, 5...Terminal server/<(T
SV), 11... Main memory (MM>, 13... Message sending section (MSG), 14... Timer (TI
M), 16... Input/output monitoring unit (IOM>, 17...
Input/output interface (Ilo), 18... Nedo work interface (NWI), 21... User I
D setting section (UID), 41 to 4 n-...Local user (LU) 61 to 6n... Remote user (
R.U.).

Claims (1)

[Claims] A user ID setting section for setting a user ID for identifying a user currently using the peripheral device of a computer system having a peripheral device for recording external media commonly used by a plurality of users is provided. , a monitoring unit that monitors the usage status of the peripheral equipment in the computer main body constituting the computer system, a message sending unit that sends a message to each of the users, and a next user requesting the next use. a storage unit for storing requests, and when the monitoring unit detects that the recording medium is removed from the peripheral device and becomes empty, the message sending unit sends a processing completion message to the user; A peripheral device user calling method characterized by sending a device availability message to the next user.