JPH05210607A - Lan connecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance the operation efficiency as a network system by executing automatically switching of the LAN connecting device, when a fault is generated in a duplexed LAN connecting device, and releasing it in a short time. CONSTITUTION:LAN connecting devices 13a, 13b contain a connection control part 32 for receiving a separate address from a general purpose computer 11 and storing a communication processing state of one of an operating state and a holding state, and a LAN connecting device control part 34 which receives a report related to whether the own device is in the operating state or the holding state from the connection control part 32, and informs it to the general purpose computer 11 through a LAN connecting device input/output control part 31, and by which the LAN connecting device 13b being in the holding state monitors the operating state of the LAN connecting device 13a which is being operated to a connecting instruction outputted from the general purpose computer 11, through the general purpose computer 11, and informs a temporary operating start report to the general purpose computer 11 through the LAN connecting device input/output control part 31, when it is detected that a response is not executed within a prescribed time determined in advance.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a LAN connecting device,
A LAN used especially to connect a general-purpose computer to the LAN
Regarding connection device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional LAN connecting device is a LAN connecting device that is in operation when one dual connecting LAN connecting device is used for connecting a general-purpose computer to a LAN When a failure occurs in the system, turn off the power of the failed LAN connection device, disconnect it from the LAN, start the stopped LAN connection device, and set the address on the LAN and control the connection from the general-purpose computer. Had resumed operation.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The conventional LAN described above
If the connection device duplicates the connection between the general-purpose computer and the LAN and the LAN connection device in operation fails, the LA device
Since the address of the general-purpose computer looks like the same address before and after the failure from each communication device on N, the address of the stopped LAN connection device, which is the new operating side, is the LAN on the operating side until the failure occurs. Since it is necessary to manually reset the address of the connection device, there is a problem that it takes time and effort. In addition, since connection with a general-purpose computer must be performed manually, it takes time to restore the data, and the operation efficiency of the network system is reduced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a LAN connecting device capable of automatically switching the LAN connecting device when a failure occurs in the duplicated LAN connecting device and recovering in a short time to improve the operation efficiency as a network system. To do.

[0005]

A LAN connection device of the present invention is a LAN used for connecting a general-purpose computer to a LAN.
In the connection device, a connection control unit that receives an individual address from the general-purpose computer and stores the communication processing state of either one of the operation state and the standby state, and a report of whether the own device is in the operation state or the standby state Is notified from the connection control unit to the general-purpose computer via the LAN-connection-device input / output control unit, and the operating state of the operating LAN-connection device in response to the connection command output from the general-purpose computer when in the standby state is described above. A LAN connection device control unit that monitors through a general-purpose computer and notifies a general operation computer of a provisional operation start report via the LAN connection device input / output control unit when it detects that no response is made within a predetermined fixed time. The configuration includes and.

In the LAN connection device of the present invention, the transmission medium access system of the LAN connection device is CSMA system or IS.
The LAN may be either one of the CSMA / CD system based on O8802 / 3.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

As a LAN system, ISO8802 / 3
A case where a compliant CSMA / CD system LAN is adopted will be described.

The general-purpose computer 11 is a CSMA / CD type LA compliant with ISO8802 / 3 via the communication LAN 12.
It connects with the CSMA / CD system LAN connection devices 13a and 13b for connecting N and performs communication. The CSMA / CD system LAN connection devices 13a and 13b are transceiver LA
It communicates with the engineering workstations (hereinafter referred to as EWS) 17, 18 connected to the transceivers 15a, 15b via the N14 and connected to the LAN 16 of the CSMA / CD system conforming to ISO8802 / 3 by the transceivers 15d, 15e. Further, in FIG. 1, in the configuration of the general-purpose computer 11, a control unit 21 for controlling the general-purpose computer 11 and an input / output control unit for controlling input / output of the general-purpose computer 11, which are blocks necessary for explaining the present invention, are provided. 22 and C
The external input / output units 23a and 23b for connecting to the SMA / CD system LAN connecting devices 13a and 13b, and the storage unit 24 for storing the information of the input / output control unit 22 and the control unit 21 are displayed.

Similarly, the internal functional blocks of the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a are also displayed, and the CSMA / CD system CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a is connected to the LAN connection device 13a. The output control unit 31, the connection control unit 32 that controls the connection with the general-purpose computer 11, and the CSM compliant with ISO8802 / 3
Connect to A / CD type LAN16
A LAN input / output control unit 33 that recognizes the address of the frame input from the LAN connection device control unit 33 that controls the CSMA / CD system LAN connection devices 13a and 13b.
LAN connection device storage unit 35 for storing operation traces and data of the LAN connection device control unit 34 and the connection control unit 32
And an external output device connection unit 36 connected to the external output device are displayed. Although not shown, CSMA / C
The functional blocks inside the D-system LAN connection device 13b have the same configuration.

In the following description, the general-purpose computer 11 and the EWS will be used.
When communication is performed between 17, CSMA / CD system LA
The N-connector 13a operates as an active system with the general-purpose computer 11 and IS.
LAN16 of CSMA / CD system compliant with O8802 / 3
The communication process with the above EWS 17 is performed, and the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13b uses the CSMA / C as a standby system.
It is assumed that the D-mode LAN connection device 13a becomes in operation when a failure occurs and the operation is stopped.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the external input / output is required, the control unit 21 of the general-purpose computer 11 sends an instruction to the input / output control unit 22 and passes the input / output control to the input / output control unit 22. The input / output control unit 22 uses the commands delivered from the control unit 21 to start the external input / output, and the external input / output units 23a and 23b.
I / O start command is sent to. The external input / output units 23a and 23b that have received the input / output start command are connected to the connected CSMA.
In order to know the connection status of the / CD system LAN connection devices 13a and 13b, the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a,
Send a connection command to 13b, and CSMA / CD system LAN
A connection response is received from the connection devices 13a and 13b. At this time, two CSMA / CD system LAN connection devices 13a,
If the connection response from 13b is a connection response indicating waiting, the external input / output units 23a and 23b are
The I / O standby report is sent to the I / O control unit 22 and the I / O control unit 22 causes the external I / O units 23a and 23b to send the individual address together with the operation start command to the CSMA / CD system LAN connection devices 13a and 13b. The input / output control unit 22 is an external input / output unit 23.
LAN connection device 1 for CSMA / CD system via a and 23b
3a, 13b received the provisional operation start report, issued the provisional operation start permission to the CSMA / CD LAN connection device that received the provisional operation start report earlier, and received the provisional operation start report later
A temporary operation start disapproval is issued to the MA / CD system LAN connection device, and a connection report is awaited. Here, the input / output control unit 22 uses the CS
Upon receiving the report that the MA / CD system LAN connection device 13a is in the operating state and the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13b is in the standby state, the CSMA / CD system LA
N connection device 13a in operating state, CSMA / CD system LA
The N-connection device 13b is registered in the storage unit 24 as a standby state, and the general-purpose computer 11 starts communication processing. The external input / output unit 23a continues the subsequent input / output processing, and when the processing is completed, reports the completion of input / output to the input / output control unit 22 and the external input / output unit 23b. The input / output control unit 22 which has received the input / output end report gives an input / output processing end report to the control unit 21.

CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a
LAN connection device input / output control unit 31 of the general-purpose computer 11
LAN when receiving a connection command from the external input / output unit 23a of
A connection command reception report is sent to the connection device control unit 34, and the LAN
The connection device control unit 34 causes the connection control unit 32 to display ISO8802.
A command for confirming whether to hold the own address of the LAN of the CSM / CD system conforming to the 3/3 standard is issued, and an operation state confirmation command for checking whether it is in the operating state. The connection control unit 32 has a mode register indicating an address holding and communication processing state, and uses the address holding bit, the operating bit, and the error bit of the mode register to indicate the current CS.
The state of the MA / CD system LAN connection device is shown. When the own device holds the address and is in the operating state, the connection control unit 32
The address holding bit and the operating bit of the mode register in are set, and both bits are reset unless the address is held and the operating state is not set. When the connection control unit 32 receives the address holding confirmation command and the operating state confirmation command, it checks whether the corresponding bit of the mode register is set, and if the corresponding bit is set, the address holding report and the operating state report are sent to the LAN. Connection device control unit 3
4, the LAN connection device control unit 34 sends a connection response indicating that it is in the operating state to the external input / output unit 23a of the general-purpose computer 11 through the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31. If the relevant bit is reset, the connection control unit 32 sends the address non-holding report and the standby status report to the LA.
N connection device control unit 34, LAN connection device control unit 3
Reference numeral 4 sends a connection response indicating a standby state to the external input / output unit 23a of the general-purpose computer 11 through the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31.

CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13
When both a and 13b are in the standby state, the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31 receives an operation command and an individual address from the general-purpose computer 11, and immediately sends out a temporary operation start report. The LAN connection device input / output control unit 31 includes the general-purpose computer 1
When the temporary operation start permission is received from 1, the operation state is immediately set and the address is set, and when the temporary operation start permission is not received, the standby state is immediately set and the address is set. The CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a in the operating state is compared with the external input / output unit 23a of the general-purpose computer 11 with respect to the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13b in the standby state.
The operation status report is given via 23b, and the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13b which is in the standby state is notified of the general-purpose computer 11 to the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a which is in the operation state on a regular basis. External input / output unit 23
The standby status report is given via b and 23a.

CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a
The setting method of the address is performed by the temporary operation start permission from the general-purpose computer 11, and the address is given to the connection control unit 32 through the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31 together with the operation command from the general-purpose computer 11 The control unit 32 sends the address setting command together with the address to the LAN connection control unit 34.
Pass to. Upon receiving the address setting command, the LAN connection control unit 34 latches the address in the address register and sends an address setting report to the connection control unit 32. The connection control unit 32 sets the address holding bit and the operating bit of the mode register at the time of receiving the address setting report, sends the address holding report and the operating status report to the LAN connection device control unit 34, and the LAN connection device control unit 34 is
Through the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31, the general-purpose computer 1
A connection response indicating that it is in the operating state is sent to the external input / output unit 23a of No. 1.

The address holding bit of the mode register is set when the address is set in the address register of the LAN connection device controller 34. The operation status bit indicating the operation status is set in the mode register by the control engineering unit 32 because the error bit is reset, the address holding bit is set, and the general-purpose computer through the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31 Communication test and C
This is set when the transceiver loopback test through the MSA / CD system LAN input / output control unit 33 is successful.

CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13b
LAN connection device input / output control unit 31 of the general-purpose computer 11
When the temporary operation start disapproval is received from the external input / output unit 23b, the LAN connection device control unit 34 issues a standby command reception report, and the LAN connection device control unit 34 notifies the connection control unit 32 of the address holding confirmation command and the standby state. Command and reset the address holding bit and the operating bit of the mode register so as to enter the standby state. The connection control unit 32 sends a standby state report to the LAN connection device control unit 34, and the LAN connection device control unit 34 is in the standby state to the external input / output unit 23a of the general-purpose computer 11 through the LAN connection device input / output control unit 31. A wait response indicating that is sent.

CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a
When a failure occurs during the operation of, and the communication processing cannot be performed, the CSMA / CD system LAN connecting device 13a becomes a non-response state. On the other hand, there is a connection response indicating the standby state from the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13b. The general-purpose computer 11 is again the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 1
A connection command is sent to 3a. However, since there is no response from the CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a, the connection command times out. Therefore, the general-purpose computer 11
Is the standby CSMA / CD LAN connection device 13b
Wait for a temporary operation start report from. CSMA in standby
The / CD system LAN connection device 13b monitors the operating state of the operating CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a in response to the connection command output from the general-purpose computer 11 via the external input / output units 23b and 23a of the general-purpose computer 11. , CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13 within a predetermined fixed time
Since there is no operational status report from a, the operational status report command knows that it has timed out. Next, CSMA / C
The D-system LAN connection device 13b holds the CS immediately after the transceiver loopback test is completed and then immediately ends.
The address of the MA / CD system LAN connection device 13a is used as its own device address to enter the operating state, and a temporary operation start report is sent to the external input / output unit 23b of the general-purpose computer 11. The input / output control unit 22 of the general-purpose computer 11 issues a temporary operation start permission to the LAN connection device 13b via the external input / output unit 23b,
Immediately, the input / output control unit 22 causes the storage unit 24 to store the CSMA / C
The operating state of the D-system LAN connecting device 13a is stopped, and the standby state of the CSMA / CD system LAN connecting device 13b is rewritten to the operating state. Then, the current operating state is output to a printer, CRT or the like to notify the system operator.

CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 13a
If the above fault is manually removed, the CSMA / CD LAN connection device 13a sends a temporary operation start report to the general-purpose computer 11. However, currently CSMA / CD
Since the system LAN connection device 13b is in operation, the temporary operation start is not permitted and the system immediately enters the standby state.

In this way, when the operating CSMA / CD system LAN connecting device stops its operation due to a failure, the standby CSMA / CD system LAN connecting device becomes the operating state and is automatically connected to the general-purpose computer. The network system can be operated without human intervention, the labor required for restoration can be saved, and restoration can be performed efficiently in a short time.

The above description is based on the I type LAN system.
The case where a CSMA / CD system LAN conforming to SO8802 / 3 is adopted has been described.
The system to which the present invention is applied can be configured with the same configuration when adopting.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the connection control unit which receives an individual address from a general-purpose computer and stores the communication processing state of either the operating state or the standby state, and its own apparatus are in the operating state. The connection control unit receives a report as to whether it is in the standby state or not, and notifies the general-purpose computer through the LAN connection device input / output control unit.
The operating status of the AN connection device is monitored via a general-purpose computer,
A redundant LAN connection by including a LAN connection device control unit that notifies a general-purpose computer of a provisional operation start report via the LAN connection device input / output control unit when it detects that a response is not made within a predetermined fixed time There is an effect that the LAN connection device can be automatically switched when a device failure occurs and the device can be restored in a short time to improve the operation efficiency of the network system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 general-purpose computer 12 communication LAN 13a, 13b CSMA / CD system LAN connection device 14 transceiver LAN 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 15e transceiver 16 LAN 17, 18 engineering workstation (EWS) 21 control unit 22 input / output control unit 23a, 23b external input / output unit 24 storage unit 31 LAN connection device input / output control unit 32 connection control unit 33 LAN input / output control unit 34 LAN connection device control unit 35 LAN connection device storage unit 36 external output device connection unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A LAN connection device used for connecting a general-purpose computer to a LAN, and a connection control unit that receives an individual address from the general-purpose computer and stores a communication processing state of either an operating state or a standby state, The connection control unit receives from the connection control unit a report indicating whether the self-device is in the operating state or in the standby state, and notifies the general-purpose computer via the LAN connection device input / output control unit. L in operation for output connection command
The operating state of the AN connection device is monitored via the general-purpose computer, and if it is detected that no response is made within a predetermined time, a temporary operation start report is sent via the LAN connection device input / output control unit to the general-purpose computer. And a LAN connection device control unit for notifying the LAN connection device. 2. A transmission medium access method of a LAN connection device is a CSMA method and a CS conforming to ISO8802 / 3.
2. The LAN connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the LAN is one of the MA / CD systems.