JPH05227555A - Switch mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To confirm the normality of a transfer path between devices connected through a switch mechanism by transmitting a frame from one device, and comparing it with a received frame returned from the other device. CONSTITUTION:A device A6 is connected through a link 3 to a switch mechanism 1, and a loop connector 4 is connected through a link 2 to the switch mechanism 1. At the time of confirming the normality of the switch mechanism 1 and the links 2 and 3, a frame 7 (DID in the frame is P5) is transferred from the device A6 to the loop connector after adding a test bit to the frame. The test bit in the frame is confirmed by link connecting terminals 10 and 15, and the transmitted frame is returned from the connector to the device A6 as it is.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing system, and more specifically, one of the devices connected via a link and a switch mechanism must have a normal link and switch mechanism. Information processing system for verifying

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an example of a method for connecting devices via a switch mechanism, "IBM Enterprise Sys" is used.
tem Architecture / 390 ESCO
NI I / O Interface "SA22-7202
There is.

Conventionally, similar test methods have existed. However, that is a case of one-to-one connection without a switch mechanism, and as a means for returning a transmission frame as it is to the transmission source, it is sufficient to reconnect the other end with a loop connector. However, when the switch mechanism is used, the switch mechanism selects a route to the connection link of the destination based on the destination address in the frame. Since the destination address is the same as your own address, you cannot return the frame as it is to the sender.

[0004]

Even if the system configuration is such that a switch mechanism is used, the normality of the link, which is the communication medium between the devices, and the switch mechanism is to be confirmed.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] 1. A test bit is provided in a specific field in the frame, a means for recognizing the test bit in the link connection terminal of the switch mechanism, a means for storing the identification number of the other link connection terminal to which the frame is sent, and the test Means for selecting a route using the stored identification information when a frame having a bit of 1 is sent from the device.

2. For each link connection terminal of the switch mechanism, the means to specify the test mode from the outside, and when the test mode is specified, when the frame is sent from the device, the stored identification number is used. And means for selecting a route.

[0007]

[Function] 1. When a frame in which the test bit is valid goes from the device to the loop connector, the link connection terminal recognizes the test bit by passing the frame. At this time, the link connection terminal on the loop connector side stores which link connection terminal the frame came from as an identification number. When the frame is folded back toward the device by the loop connector, the link connection terminal of the switch mechanism is in a state of recognizing the test bit, and therefore, without referring to the destination address in the frame,
With the above-mentioned identification number, it is transferred to the device after being transferred to the link connection terminal on the device side. As a result, the frame transmitted from the device is returned to the device as it is.

2. From the outside, the link connection terminal on the loop connector side is placed in the test mode. After that, the frame from the device to the loop connector passes without affecting the link connection terminals on both the device side and the loop connector side. At that time, the link connection terminal on the loop connector side stores which link connection terminal the frame came from as identification information. After that, when the frame is folded back toward the device by the loop connector, the link connection terminal of the switch mechanism is in the test mode state, so the above-mentioned identification number is used without referring to the destination address in the frame. Thus, the data is transferred to the device via the link connection terminal on the device side. As a result, the frame transmitted from the device is returned to the device as it is.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be explained.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the switch mechanism 1 is connected to the device A6 and the loop connector 4 through link connection terminals 10 and 15 by a link 7 which is a transmission line / reception line pair capable of optical serial transfer, and is also used by an operator. It is connected to the control console prepared as above by the coaxial cable 9. (Note that in FIG. 1, the device A6 was originally
And the device A5 communicated with each other,
In order to confirm the normality of the transmission medium up to the device A5 by the device A6, the device A5 is detached from the link 2, and the loop connector 4 is connected instead. ) The switch mechanism 1 includes a frame 7 sent through the link 3.
Is received by the link connection terminal 10, and by the connection terminal,
Destination stored in frame 7
The destination of the frame is determined using the ID (DID).

Destination ID, Source
The ce ID (SID) is an identification number (P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P) of each link connection terminal of the switch mechanism.
5) is designated. In FIG. 1, the frame 7 sent from the device A6 is received by the link connection terminal 10, and since the frame has DID = P5, the link connection terminal 1 of P5 is
Routed to 5. The link connection terminal 15 transmits the frame as it is on the link. Since this frame is sent back to the loop connector 4 as it is, the link connection terminal 15 that receives the frame receives
Since the designated DID becomes its own identification number (P5), the route cannot be selected.

In order to solve such a situation, a test bit is provided in the frame. Details of the frame are shown in FIG. The structure of the frame 7 includes an SOF (Start Of Frame) delimiter indicating the start of the frame and a DID (Destinatio) designating a routing destination.
n ID), SID indicating the transmission source (Source I)
D), CTL (C indicating the function, type, etc. of the frame
onTroL), DATA for storing data, and
EOF (End Of Frame) indicating the end of the frame
e) Consists of delimiters. At this time, the test bit is C
Reserved during TL, when test bit = 1, identified as test mode for loop test.

Transmission and reception of frames in the test mode at the link connection terminals 10 and 15 will be described with reference to FIG.
Briefly explained.

The frame sent from the device A6 is transmitted through the link 3 to the optical receiver 100 in the link connection terminal 10.
In the serial-to-parallel conversion 101, and is sent to the reception control unit 102. The reception control unit 102 checks the test bit in the frame only when the transmission control unit 106 does not report the test mode signal. Since the transmission control unit 106 is not in the test mode state, the reception control unit 102 is in the test mode state,
The control signal is continuously sent to the transmission control unit 106. In parallel, the received frame is sent to the route selection circuit 103, the route is selected by the DID of the frame,
It is transferred to the frame receiving unit 157 in the link connection terminal 15.

The route selection circuit 10 in the link connection terminal 10
The frame sent from No. 3 is the frame receiving unit 157.
, The frame is received from the other link connection terminals 11, 12, 13, 14 when the frame is not being controlled, and the control unit 15
Sent to 6. At this time, the frame receiving unit 157
The identification number of the link connection terminal is continuously sent to the route selection circuit 153. In the transmission control unit 156, the reception control unit 152
Is not in the test mode state, the test bit is checked, and if the bit is 1 at that time,
The transmission control unit 156 enters the test mode state and continues to send the control signal to the route selection circuit 153 and the reception control unit 152. After that, the frame is transmitted onto the link 2 by the parallel-to-serial conversion 155 and the optical transmission unit 154.

The frame sent back by the loop connector 4 is received by the optical receiving section 150, transferred through the serial-to-parallel conversion 151, and transferred to the reception control section 152. At this time, since the transmission controller 156 is in the test mode, the test bit is not checked and the frame is sent to the route selection circuit 153. In the normal case (not in the test mode), the path selection circuit 153 selects a path based on the DID in the frame. In the test mode, whether or not the mode is designated is tested by the transmission control unit 156 on the transmission side. The frame is confirmed by the control signal indicating the mode state, and the frame is transmitted as it is to the link connection terminal 10 that has been sent according to the identification number of the link connection terminal reported from the frame receiving unit 157. By reporting the completion of transmission to the transmission control unit 156, the test mode state of the transmission control unit 156 is reset.

The route selection circuit 15 in the link connection terminal 15
The frame sent from No. 3 is the frame receiving unit 107.
Is received at and is transferred to the transmission control unit 106. At this time, since the reception control unit 103 is in the test mode state, the test bit is not checked, and the frame is directly subjected to the parallel-to-serial conversion 105 and the optical transmission unit 1.
04, it is sent out on the link 3. At this time, the test mode state of the reception control unit 103 is reset by reporting the completion of frame transfer to the reception control unit 103.

By the above means, the frame 7 sent from the device A6 can be sent back to the device A6 as it is, and the device A6 confirms the normality of the link from the device A6 to the device A5 and the switch mechanism. , It is possible by comparing / matching the transmission frame and the reception frame.

In addition to the means for providing the test bit in the frame, a method designated by the control console 8 can be easily implemented. In the above-described embodiment, it is sufficient that the transmission control unit 156 in the link connection terminal on the side looped by the loop connector can be brought into the test mode state by the control console 8. The situation is shown in FIG. The output of the test mode signal, which is the output of the test bit detection circuit 1561 in the transmission control unit 156,
The test signal may be ORed from the control console 8 via the coaxial cable 9. Then, if the test bit in the frame is always set to 0, the link connection terminal on the device side does not enter the test mode state, and only the link connection terminal on the loop connector side enters the test mode state. When a frame with the test bit set to 0 is sent from the device, the frame is sent from the DID in the frame to the loop connector, and the frame is looped back by the loop connector and received by the link connection terminal 15 on the loop connector side. The subsequent operation is the same as that of the link connection terminal 15. In the link connection terminal 10, the test bit is 1
If it is not, if the transferred frame is sent out on the link as it is, the frame transmitted from the device is returned to the device as it is, as in the case where the test bit is provided in the frame. Become.

[0020]

According to the present invention, the normality of the link and the switch mechanism, which are transmission media, from one device to the other device can be confirmed only by comparing / matching the transmission frame and the reception frame of the device. Means for doing so can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram at the time of an optical loop test with a switch mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a frame configuration (format) diagram.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a link connection terminal in the switch mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a related diagram of a test mode output in the link connection terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Switch mechanism 10,11,12,13,14,15 ... Link connection terminal 1x0 (x shows 0-5) ... Optical receiver 1x1 (x shows 0-5) ... Serial → parallel conversion 1x2 ( x represents 0 to 5) ... Reception control unit 1x3 (x represents 0 to 5) ... Path selection circuit 1x4 (x represents 0 to 5) ... Optical transmission unit 1x5 (x represents 0 to 5) Parallel to serial conversion 1x6 (x indicates 0 to 5) Transmission control unit 1x7 (x indicates 0 to 5) Frame receiving unit 1x61 (x indicates 0 to 5) Test bit detection circuit 2 , 3 ... Link capable of optical serial transfer 4 ... Loop connector 5 ... Device B 6 ... Device A 7 ... Frame 8 ... Control console 9 ... Coaxial cable

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A pair of a transmission transfer path and a reception transfer path (hereinafter referred to as a link) and a switch mechanism capable of selecting a transfer destination of a frame transferred on the link from the contents of the frame are a switch mechanism. Connected via the link connection terminal, and by connecting the device to the other end of the link, the devices are connected via the link and the switch mechanism,
In an information processing system in which communication on these transfer paths is a predetermined protocol using a frame, a test bit is provided in a specific field in the frame, a means for recognizing the test bit at a link connection terminal of a switch mechanism, and a frame Route selection is performed using a means for storing the identification number of the other link connection terminal sent, and the stored identification information when a frame with the test bit of 1 is sent from the device. A switch mechanism characterized by being provided with means. 2. For each link connection terminal of the switch mechanism,
A means for designating a test mode from the outside and a means for, when the test mode is designated, selecting a route using the stored identification number when a frame is sent from the apparatus are provided. The switch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: