JPH05244202A - Operation program changeover method for communication processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To changeover an operation program without interruption of communication by continuing the processing of an old program for a call received before input restriction and executing a changeover procedure to a new program after that. CONSTITUTION:In the communication processing unit provided with line adaptor interface devices 20, 21 accommodating a communication line 30 and processing units 10, 11 including a processor CPU, when the operation program is changed over, input is restricted to the devices 20, 21. Then as to a call received before the input restriction, the processing of an old program is continued for a time the call processing is executed and finished. Then the changeover procedure from the old program to a new program is executed after lapse of the said time and then the restriction of an input call is released. Thus, it is avoided that a call once received is interrupted on the way of connection or during communication, and the operation program is changed over without interrupting the communication.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used in a communication processing device in which an interface device for accommodating a communication line is connected to a processing device for performing computer processing.

The present invention relates to a switching procedure for adding or changing various processing functions of a communication processing device by switching its operation program.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication processing apparatus embodying the present invention. The configuration of the conventional example is also the same in this figure. Line-corresponding interface devices 20 and 21 are respectively connected to the plurality of processing devices 10 and 11, and the communication line 3 is connected to the line-corresponding interface devices 20 and 21.
0 is stored. Each of the processing devices 10 and 11 includes a processor CPU and a memory MM, and an operation program is installed in this memory, and the processor CPU executes the operation program to perform various communication-related processes.

In FIG. 1, a plurality of logical lines are set up on the communication line 30, and a call on each logical line is transferred via the memory (MM) to the line 30 under the control of the CPUs of the processing units 10 and 11. Transferred to another logical line above. The line-corresponding interface devices 20 and 21 hold the state of the logical line set on the line 30 according to an instruction from the processing devices 10 and 11. That is, the line interface device 2
0 and 21 store the packet received from each logical line at a specified address on the memory (MM) specified by the processing device, and further read information from the specified address on the specified memory, packetize and specify. To the logical line. The memory (MM) of each of the processing devices 10 and 11 is used as a transmission / reception buffer for packet switching on the line as described above, a call processing program of the processor CPU and other operation programs, call control information, interface control information, etc. Various control information of is stored.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a simple system configuration for simplification of description. In reality, however, the communication processing systems having a plurality of duplex configurations shown in FIG. A system for exchanging packets between communication systems is configured. Furthermore, the communication processing system is not only a duplicated configuration, but also has n (n> m) m lines including spares.
An m + (n−m) preliminary type multiprocessor configuration in which the processing device of FIG.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a communication processing system configured by using a plurality of redundant communication processing systems. FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the m + 1 backup communication processing system. In the figure,
10 to 1n are processing devices, 20 to 2n are line interface devices, 30 to 3n are communication lines, and 40 and 41 are links connecting the processing devices for packet exchange between the lines. The present invention can be applied to various system configurations such as the communication processing device illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

In such a conventional communication processing apparatus, in order to add a function or convert a function by switching the operation program of the processing apparatus, one processing apparatus (operation side) of the redundant configuration or m + 1 preliminary configuration is used. A method is used in which communication processing is performed by the old operation program, the new operation program is stored in the other processing device that is not in operation (spare system side), and the standby and active system processing devices are switched. There is.

[0008]

However, in the conventional switching method as described above, at the time of system switching, the line status of the line interface device and the call information of the processing unit are lost, and the operating system before switching. There was a drawback that the call set in was interrupted. There is also a method in which the processing state of the communication processing is taken over from the processing device on the operating system side to the processing device on the standby system side, and when the system is switched, the call being communicated in the operating system is relieved. However, even in this method, at the time of switching, a call whose call state was in transition is interrupted,
There was a drawback that complete call relief was not possible. In addition, the line status of the line interface device on the operating side is taken over by the line interface device on the standby side when the interface device that is firmware or LSI is used. It was difficult to take over the existing line status.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, to eliminate the need to inherit the line state of the line interface device, and to provide the call state of the processor and the state of the entire communication processor including control information. The present invention is to provide an operation program switching method of a communication processing device, which enables to switch from an operating state of an old program to an operating state of a new program without disconnecting a call and to switch programs without interrupting communication. ..

[0010]

According to the method of the present invention, when the operation program is switched, the line-corresponding interface circuit is subjected to the input restriction, and thereafter, the call processing is executed for the call accepted before the restriction and is fixed. Over time
It is characterized in that the processing of the old program is continued and then the switching procedure to the luck program is executed.

That is, according to the present invention, an operation program installed in the processor of a communication processing device including a line interface device for accommodating a communication line and a processing device including a processor connected to the interface device is an old program. In the method of switching from the new program to the new program, the first step of controlling the input of the line interface device to which the target communication processing device is connected, and the call accepted after the start of the input restriction and before the input restriction, A second step of continuing the operation of the old program for a sufficient time required for the call state to be fixed, and a third step of executing a switching procedure from the old program to the new program after the lapse of the time, A fourth step of releasing the input restriction of the line interface device. The features.

Further, in the third step, the first communication processing device in which the old program is installed and in operation and the new program are installed in the one line interface device for which the input regulation is performed in the first step. In a state of being commonly connected to the second communication processing device which is mounted and is not activated, a step of stopping the operation of the first communication processing device and a step of starting the operation of the second communication processing device. It is desirable to have a configuration that includes.

[0013]

[Function] A new incoming call is restricted prior to switching.
For calls accepted before this restriction, the processing is executed by the operation program before switching for the time until the call processing is fixed. Then, after the call processing is fixed, the operation program is switched. By this method,
A call once accepted is not disconnected during the connection or during communication.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The method of the present invention can be carried out in the apparatus having the structure shown in FIG. The method of the present invention can be carried out not only in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 but also in the apparatus shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 shows a process of performing the method of the present invention.
One line compatible interface device is commonly connected to two communication processing devices, that is, the first communication processing device in which the old program is installed and in operation, and the second communication processing device in which the new program is installed and is not activated. It is a figure explaining an example of the state which is made.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the communication processing device in more detail. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the procedure of an example of executing switching by the method of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, for the processing device 10 connected to the line interface device 20, when the operation program is to be switched from the operating old program to the new program, the line interface device 20 Another processing unit 12 is temporarily connected in common. At this time, the processing device 10 is continuously in operation, and the processing device 12 has its processor CPU.
A new program is installed in and is in the state before startup.

In this state, in order to switch the operation program by the method of the present invention, the line-corresponding interface device 20 is subjected to input restriction and a new input is rejected, and after the input restriction is started, the input restriction is performed. For the call accepted before, the processing device 10 continues the operation of the old program for a sufficient time required for the call state to be fixed, and after that time, the operation of the processing device 10 in which the old program is implemented. Then, the processor 12 in which the new program is installed is stopped, and the input restriction of the line interface device 20 is released.

Next, another embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the processing device 10 in detail. This example
This is an example in which the old program and the new program can be switched within the same processing device so that the call information and the like can be taken over in an extremely short time.

In FIG. 5, MM1, MM2, MM3
Does not necessarily indicate the physical configuration of the memory (MM) but indicates the logical arrangement of the program, and M
M1 has a program switching program for switching old and new programs, MM2 has an old operation program and data, and MM3 has a new operation program and data with added functions. An interface for inter-program communication function is provided between each program, but since it is not directly related to the gist of the present invention, it will not be described in further detail here.

In this embodiment, a case where a high level data link procedure called LAPB is used as a layer 2 protocol of a packet switching system will be described below. FIG. 6 shows a processing sequence for switching the old and new programs of the packet switch according to the present invention. In this figure,
Line compatible interface device and MM1 and MM in processing device
2 shows a call information transfer sequence between programs stored in the MM3.

In order to switch the operation program of the processing unit, first, by inputting a maintenance command while communication processing is being performed using the old operation program of the memory MM2, the memory MM is
Instruct the program switching program of No. 1 to switch the program.

In response to this program switching instruction, the activated program instructs the line interface device to regulate the input. Upon receiving the input restriction instruction, the line interface device completes the call processing for the calls a and b accepted before the start of the input restriction and fixes the call state of each call. Fixing the call state means waiting for the state of each call from the transitioning state to the non-transitioning state (fixed state). This is because it is difficult to take over the data during the transition of the call, so that the call information representing the call state is taken over between the programs after the call state is fixed.

Also, the input regulation returns an RNR frame for the calls c and d accepted after the start. The RNR frame is a frame that indicates that the information frame or the like cannot be received in the above-mentioned LAPB procedure. For these calls, after the program switching, a notification (RR frame) that the information frame can be received is notified by the new operation program. Return and resume communication.

After the input restriction to the line interface device, the program switching program waits with a timing until the fixing of the call state accepted by the line interface device before instructing the input restriction as described above. The timing time is obtained by calculating the processing time until the call state of the call processing program is fixed and integrating the maximum number of calls that can be processed in the system. Also, by setting the execution level of the program switching program to a lower execution level than the execution level of the call processing program, and by executing the program switching program, the call processing program puts the call state in the non-transition state. to decide.

After the timing for fixing the call state ends, the program switching program stops the call processing program of the old operation program of the memory MM2, then reads the call state data of the memory MM2, and the memory MM3.
Transfer to the call status data part of the new operation program of (call status inheritance).

The program switching program is stored in the memory M.
After the transfer of the call information to M3 is completed, the new program is activated, and the processing of call a and call b is restarted by this activation instruction. Also, after or in parallel with the above operation, the program switching program releases the input restriction to the line interface device and restarts the call processing of each call.

The present invention can be implemented without being limited to this example.

For example, in a duplex communication processing system, only the old operation program is placed in one of the processing units,
Place the program switching program and the new operation program in the other processor, or place the old operation program and the program switching program together, etc.
Each program may have any physical arrangement condition. The present invention can be implemented in various forms as long as there is a logical communication interface between programs. At the same time, the present invention can be implemented in an arbitrary program placement condition even in a communication processing system having an m + (n−m) preliminary configuration.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to take over the line state of the line interface device, and the call state of the communication process and the state of the processor including the control information are changed from the old program to the new program. Can be taken over. This makes it possible to switch operation programs without interrupting communication. The method of the present invention has the advantage that it requires substantially no hardware changes.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a communication processing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a communication processing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram of a communication processing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an implementation process of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a control procedure of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Symbols of the drawing]

 10, 11, 12, 13 Processing device 20-2n Line compatible interface device 30-3n Communication line

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location H04Q 3/545 8843-5K 11/04 9076-5K H04Q 11/04 R

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operation program installed in a processor of a communication processing device comprising a line interface device accommodating a communication line and a processing device including a processor connected to the interface device, from an old program to a new program. In the method of switching to, the first step of controlling the input of the line interface device to which the target communication processing device is connected and the call status of the call accepted after the start of the input restriction and before the input restriction The second step of continuing the operation of the old program for a sufficient time to be fixed, the third step of executing the switching procedure from the old program to the new program after the lapse of the time, and the line correspondence And a fourth step of releasing the input restriction of the interface device. Operational program switching method of signal processing equipment. 2. In the third step, the first communication processing device, in which the old program is installed and operating, and the new program, are installed in the one line interface device that has been subjected to the input restriction in the first step. In a state where the second communication processing device before being activated is connected in common, the step of stopping the operation of the first communication processing device, and the step of starting the operation of the second communication processing device, The operation program switching method for a communication processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: