JPH06259351A - Remote control method for system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remotely control respective information processors in the system by storing IPL information in a start indication frame in a storage part and initially loading a program on the basis of the IPL information after the main power source is turned ON. CONSTITUTION:An information processor 3N has its system control frame monitor part 100 supplied with the power source from a subordinate power source 3000, and although a system control frame monitor part 100 is connected to a LAN 3, but the main power source 2000 is turned OFF and the system is not actuated. In this case, the system control frame monitor part 100 of the information processor 3N instructs a process execution part to turn ON the main power source by a power-ON instruction in the received start instruction frame 1000, and transfers the IPL information (actuation in constitution IN) instructed to the process execution part to make an instruction for IPL with the same constitution with the information processor IN according to the information, and the process execution part performs the IPL on the basis of concrete contents sent from a constitution information storage part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system remote control method, that is, remote power on / off of an information processing apparatus in an information processing system using a network, remote control of a configuration including an address, and information when a failure occurs. The present invention relates to a remote control method for a system suitable for realizing remote recovery of a processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various kinds of remote control as described above in an information processing system using a network have been performed as follows. As a first example, power-on and start-up of an information processing device in an information processing system using a network is generally performed manually. Further, as a remote power supply control method, for example, a remote power supply control method for an information processing apparatus having a predetermined address to be IPLed and a fixed configuration, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-254836, has been known. As a second example, when an information processing device connected to the network fails, another information processing device as a communication partner waits for the information processing device to return to a normal state, or , Another information processing device having an equivalent function replaces the process. As a third example, there is a case where the above-mentioned processing by another information processing apparatus having an equivalent function is automatically performed. In this case, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-258522 or 1 As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 106637, it is necessary to prepare a line for fault monitoring or communication or fault diagnosis in addition to a normal data transmission / reception line. Furthermore, as a fourth example, in a failure recovery by survival monitoring of each information processing apparatus in a local network, a method of monitoring a survival message from an information processing apparatus to be backed up and switching to a standby machine when the survival message is interrupted is also known. Has been.

[0003]

In the remote power source control method shown in the first example of the prior art, the controlled object is the IPL.
There is a problem in that it is not possible to control even the address and the configuration, since it is limited to the information processing device in which the address and the configuration to be performed are determined. Although it is relatively easy to turn on the remote power source, there is also a problem in that it is difficult to confirm that the information processing apparatus to be turned off is not in use when the power source is turned off. Further, in the processing when a failure occurs in the information processing apparatus connected to the network, which is shown in the second example, another information processing apparatus that is a communication partner does not return the information processing apparatus to a normal state. It was necessary to wait or replace the processing with another information processing apparatus having an equivalent function. In the latter case, there is a problem that the other information processing apparatus as the communication partner has to change the communication destination. Furthermore, in the case where a failure occurs in the information processing apparatus shown in the third example, the processing is automatically replaced by another information processing apparatus having an equivalent function.
In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-106637,
In addition to the normal data transmission / reception line, it is necessary to have a line for fault monitoring, communication or fault diagnosis, which is an obstacle to the layout of the information processing apparatus. Conversely, only the information processing device having such a line could be used for recovery from a failure. Further, in the failure recovery method based on the survival monitoring of each information processing device in the local network shown in the fourth example, when there is no need for communication, useless switching processing occurs or a standby device after switching is used. There were also problems such as unnecessary traffic generation such as survival monitoring.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a first object thereof is a remote control method for a system capable of designating an address and a configuration and activating the system at an arbitrary address and configuration. To provide. Also,
A second object of the present invention is to wait for another information processing apparatus as a communication partner to return the information processing apparatus to a normal state when a failure occurs in the information processing apparatus connected to the network. It is to provide a remote control method of a system that enables communication to be resumed without changing the communication destination. A third object of the present invention is a system capable of removing the restriction that a dedicated line for fault monitoring, diagnosis, contact or switching instruction of an information processing device connected to a network must be provided. Is to provide a remote control method of the. A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a communication request to an active machine in consideration of necessity of communication in a method of system startup of a standby machine by monitoring alive message from each information processing device in a local network. It is possible to prevent unnecessary switching processing or unnecessary traffic such as survival monitoring of the standby machine after switching by synchronizing the system startup of the standby machine by monitoring the above-mentioned survival message. To provide a remote control method for a simple system.

[0005]

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following constitutions. That is, a first object of the present invention is a remote control method for a system of the information processing device among a plurality of information processing devices connected to a network, wherein the system is at least powered by a sub power supply at all times. An information processing device having a system control frame monitoring unit, a startup processing unit, a communication processing unit, an information processing unit, a storage unit for storing instruction information, a main power supply and its control unit, ,
The system control frame monitoring unit of the former information processing device detects an activation instruction frame from the latter information processing device in which the IPL information addressed to its own address is described. The power-on signal is transmitted to the main power control unit, and
The IPL information in the boot instruction frame is stored in the storage unit, and after the main power is turned on, the IPL information based on the IPL information is stored.
This is achieved by a remote control method of the system characterized by performing PL. A second object and a third object of the present invention are to configure at least two information processing devices and a spare information processing device that communicate with each other in the system according to the above-mentioned configuration. When one of the information processing apparatuses that communicate with each other fails, the normal information processing apparatus starts the backup information processing apparatus as a substitute for the failed information processing apparatus. This is achieved by a remote control method of the system characterized by the above. A fourth object of the present invention is that, in the system according to the above configuration, the information processing device has a failure,
Remote detection of the system, which is detected by the interruption of the survival message and outputs to the backup information processing device a start instruction for performing an IPL with the same address and configuration as the failed information processing device. It is achieved by a control method.

[0006]

In the remote control method of various systems according to the present invention, the addresses, the IPL information (startup information) and the stop information of the configuration designation using the system control frame among the information processing apparatuses constituting the system are used. It is possible to remotely control each information processing device in the system through the transmission / reception of the message or the transmission / reception of the survival message. The detailed operation will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an example in which the present invention is applied to remote control of an information processing device on a network, fault monitoring / recovery by live message monitoring via the network, and the like will be sequentially shown. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is the second embodiment of the present invention described above.
To achieve the purpose of. The system shown in the present embodiment includes information processing devices 11 to 1N, 21 to 2N, 31 to 31.
3N (only 3N is shown in detail) is connected to the LAN 3. Information processing devices 11-1N and 21-2
In N, the system is activated and joins LAN3. Power is supplied to the system control frame monitoring unit 100 of the information processing devices 31 to 3N from the sub power supply 3000, and the system control frame monitoring unit 100 is operated.
Has joined the LAN 3, but the main power supply 2000 has been cut off and the system has not been activated. 2 and 3 show the information processing devices 21 to 2N when the information processing device 1N fails in the system having such a configuration.
(Here, 2N as an example) From the system control frame monitoring unit 100 of the information processing apparatus 3N, the system activation instruction frame 1000 is transmitted to the system control frame monitoring unit 100, and the main power supply is turned on. It is a figure.

In the present embodiment, when the information processing apparatus 2N which has been in communication recognizes that the information processing apparatus 1N has failed due to a predetermined number of failed data transmission retries, the information processing apparatus 2N is automatically operated. The activation instruction frame 1000 is generated for the 3N and transmitted to the information processing device 3N. As described above, the information processing device 3N includes the sub power supply 300
Power is supplied to the system control frame monitoring unit 100 from 0, and the system control frame monitoring unit 100 joins the LAN 3, but the main power supply 2000 is cut off and the system is not activated. Information processing device 3
In N, the system control frame monitoring unit 100 described above is
According to the power-on instruction in the received activation instruction frame 1000, the process execution unit is instructed to turn on the main power source, and the IPL information (started by the configuration 1N) instructed to the process execution unit is transferred to the information. Based on the same configuration as the information processing device 1N
Instruct to perform IPL (including logical address),
The process execution unit performs the IPL based on the specific content sent from the configuration information storage unit. After the completion of the IPL, the process execution unit returns to the information processing apparatus 2N that the information processing apparatus 3N as a standby machine has been started up as the information processing apparatus 1N by a start instruction frame response.

FIG. 4 is also a system configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is intended to achieve the above-mentioned second object of the present invention. The system shown in the present embodiment is a system that controls the power supply and configuration of a server from a diskless workstation that exists remotely. In the figure, 601 to 60N are diskless workstations, 2 is a gateway, 4 is a circuit network such as ISDN,
A server 500 holds the IPL information of a plurality of servers 501 to 50N, and when receiving the IPL information transfer request from the servers 501 to 50N, a server (IPL information server) 501 to which the corresponding IPL information is distributed. 50N indicates the server. Here, the IPL information server 500, the gateway 2, and the system control frame monitoring unit 100 of the server 50N are activated, but the main power supplies of the diskless workstations 601 to 60N and the servers 501 to 50N are not activated. . Figure 5
In a system having such a configuration, when the power of the diskless workstation 60N is turned on,
A boot instruction frame 1000 is transmitted to the server 50N as data on each communication protocol between the diskless workstation 60N and the server 50N, and the system control frame monitoring unit 100 of the server 50N is transmitted.
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of an operation in which the main power is turned on from FIG.

The server 50N has a boot instruction frame 100.
According to the transfer request destination information in 0, the IPL information transfer request frame 6000 is transmitted to the IPL information server 500 and IPL is performed with the transferred configuration. After the IPL of the IPL information server 500 itself is completed, the IPL information is distributed to the diskless workstation 60N in response to the IPL information transfer request frame 6000 from the diskless workstation 60N.
The IPL of the diskless workstation 60N is completed. 5 may be performed from the storage unit in the server 50N, and without it, the IPL information of the server 50N is fixedly one type for the server 50N. Good. In this case, an option in ARP or RARP may be used instead of the boot instruction frame 1000. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information processing device 3N and the server 50N described above. In the figure, when the system control frame monitoring unit 100 receives the start instruction frame 1000, the instruction information storage unit 50 stores the IPL information extracted from the frame and the transfer request destination information, and 50. Is a communication processing unit, 60 is an information processing unit, 70 is a storage unit, 90 is a startup processing unit, and 3000 is a system control frame monitoring unit 10.
A sub power supply for 0, and 2000 is a main power supply for the information processing device 3N and the server 50N.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed internal structure of the main body of the information processing apparatus 3N and the server 50N and the system control frame monitoring section 100. In the information processing device 3N and the server 50N, the system control frame monitoring unit 100 is supplied with power from the sub power supply 3000. The activation instruction frame 1000, which is a kind of system control frame addressed to the other information processing apparatus 3N and the server 50N, generated by the system control frame generation section 900 of the information processing apparatuses 1N, 2N, and 60N on the LAN 3, is the communication processing section 50. When the system control frame monitoring unit 100 of the information processing device 3N and the server 50N receives the frame 1000, the power supply control unit 4000 of the information processing device 3N and the server 50N.
Send the power-on signal to. Based on this, the power supply control unit 4000 of the information processing device 3N and the server 50N
When a power-on instruction is issued to the main power source 2000 and power is supplied, the boot processing unit 90 of the information processing device 3N and the server 50N is stored from the storage unit 40 in the system control frame monitoring unit 100 when the system control frame is received. The boot instruction information is read, and the corresponding IPL information is obtained from the information storage means in the device itself or attached to the device itself, and the IPL is performed. Alternatively, according to the transfer request destination information described in the start instruction information, another information processing device (IP
The L information server 500 etc.) is requested to transfer the information to be IPLed, and the IPL is performed.

According to the above-described embodiment, not only the power is manually turned on, but the IPL is performed even when the configuration to be IPLed is not stored in the apparatus itself or the information storage means attached to the apparatus in advance. Will be possible. Furthermore, it is possible to perform the IPL even in a configuration different from the configuration to be IPL preset in the own device or the information storage means attached to the own device. Next, in the system having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the IDs of the information processing apparatuses 2N and 60N that are the instruction sources are provided in the start instruction information, and first transmitted to the storage units 70 of the information processing apparatus 3N and the server 50N. By storing the (first-come-first-served) start instruction information, when the stop instruction frame is received from the information processing device 2N or 60N that issued the start instruction frame 1000, the above-mentioned start instruction frame 1000 is received. 8 and 9 are sequence diagrams of the operation of canceling the boot instruction information in the storage unit 70 by the same processing as the above.
By the operation as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the activation instruction of the same configuration as the stored first-come-first-served configuration or the configuration included in the first-come-first-served configuration is stored, and the activation instruction other than that is not stored, and the already-configured first-come-first configuration is not stored. A response indicating that it has started is returned.

When the system stop instruction is received from the information processing apparatus 2N or 60N that has remotely instructed the system activation, the information processing section 60 of the information processing apparatus 3N and the server 50N causes the storage section 70 to Instruct to cancel the activation instruction. Further, when a switch for powering off the self device is pressed corresponding to a switch for powering on the self device, the storage unit 70 stores the configuration control information as configuration control information.
Similarly, the boot instruction information of "pressing a switch to turn on the power of the device itself" existing therein is similarly canceled. When a plurality of types of activation instruction information are present in the storage unit 70, activation is performed by the first-come-first-served information, and when all the activation instruction information corresponding to the activated configuration is canceled, the information processing unit 60 Instructs the stop processing unit 91 to stop the system. At this time, if the information processing unit 60 is not used, a system stop process is performed. According to the above-mentioned embodiment, there is an effect that the power supply can be turned off or the IPLed system can be terminated remotely when the power is turned on or the IPL is performed remotely.

Further, by providing the information processing devices 1N and 2N joining the LAN 3 with the survival message generating unit 400 and the network management unit 200, when the information processing device 1N (or 2N) fails, The information processing device 3N has the same configuration as the information processing device 1N (or 2N) in response to a start instruction from the information processing device 2N (or 1N).
IPL can be performed (including address). Figure 10
And FIG. 11 shows a sequence diagram of the above-described operation by the information processing apparatus having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6. When the information processing devices 1N and 2N are provided with the survival message generation unit 400 and the network management unit 200, they are generated by the survival message generation unit 400 while the information processing devices 1N and 2N are normally transmitting and receiving data. The survival message 5000 is broadcast from the communication processing unit 50 via the system control frame monitoring unit 100 to the LAN 3 on a regular basis, and the information processing device 2N (or 1N) that receives the message sends the message to the broadcast source. Assuming that the information processing apparatus 1N (or 2N) can communicate, the survival information is retained in the survival information retaining unit 300 in the network management unit 200 and updated periodically. However, the information processing device 1N
(Or 2N) becomes a failure, the information processing device 1N (or 2N) in the information processing device 2N (or 1N)
The survival information of N) disappears.

In this state, if a communication request is issued to the information processing device 1N (or 2N) in the information processing device 2N (or 1N), for which the survival information does not exist in the survival information holding unit 300, the system control frame generation unit 9
A boot instruction frame 1000 is generated in 00 and is transmitted from the communication processing unit 50 to the information processing device 3N via the system control frame monitoring unit 100 and the LAN 3. According to this instruction, the information processing device 3N causes the information processing device 1N to
IPL with the same configuration (including address) as the information processing apparatus 1N as a standby machine. In the above-described embodiment, the information processing device 3N can be a spare device of any information processing device within the range of the number of IPL information items existing in the LAN 3. The information processing apparatus shown in each of the above embodiments is shown as an example, and the present invention can be generally widely applied to nodes or stations connected to a LAN wiring system. Although the LAN is shown as a bus type in the figure,
It is not limited to the bus type, but can be widely applied to other types. Further, in the above embodiment, the information processing device is described as one unit, but when each unit is distributed to a plurality of devices, and conversely, when a plurality of information processing units are present in one device. Also, the present invention can be applied.

[0016]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the information processing apparatus connected to the network can remotely control the turning on and off of other information processing apparatus, the change of the system configuration and the like. In addition, when a failure occurs in the information processing device, the standby system can be automatically started up, and the other failed information processing device is returned to a normal state. It is possible to realize a remote control method for a system that enables communication to be resumed without waiting for the.
Further, it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated line for fault monitoring, diagnosis, contact or switching instruction of the information processing device, and it is possible to reduce the hardware for the signal line and the wiring space in the room. Even if a failure occurs in the information processing device, the standby system is not started up unless there is a need for communication, so useless switching processing occurs, or the standby system survives monitoring after switching, etc. It is possible to prevent the useless traffic from being generated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram (part 1) of the operation of turning on the main power source by remote control in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram (No. 2) of the operation of turning on the main power source by remote control in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a sequence diagram of an operation in which the main power source is turned on by remote control in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device 3N and a server 50N shown in the embodiment.

7 is an information processing device 3N and server 5 shown in FIG.
0N main body and system control frame monitoring unit 10
It is a figure which shows the detailed internal structure of 0.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram (part 1) of the operation of canceling the boot instruction information in the storage unit 70 in the system according to the embodiment.
Is.

FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram (part 2) of the operation of canceling the boot instruction information in the storage unit 70 in the system according to the embodiment.
Is.

FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram (No. 1) of the operation by the live message monitoring in the system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram (No. 2) of the operation by live message monitoring in the system according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11-1N, 21-2N, 31-3N: information processing device,
3: LAN, 3000: sub power supply, 4: communication network, 50:
Communication processing unit, 60: information processing unit, 70: storage unit, 90:
Start processing unit, 91: Stop processing unit, 100: System control frame monitoring unit, 200: Network management unit, 30
0: survival information holding unit, 400: survival message generation unit,
900: system control frame generation unit, 1000: start instruction frame, 2000: main power supply, 3000: sub power supply, 4000: power supply control unit, 5000: survival message.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A remote control method for a system of the information processing device among a plurality of information processing devices connected to a network, wherein the system is constantly supplied with power at least by a sub power supply. An information processing device having a system control frame monitoring unit, a startup processing unit, a communication processing unit, an information processing unit, a storage unit for storing instruction information, a main power supply and its control unit that joins a network,
The system control frame monitoring unit of the former information processing device detects an activation instruction frame from the latter information processing device in which the IPL information addressed to its own address is described. The power-on signal is transmitted to the main power control unit, and
The IPL information in the boot instruction frame is stored in the storage unit, and after the main power is turned on, the IPL information based on the IPL information is stored.
A remote control method of a system characterized by performing PL. 2. The system control frame includes a start instruction frame and a stop instruction frame, and the start instruction frame includes the ID of the start instruction source information processing device in addition to the IPL information, and is based on the start instruction frame. After performing the IPL, the ID of the boot instruction source information processing apparatus of the boot instruction frame is stored, and the system is stopped or the power is turned off based on the stop instruction frame from the boot instruction source information processing apparatus. The remote control method of the system according to claim 1, wherein 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least two information processing devices that communicate with each other and a spare information processing device are configured, and the two information processing devices that communicate with each other. If one of the two fails, the normal information processing apparatus activates the backup information processing apparatus as a substitute for the failed information processing apparatus. Control method. 4. The failure of the information processing apparatus is detected by the interruption of the live message, and the spare information processing apparatus has the same address and configuration as the failure information processing apparatus. 4. The remote control method for a system according to claim 3, wherein a start instruction for performing the IPL is output by.