JPH06309155A - Information processing system and method for initialization of information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To set software environment which matches the hardware constitution of a data processing system automatically i.e., without operator's intervention even after the hardware constitution changes. CONSTITUTION: This system is provided with a means which previously holds system constitution definition data wherein what software environment should be set is described In the data processing system, makes the system constitution definition data contain the contents of the system constitution, i.e., the description of a condition statement making the contents of software environment different when the data processing system is initialized by referring to the system constitution definition data, and detects the hardware constitution of the data processing system when the data processing system is actuated or reset to process the condition statement according to the detection result.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to initialization of an information processing system. The present invention mainly relates to initialization or initialization of a software environment for an information processing system capable of adopting different hardware configurations.

[0002]

[Prior art]

In the information processing system, the following two processes are generally performed for initialization. The first process is based on the hardware initial setting information stored in the non-volatile memory in the information processing system for each removable unit such as an adapter card or an expansion device that constitutes the information processing system. The initial setting is. The hardware initial setting information indicates that the unit is, for example, an expansion memory card
Type), it includes a value related to the memory address space allocated to the memory card. Also, if the unit is, for example, a video control card (adapter
In the case of one type of card), the hardware initialization information includes a value related to the IO address space allocated to the card and a value related to the interrupt order of the card. Further, in the adapter card on which the ROM is mounted, the hardware initial setting information includes a value regarding the memory address space allocated to the ROM. Such first processing can be referred to as hardware initialization processing.

The second process is to install a device driver or an application program into the system memory of the information processing system, or a system for a buffer for temporarily holding data when reading / writing data in the disk storage device.
Settings in memory, etc., to prepare an environment for software. The second processing can be referred to as software initialization processing. The second process is executed by the system initialization program in the operating system with reference to the system configuration definition data.
The system configuration definition data describes what type of system configuration is set. The system configuration is an environment or usage condition regarding software.
The file containing the system configuration definition data is CONFI
G. Sometimes referred to as SYS. CONFIG. SY
S is included in the root directory of the boot drive, and is referenced by the system initialization program each time the information processing system is booted.

By the way, it is said that the notebook personal computer is used by being connected to an extension device for adding a communication function and a printing function on a desk, and detached from the extension device when going out. In addition, the system may frequently fluctuate between specific hardware configurations that differ from each other. Recently, card-type peripheral devices such as card-type additional memory are becoming widespread, but such card-type peripheral devices may be frequently attached and detached to be used. Frequent fluctuations between different hardware configurations.

Each time the hardware configuration of the information processing system changes, it is usually necessary to recreate the initial setting data for the first process. However, Japanese Patent Application No. 3-290 filed on October 11, 1991 by the present applicant.
According to No. 405 (in-house reference number: JA991025), it is not necessary to recreate initial setting data for the first process even after the hardware configuration has changed. Therefore, according to the patent application, frequent changes in the hardware configuration do not force the operator to perform extremely complicated work.

However, no technique has been proposed in which the contents of the second processing are automatically changed according to the change in the hardware configuration. That is, no technique has been proposed in which, when the hardware configuration changes, a software environment suitable for the hardware configuration is set without operator intervention. Therefore, conventionally, when a unit is added to the information processing system, a device driver program for operating the unit is prepared in the boot disk storage device, and the operator configures the CONFIG. It was necessary to add and describe the device driver program in SYS. The operator selects CONFIG. The device driver
If the program is not additionally written, the device driver program for moving the adapter card is not installed in the system memory, so that the adapter card cannot be moved.

Further, although the corresponding unit is not included in the information processing system, the device driver program is prepared in the boot disk storage device and the device driver program is CONFIG. S
If it is specified during YS, the system may fall into an error state and the system processing may not proceed unless there is a key input by the operator.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 63-172338 describes a system configuration method in which a plurality of system configuration definition data are created in advance and made resident, and any one of them is selected at system startup. There is. However, in this method, the system configuration definition data is selected only with the intervention of the operator, and the content of the second processing is not automatically changed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention, even after the hardware configuration of an information processing system has changed.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system in which a software environment suitable for the hardware configuration is automatically set, and an initialization method of the information processing system.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing system according to the present invention includes means for holding system configuration definition data which is referred to when initializing the information processing system, and the system configuration. The system configuration definition data includes a means for initializing the information processing system by referring to definition data and a means for detecting the current hardware configuration of the information processing system, wherein the system configuration definition data is a system according to the hardware configuration. The initializing means has a function of processing the conditional statement based on the current hardware configuration detected by the detecting means, including the description of the conditional statement having a different configuration content.

An information processing system initialization method according to the present invention is a method of preliminarily holding system configuration definition data and initializing the information processing system by referring to the system configuration definition data. The system configuration definition data includes a description of a conditional statement such that the contents of the system configuration differ depending on the hardware configuration, the hardware configuration of the system is detected when the system is started or reset, and the detection result is obtained. The conditional statement is processed according to the above.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the information processing system according to the present invention. In the figure, the information processing system 1 can have various different hardware configurations by including a single unit or a plurality of units that can be attached to and detached from the system body 10. That is, a plurality of slots # 1, # 2, # 3 are connected to the system bus 3 of the system main body 10, and adapter cards as various units are installed in these slots # 1, # 2, # 3. Inserted interchangeably. adapter·
The card is for controlling various peripheral devices (disk drive, printer, communication device, additional memory, etc.) connected to the card. Also, the system
A POST / BIOS ROM 5, NVRAM 7 as a non-volatile memory, system memory 9, disk storage device (HDD) 11, CPU 13, and floppy disk drive device (FDD) 15 are connected to the bus 3. The HDD 11 also functions as a means for holding system configuration definition data, as will be mentioned later.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the system body 1
An adapter card # A1 is inserted in the slot # 1 and an adapter card # A2 is inserted in the slot # 2. Further, the expansion devices # E0 and # E1 as two units are inserted into the slot # 3. Slots # 0, # 1, and # 2 on one expansion device # E0 have adapter cards # X0,
Each of # X1 and # X2 is inserted. Also, slots # 0, # 1, and # 2 on the other expansion device # E1
Adapter card # Y0, Y1, as a unit,
And Y2 are inserted.

Each of these adapter cards and each expansion device has a unique identification value (I) for identifying its type.
D) is provided. That is, each adapter card and each expansion device is provided with an identification value storage means 21 to which an identification value having a predetermined number of bits is assigned and which stores the identification value even after power-off.

Programmable on each adapter card
Option slot (POS: Programmab)
(le Option Slot) register 23 is provided, and the POS register 23 stores hardware initial setting information regarding the card. Hardware initialization information is information processing system 1
Can be changed according to the overall hardware configuration of the. The hardware initial setting information is an NVRAM that holds the entire information on the hardware configuration of the system 1.
From 7, only information about the card is transferred to the register 23 on that card. The hardware initialization information is, for example, allocation of addresses in the memory space or I / O.
In addition to address factors (AD) such as address allocation in the O space, interrupt priority of signals to the CPU 13 issued by the adapter card, etc., different priority levels for each card when using a plurality of similar cards It is allocation information (PR) or information (ENBL) for deactivating a redundant card. Based on these pieces of information, the system realizes efficient transfer of data between the CPU 13 and the cards and between the cards.

The expansion device # E0 has an identification value storage means (I
In addition to D) 21, NVRAM 25 is provided. NV
Information relating to identification is written in the RAM 25 by executing the setup program after the expansion device # E0 is connected to the system body 10. That is, N
The VRAM 25 stores the name of the expansion device # E0 as well as the identification values of all the adapter cards inserted in the slots on the expansion device # E0. Originally, it is the same type of expansion device and has the same identification value.
Although the cards are the same as each other, only the hardware initial setting information set by the operator may be different between the plurality of expansion devices. Even in such a case, the name of the expansion device in the NVRAM 25 allows the expansion devices to be distinguished from each other, and can be designated or named by the operator using a setup program or the like.

In the case of FIG. 3, slots # 0, # 1, and #
The name of the expansion device # E0 in which the adapter cards # X0, # X1 and # X2 are inserted into the second device is EXP-1.
Is. The name of the expansion device # E1 in which the adapter cards # Y1, # Y2, and # Y3 are inserted in the slots # 0, # 1, and # 2 is EXP-2.

The NVRAM 7 in the system body 1 stores the initial setting information of the entire hardware configuration of the information processing system 1 including the adapter carts and expansion devices inserted in the system body 1. When a new hardware configuration is adopted, SC (SYSTEM CO
NFIGURATION). By the action of a program called EXE, initial setting information regarding a new hardware configuration is created and stored in the NVRAM 7. This point will be described later with reference to FIG. The contents of NVRAM 7 are maintained by the backup battery even after the system power is cut off.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the NVRAM 7 stores the hardware initial setting information # 0. The hardware initial setting information # 0 is the slot # 0 in the system main unit 1.
Is connected to the adapter card # A0, the slot # 1 is connected to the adapter card # A1, the slot # 3 is connected to the expansion device # E0, and the expansion device # E0 has slots # 0, # 1, and Adapter card for each # 2 #
This is the hardware initial setting information when X0, # X1, and # X2 are connected.

In the reserved area or system area (partition area) 11A of the disk storage device 11, in addition to the hardware initial setting information # 0, hardware initial setting information # 1, hardware initial setting information # 2, Further, hardware initialization information other than these is also stored up to a predetermined number. Here, the hardware initial setting information # 1
Is an adapter card # A0 connected to a slot # 0 in the system body 1, an adapter card # A1 is connected to a slot # 1, an expansion device # E1 is connected to a slot # 3, and an expansion device # E1 is connected. Slot # 0, # 1 and # 2 of the adapter cards # Y0, # Y1,
And hardware initialization information when # Y2 is connected. Also, the hardware initial setting information # 2
Is the hardware initial setting when the adapter card # A0 is connected to the slot # 0 in the system main unit 1, the adapter card # A1 is connected to the slot # 1, and nothing is connected to the slot # 3. Information.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of stored information in the system area 11A of the disk storage device 11. The hardware initial setting information 53 is SC. When the new hardware configuration is adopted. It is created by the EXE program and written in the NVRAM7, but its copy is the power-on self-test (POST: Power OnS).
It is also loaded into the disk storage device 11 by the elf Test) program. When the hardware initial setting information in the NVRAM 7 is copied to the disk storage device 11, as shown in FIG.
Is added. That is, each hardware initial setting information #
0, # 1, and # 2 are stored in a searchable form by the identification value of the adapter card and the name of the expansion adapter card. The identification value of the adapter card and the expansion device name are stored together with the slot number in which they are inserted, and the information necessary for identifying such a hardware configuration will be referred to as hardware configuration identification information.

In FIG. 4, each index # 0, #
The status information is written at the beginning of 1 and # 2. The status information is information indicating whether or not the hardware configuration identification information is included in the index information, and is used to improve the efficiency of the search operation using the index information 51. Also, pointer information is included at the end of each index. The pointer information indicates the storage position of the hardware initial setting information corresponding to the hardware configuration. Further, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 1, POST writes a hardware configuration identification number corresponding to each hardware configuration in a predetermined area of the system memory 9. Here, the predetermined area is, for example, a BIOS data area.

FIG. 5 shows a flow of processing to be performed first when the information processing system 1 adopts a new hardware configuration. With the reference diskette inserted in the FDD 15, power on the system 1. The reference diskette is a floppy disk provided to the operator together with the information processing system 1. Contains EXE. Step 1
And SC. EXE is executed to generate the hardware initial setting information. When generating the hardware initial setting information, SC. The EXE reads the identification value (ID) of the adapter card or expansion device inserted in each slot. In addition, an operator may need to input keys when generating the hardware initial setting information.

In step 2, SC. The EXE stores the hardware initial setting information in the NVRAM 7 in the system main body 1.
And the hardware initial setting information is also written in the system area 11A of the HDD 11 in a searchable form. If the expansion device is connected, the hardware configuration information regarding the expansion device is also written in the NVRAM in the expansion device. Next, follow the instructions on the screen of the system 1 and insert the Fppy disk containing the operating system program (OS) into the FDD1.
The system 1 is rebooted in a state where the system 1 is inserted into the system 5. By this reboot, the process proceeds to step 3. Step 3
Then, POST initializes each unit (adapter card, expansion device, etc.) based on the hardware initialization information of NVRAM in the system 1.

In step 4, the OS is installed in the HDD 11 by the function of the OS installation program included in the OS itself. After installing the OS on the HDD 11, the utility
When the diskette is inserted into the FDD 15 and the system 1 is rebooted, the process moves to step 5. Utility
The utility program in the diskette is CONFIG.COM as system configuration definition data having a content including a description of a conditional statement. This is a program for allowing the operator to easily generate SYS. The default contents of CONFIG. SYS is prepared in advance. The CONFIG. The contents of SYS are modified by the action of the utility program. The operator need only enter in response to the hardware configuration questions that appear on the screen of system 1 under the action of the utility program.

When the information processing system 1 adopts a new hardware configuration, the process to be performed first ends in step 5. After that, if the system 1 is reset or powered on, the system 1 is restarted by the installed OS and the application program can be executed on the system 1 as shown in step 6.

FIG. 1 shows the generation of hardware initial setting information and the CONFIG. The flow of initialization processing when the correction of the contents of SYS has already been completed is shown. In other words, FIG. 1 shows the process of step 6 of FIG. 5 in more detail. In the figure, when the system power is turned on,
In step 11, POST works to initialize the hardware. Hardware initialization means NV
That is, the hardware initial setting information held in the RAM 7 is set in the register of each corresponding unit.

In the process of step 11, POST detects the current hardware configuration of the system 1, but in step 12, the hardware configuration number corresponding to the detected hardware configuration is assigned to the BIOS data area of the system memory 9. To record. Here, POST is a detection means for detecting the current hardware configuration. In step 13, the system initialization program operates to operate the hardware configuration number and C recorded in the system memory.
ONFIG. SYS is read. In step 14, the system initialization program operates to set the environment for software, that is, software initialization. The system initialization program may be a program different from the OS, or a part of the OS, such as O
It may be a program included in the kernel of S.

Now referring also to FIG. 2, step 14
The initialization of the software will be further described. In FIG. 2, CONFIG. The contents of a file called SYS are shown. CONFIG. SYS is a file that describes an environment related to software, and the system initialization program is CONFIG. Set the software environment based on the contents of SYS. The first line "FILES = 2
"0" defines that the maximum number of files that can be opened simultaneously is 20. The second line "DOS = HIG
Each description of "LASTDRV = E" in the "H" to the sixth line also describes the software environment. The 7th line "DE
VICE = C: \ DOS \ HIMEM. SYS ", line 8" DEVICE = C: \ DOS \ SETVER.E
XE "and" DEVICE = C: \ DO "on the 10th line
S \ EMM386. "EXE AUTO" describes what kind of device driver program is introduced into the system memory so that the OS and application programs can use it. In the 9th line, "SHELL = C: \ DOS \ COMMAND.CO
M / P E: 256 "specifies the command processor with parameters. The contents of the first to tenth lines are nothing but the prior art.

What should be noted is the description of the conditional statements on the 11th to 13th lines. In the 11th line, "IF CONFIG # = 0,
1 "designates the condition that the description in the next line is executed when the hardware configuration number read out in step 13 of FIG. 1 is 0 or 1. "DEVICE = C: \ LAN.SYS" on the 12th line indicates LAN. S
It describes the introduction of a device driver program called YS. Therefore, the description of the conditional statements on the 11th and 12th lines is LAN.NET if the current hardware configuration corresponds to the hardware configuration number 0 or 1. If a device driver program called SYS is installed and the hardware configuration is other than that, LAN. It specifies not to install a device driver program called SYS. Referring to FIG. 3, when either the expansion device # E0 or # E1 is connected to the system main unit 1, the LAN. Introducing SYS,
If the expansion device is not connected, LAN. The device driver program called SYS will not be installed.

"ENDIF" on the 13th line indicates that the description of the conditional statements on the 11th and 12th lines is completed. In the 14th line, “INSTALL = C: \ DOS \
FASTOPEN. EXE C: = (150,15
0) ”specifies the environment for software,
No change from conventional technology. Also, "re
m *** Check Configuration,
if CONFIG # = 0,1 then start
"LAN" is a comment statement to the operator regarding the processing contents of lines 11 and 12, and the system initialization program does not interpret this comment statement.

Returning to FIG. 1, description will be made. Step 1 of FIG.
After the software initialization process is completed in step 4, the command processor is started in step 15 and the AUTOEXEC. Execute the command described in BAT. This completes a series of initialization processes, and the application program is ready for execution.

FIG. 6 shows the details of the hardware initialization or initialization processing in step 11 of FIG. 1 in more detail. In step 21 in FIG. 6, POST performs self-diagnosis of each part in the system body 1. In step 22,
In addition to the identification value of the adapter card connected to the system main body 1 and the identification value of the adapter card when the expansion device is connected, POST is the NV on the expansion device.
The information in the RAM 25 is read. That is, in step 22, the hardware configuration identification information (see FIG. 4) regarding the current hardware configuration is read. In step 23,
The hardware configuration identification information read in step 22 is compared with the hardware configuration identification information of the hardware initial setting information already stored in the NVRAM 7 of the system body 1.

If the comparison results are in agreement, the process proceeds to step 24. In step 24, the system / main body 1 N
Of the hardware initial setting information in the VRAM 7, the portion to be copied to the POS register 23 on each card
Copy to S register 23. If an expansion unit is connected, then in step 25 NVRAM2 on the expansion unit
The hardware initial setting information relating to the expansion device is copied into the NVRAM 5 from the NVRAM 7 of the system body 1. Next, in step 26, the consistency between the units of the hardware initial setting information is inspected, and the process ends.

When the comparison result in step 23 is not matched, the process is moved to step 27. In step 27, the hardware initial setting information in the system area 11A of the HDD 11 is searched by the hardware configuration identification information regarding the current hardware configuration read in step 22. If the same hardware configuration identification information as the current hardware configuration identification information is found in the system area 11A, the process proceeds to step 28. In step 28, the hardware initial setting information corresponding to the found hardware configuration identification information is copied from the system area 11A to the NVRAM 7 of the system main body, and the process is performed in step 2
Move to 5. If the same hardware configuration identification information is not found in the system area 11A in step 27, the process proceeds to step 29, instructing the creation of new hardware initial setting information, and the process ends. The process of newly creating the hardware initialization information has already been described with reference to FIG.

According to this embodiment, even after the hardware configuration of the information processing system 1 has changed,
A software environment suitable for the hardware configuration can be set automatically, that is, without operator intervention. Therefore,
This is particularly convenient when the expansion device is frequently attached or detached, such as a notebook personal computer, or when the card peripheral device is frequently attached and detached.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, units such as adapter cards and expansion devices hold their own identification information (ID), and programs such as POST and OS detect the current hardware configuration. However, the present invention is not limited to the case where the unit itself holds the ID. Even if the unit itself does not hold the ID, by detecting the signal level of the specific pin of the connector on the system body side, it is possible to detect whether or not the specific unit that can be connected to the connector is actually connected. Therefore, it may be possible to detect what the current hardware configuration is. In particular, when the types of hardware configurations that the information processing system can take are limited, it is often possible to detect what the current hardware configuration is, even if the unit itself does not hold an ID. .

Further, the setting of the software environment in the present invention is performed by using the OS as described in connection with the above embodiment.
It is not limited to the setting of the software environment related to and the specification of the device driver program to be installed in the system. That is, the setting of the software environment in the present invention includes whether or not a certain application program is started.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, even after the hardware configuration of the information processing system changes,
An information processing system in which a software environment suitable for the hardware configuration is automatically set, and an initialization method of the information processing system can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a method for initializing an information processing system according to the present invention; hardware initial setting information is generated;
G. 7 is a flowchart showing a process after the correction of (SYS) is already completed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of system configuration definition data (CONFIG.SYS) in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a structure of hardware initial setting information and hardware configuration identification information in a system area of the HDD of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the generation of hardware initial setting information and system configuration definition data (CONFIG.SYS) in the above embodiment.
4 is a flowchart showing a process for.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process for initial setting (hardware initialization) relating to the hardware of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 System Main Body 3 System Bus 5 POST / BIOS ROM 7 NVRAM 9 System Memory 11 Hard Disk Storage (HDD) 11A System Area 13 CPU 15 Floppy Disk Drive (FDD) 21 Adapter Card or Expansion Device Identification value generating means (ID) 23 POS register 25 NVRAM on expansion device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazumi Ito 1623 Shimotsuruma, Yamato-shi, Kanagawa 14 Yamabe Works, IBM Japan, Ltd. (72) Ken Inoue 1623 Shimotsuruma, Yamato-shi, Kanagawa 14 Japan IBM Japan, Ltd. Daiwa Office

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An information processing system capable of adopting various different hardware configurations by including a single unit or a plurality of units detachable from a system body, wherein the information processing system initializes the information processing system. Means for holding the system configuration definition data to be referred to at the time, means for initializing the information processing system by referring to the system configuration definition data, means for detecting the current hardware configuration of the information processing system, Have
The system configuration definition data includes a description of a conditional statement such that the content of the system configuration varies depending on the hardware configuration, and the initialization unit determines the conditional statement based on the current hardware configuration detected by the detection unit. An information processing system having a processing function. 2. The information processing system has means for holding an identification value associated with the hardware configuration, and the conditional statement describes that the contents of the system configuration differ depending on the identification value. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the initialization unit processes the conditional statement based on an identification value associated with the current hardware configuration detected by the detection unit. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the conditional statement includes a description such that the type of application program to be started differs depending on the identification value. 4. An information processing system capable of taking a variety of different hardware configurations by including a single unit or a plurality of units that can be attached to and detached from a system main body, holds system configuration definition data in advance, and stores the system configuration. A method of initializing the information processing system by referring to definition data, wherein the system configuration definition data includes a description of a conditional statement such that the contents of the system configuration differ depending on the hardware configuration, An initialization method of an information processing system, which detects a hardware configuration of the system at the time of startup or reset and processes the conditional statement according to the detection result.