JPH07104991A - Software correcting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the working of a system by unnecessitating the interruption of the operation of the system when the correction information of software is applied to the software of an information processing system. CONSTITUTION:The storage file of software is duplexed, and one file is defined as an operation file and the other is defined as a standby file. During an operation, an operation file 22 is copied in a standby file 23, the correction information of software is applied to the standby file 23 and a correction execution flag 11 is set. After a correction, when the correction execution flag 11 is turned on at the time of the rise a system, the information of the standby file 23 is set as the information of a new operation file to an operation file control table 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a software correction device for an information processing system, and more particularly to a software correction device for applying software correction information such as patch data and replacement modules without stopping the operation of the system. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the diversification of information processing business, there is a strong demand for improvement in reliability of information processing systems. For this reason, when the software needs to be corrected in the system already operating in the field, it needs to be executed promptly. However, it is difficult to stop the system operation due to the software modification such as a system operating for 24 hours, and it is desired to apply the software modification information without interrupting the system operation.

Conventionally, software correction in such a case has been carried out by directly modifying the storage medium of the software to be corrected, such as patch correction or replacement of a load module. For this reason, if a correction is made during system operation, the part of the program that is already loaded in main memory and does not reflect the modification and the part that is loaded in main memory and that reflects the modification are There was a risk of inconsistencies in logic.

In order to avoid this risk, the file to be modified is copied to another file during operation, the copy destination file is modified, and the file is restored to the original file at the next system startup. System reflected in the system (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-236723), or a method of incorporating management information for correction from the time of program creation and partially replacing the program during execution (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-236723). 93829) and the like have been proposed.

[0005]

In the former one of the above-mentioned conventional software correction methods, the file operated in the system is determined in advance as the file to be modified. When a system error occurs due to an error, there is a problem that it is not possible to take a prompt action such as temporarily using the file before correction.

In addition, the latter of the conventional software modification methods requires the preparation for modification from the time of program creation, so that it is difficult to apply it to a system that already has many software assets. There's a problem.

[0007]

A software correction device according to the present invention is a software correction device for an information processing system in which a necessary program is loaded from a software storage file in an external storage device onto a main memory for system operation. In the correction device, the storage files of software used for system operation are duplicated, one is used as an operation file and the other is used as a standby file, and an operation file management table for recording the information of the operation file and the execution of software correction are managed. A modification execution flag, a file copying means for copying the operation file to the standby file, a software modification application means for applying software modification information to the standby file, and a modification of the operation file management table according to the contents of the modification execution flag. Set the settings in the operation file Operation file management table changing means for changing the information of the standby file to the information of the standby file and the operation file management table when starting the operation of the system, and based on the information of the operation file registered in the table. And system startup means for loading software.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention,
In the present embodiment, a central processing unit 1, a system disk 2, a floppy disk 3, a workstation 4 for operating the system, and a remote workstation 5 where maintenance personnel perform maintenance of the system from a remote maintenance site via a communication line. Consists of.

The central processing unit 1 stores an operation file management table 13 for referring to information on files used for operating the system, a modification execution flag 11 for managing execution of software modification, and a software modification effective designation date and time. It has a correction valid designation date and time table 12 to be managed. The correction execution flag 11 is normally set to “off” unless set in the software correction process. Further, the value of the correction valid designation date / time table 12 has no meaning unless the correction execution flag 11 is “ON”.

The system disk 2 is an external storage device such as a magnetic disk device that stores the system basic software to be modified. In addition to the operation file 22 that stores the system basic software used to operate the system, the system disk 2 also stores the respective files. It has a standby file 23 of the same format and size as the operation file 22, and a modification information registration file 21 for registering modification information of software. The operation file 22 is the initial program storage file SYS @ IP.
L, firmware storage file SYS @ FLM, OS
The storage file SYS @ MON is formed, and the information such as the storage address of each file on the system disk 2 is registered in the operation file management table 13.

The floppy disk device 3 is a portable external storage device such as a floppy disk that stores modification information of software such as patches. The floppy disk device 3 is also used to start up the system with a simple OS stored in the floppy disk when the system fails.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2 showing the processing procedure of this embodiment, the operation at the time of modifying the software will be described.
For software modification, a maintenance staff stores the modification information of the software in a floppy disk medium and brings it in, and performs the processing in parallel with other tasks during the operation of the system. Although the following procedure can be directly instructed from the workstation 4 by the maintenance personnel, it is usually defined as a series of job streams. A floppy disk brought by the maintenance personnel is mounted on the floppy disk device 3, The process is automatically performed by starting the job stream.

First, each of the operation files 22 in the system disk 2 is copied to the corresponding file of the standby file 23 (step 101), and the floppy disk device 3 is used.
The software correction information such as patch data stored in the floppy disk is registered in the correction information registration file 21 in the system disk 2 (step 10).
2).

Next, the modification information of the software registered in the modification information registration file 21 is applied to the program stored in each of the standby files 23 that was previously copied (step 103). After the above processing is completed normally, the correction execution flag 11 is set to "ON" (step 104). If there is a problem such as an error in the patch data during the above process and the process does not end normally, the correction execution flag 11 is not set and the cause of the problem is removed. , Again, all the processes are sequentially executed. This is the end of the software correction process.

In addition to the above processing, the correction valid designation date and time may be set in the correction valid designation date and time table 12 (step 105). That is, when the above process is automatically executed, the current time of the process execution day is set in the correction valid designation date and time table 12 as the correction valid designation date and time. In addition, if you want to specify the date and time when the software modification actually becomes effective according to the user's business,
The maintenance person sets the date and time from the workstation 4 as the corrected valid designated date and time in the corrected valid designated date and time table 12.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation at system startup after the software modification will be described.

First, the correction execution flag 11 is checked. If the correction execution flag 11 is off, the operation file management table 13 is referred to, and the storage address on the system disk 2 of the file necessary for starting and operating the system. And the like, and the necessary program is loaded on the main memory according to the information (step 206).

On the other hand, if the correction execution flag 11 is on, the system startup date and time and the correction valid designation date and time set in the correction valid designation date and time table 12 are compared (step 202). At this time, if the system start-up date and time is before the correction valid designation date and time, the system is started up by the normal start-up process (step 206). However, if the system start-up date and time is the same as or later than the modification valid designation date and time, the process (process after step 203) for validating the software modification described below is performed.

The process for validating the software modification is as follows:
First, the correction execution flag 11 is turned off (step 20
3) The corresponding file names of the operational file 22 and the standby 23 are exchanged (step 204). That is, the file name of the operation file SYS @ IPL before system startup is changed to SYS @ IPL $, and the file name of the standby file SYS @ IPL $ before system startup is changed to S.
Set to YS @ IPL. Similarly, the file name of the operation file SYS @ FLM before system startup is SYS @ F
LM $, and the file name of the standby file SYS @ FLM $ before system startup is SYS @ FLM. In addition, the operation file SYS before system startup
Change the file name of @MON to SYS @ MON $, and
Standby file SYS @ MON $ before system startup
File name is SYS @ MON. Finally, information about each current operation file is set in the operation file management table 13 (step 205).

With this, the information of the standby file group 23 before the system startup is registered in the operational file management table 13 as the information of the new operational file group. After that, the system is started up by the normal startup process (step 206). As a result, the standby file 23 whose software has already been modified is used as a new operational file, and the software modification becomes effective.

Next, processing in the event that a failure occurs in the system operation after the software is modified will be described. When a failure occurs, the normal procedure is to investigate the cause and make a new software fix, but the cause may be due to the most recent software fix. By returning to the state before the software modification, the system operation can be continued tentatively. In the present invention, since the operation file before software modification is stored as the standby file in the system disk 2 after the software modification, the system can be returned to the state before the software modification by a simple operation. Can be returned.

To this end, first, the system is started up from the FD device 3 with a simple OS of a floppy disk. next,
The correction execution flag 11 is turned on. In addition, in a system in which it is necessary to specify the correction valid designation date and time, the current date and time is set as the correction valid designation date and time in the correction valid designation date and time table 12. After that, the system is terminated once, and then the system is restarted from the system disk 2 as usual. The operation of starting the system is as in the procedure of FIG. 3 described above, whereby the system can be operated using the operation file before the software modification as the operation file.

In the present embodiment, since the system has the modification effective designation date and time table 12, it is possible to specify the date and time when the software revision is actually valid, and avoid the time when the load of the work operating in the system is high. This has the effect of reducing the effect of software modification on the business.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the operation file to be corrected is copied to the standby file during operation, the software is corrected, and then the operation file is restored when the system is started up. Management table 13
Information is changed and the system is started up with the standby file to which the software correction is applied as a new operation file group, so there is no need to interrupt the system operation for the software correction. In addition, since the state of the software before the software is modified is stored as a standby file group in the system disk, in the unlikely event that the system fails after the software is modified, a simple procedure can be used. The system can be restarted in the state before the software is modified, and the system can be temporarily operated until the failure is officially restored. This improves the operability of the system.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for modifying software in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of system startup after software modification in the embodiment of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Central processing unit 2 System disk 3 Floppy disk 4 Workstation 5 Remote workstation 11 Correction execution flag 12 Correction effective designation date table 13 Operation file management table 21 Modification information registration file 22 Operation file 23 Standby file.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A software correction device in an information processing system in which a necessary program is loaded from a software storage file in an external storage device onto a main memory to perform system operation, and the software used for operating the system is stored. A file is duplicated, one is an operation file and the other is a standby file, and an operation file management table that records information about the operation file, a modification execution flag that manages execution of software modification, and the operation file is the standby file. File copying means for copying to the standby file, software modification applying means for applying software modification information to the standby file, and setting of the operational file management table according to the content of the modification implementation flag from the operational file information to the standby file information. Change to It has an operation file management table changing means and a system starting means for referring to the operation file management table when starting the operation of the system and loading software based on the information of the operation file registered in the table. A software correction device characterized by the above. 2. A correction valid designated date and time table for managing the date and time when the software revision is validated is provided, and the working file management table changing means sets the working file according to the contents of the revision execution flag and the correction valid designated date and time table. 2. The software modification device according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the management table is changed from the information of the operation file to the information of the standby file. 3. The software correcting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for restoring the setting of the operation file management table.