JPH07131525A - Redundant system and its operating method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decide the operation or non-operation of a circuit package in a short time by making each circuit package itself decide and display its operating state based on the path operating information. CONSTITUTION:A path operation signal processing part 210A supplies a path operation signal OPa of a string of value 1/0 which show the operation or non-operation of plural signal paths from a circuit package 204A. Then the signals OPa are collected from all downstream circuit packages connected to a circuit package 203A at a collecting part of the part 210A. The collected signals OPa are sent to the upstream circuit packages connected to the package 203A through a transfer part and also supplied to an OR arithmetic part. The OR arithmetic part calculates an OR of signals OPa and decides that a path selected by a redundant part 205 as long as even a single '1' is included in the signals OPa exists. Thus an operation display lamp L is turned on. When all signals OPa are equal to 0, a switching part 205 decides the absence of a signal path. Then the lamp L is turned off.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system having a redundant configuration, and more particularly, to a configuration in which a plurality of systems consisting of a plurality of circuit packages are connected in parallel and one of the outputs of the plurality of systems is selected on the output side. The present invention relates to a redundant system and an operating method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a transmission device in a communication network, especially in a switching system, if the system function is stopped due to a failure or the like, the social impact becomes extremely large. Therefore, a dual redundant configuration is adopted to improve reliability. Has been. In the dual redundant configuration, generally, two systems having the same configuration for performing the same processing are provided in parallel (hereinafter, referred to as # 0 system and # 1 system), and further, one of the output signals is redundant. A switching unit is provided. Thus, even if a failure is detected in one system, the redundancy switching unit immediately switches to the other system, so that the continuity of processing can be maintained.

Such a transmission device generally requires as many redundant switching units as the number of signals in order to input and output a large number of signals, and each system constituting the redundant system has a large number of circuit packages connected in cascade. Has a configured configuration. A large number of signals input to the transmission device are divided into two branches, # 0 system and # 1.
One of the output signals corresponding to the # 0 system and the corresponding # 1 system is input to the system, and one of them is selected by the redundancy switching unit and output to the outside. Therefore, in the transmission device, a large number of actual signal paths are complicatedly formed according to the selection state of the redundancy switching unit.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing a simplified configuration of a conventional transmission apparatus. The input signal is received by the reception processing unit 101 and branched by the signal branching unit 102 into two systems, # 0 system and # 1 system. The # 0 system includes cascade-connected electronic circuit packages 103A and 104A, and the # 1 system includes cascade-connected electronic circuit packages 103.
B and 104B. It should be noted that the illustrated circuit packages are simplified for the sake of explanation.

The # 0 system and # 1 system signals output from the circuit packages 104A and 104B, respectively, are selected by the redundancy switching section 105 and output to the outside through the transmission processing section 106. The redundancy switching unit 105 performs a switching operation to a normal system when a failure or the like is detected as described above.

A selection signal (SEL) indicating the selection state of the redundancy switching section 105 is output to the central control section 107 of the transmission apparatus 1. In reality, since there are as many redundant switching units 105 as there are signal paths, the central control unit 107 collects respective selection signals from a large number of redundant switching units 105 in the transmission device 1.

Here, it is assumed that one redundancy switching section 105 selects the # 0 system. In this case, the central control unit 10
7 determines that the # 0 system signal path is in the operating state for the data signal, and the # 0 system circuit package 103A
Is determined to be “operating”, and the # 1 system circuit package 103B is determined to be “non-operating”. This operational / non-operational state is stored in an operational information memory (not shown) in the central control unit 107, and the central control unit 107 controls lighting of the operational display lamps of the circuit packages 103A and 103B. That is, the lamp of the # 0 system circuit package 103A in the operating state is turned on to turn on the # 1 system circuit package 10 in the non-operating state.
Turn off the lamp of 3B.

In this state, it is assumed that the redundancy switching section 105 is switched for some reason. Central control unit 1
07 changes the selection signal SEL from the redundancy switching unit 105, and redetermines the # 0 system circuit package 103A as “non-operation” and the # 1 system circuit package 103B as “operation”. By this re-determination, the central control unit 10
The contents of the operation information memory 7 are updated, the operation display lamp of the # 0 system circuit package 103A is turned off, and the lamp of the # 1 system circuit package 103B is turned on. The circuit package with the lamp off is inactive and can be removed for repair or inspection.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional system, the central control unit 107 constantly collects the selection signals SEL of all the redundancy switching units 105, and the operation of each circuit package is performed based on the collected selection signals SEL. / It is necessary to decide non-operation. For this reason, there is a problem that the load on the central control unit becomes large and the processing time from the collection of the selection signal SEL to the setting of operation / non-operation becomes long. Furthermore, since the central control unit controls the lamp lighting of each circuit package, a connection line is required between the central control unit and each circuit package, which also complicates the wiring of the transmission device. Was there. These problems become more remarkable as the number of input / output signals handled increases.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a redundant system and a method of operating the same, which can set operating / non-operating of each circuit package in a short time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a redundant system and an operating method thereof capable of executing the operation / non-operation setting of each circuit package in a short time without complicating the wiring.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A redundant system according to the present invention is a redundant system in which a plurality of systems including a plurality of circuit packages are connected in parallel and a plurality of signal paths are formed through cascaded circuit packages in each system. And a selecting means provided on the output side of the redundant configuration and selecting a signal path of any one system from corresponding signal paths formed in a plurality of systems, and selecting or not selecting each signal path by the selecting means. Path operation information generating means for generating path operation information indicating selection or non-selection of a signal path in each of the plurality of systems based on selection information indicating selection, and a circuit package provided in each circuit package. Transfers the path operation information of the passing signal path to the upstream circuit package that traces the flow of the signal path, and based on the path operation information, the circuit package concerned. And determining the control means the operational status of di-, that consists characterized.

A method of operating a redundant system according to the present invention is
A direction in which path operation information indicating selection or non-selection of signal paths in each of a plurality of systems is generated based on selection information indicating selection or non-selection of each signal path by the selection means, and each signal path in each system is traced back. In addition, the path operation information is transferred through the circuit package related to each signal path, and the path operation status of the circuit package is determined based on the path operation information for each circuit package that receives the path operation information.

[0014]

[Operation] The path operation information indicating the operation / non-operation of the signal path is transferred backward through the signal path through the plurality of circuit packages that configure each system of the redundant configuration, and each circuit package itself follows the path operation information according to the path operation information. To judge.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified structure of a transmission apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transmission device 2 according to the present embodiment has a duplex redundant configuration, and the input data signal received by the reception processing unit 201 is a signal branching unit 202.
Then, it is branched into # 0 system and # 1 system. The # 0 system includes cascade-connected electronic circuit packages 203A and 204A, and the # 1 system also includes similar electronic circuit packages 203B and 204B. As will be described later, each circuit package is provided with a path operation signal processing unit POP, and the operation status can be set by the circuit package itself.

The data signal of the # 0 system is the circuit package 20.
Similarly, the # 1 system data signal flows from the circuit packages 203B to 204B from 3A to 204A, and is input to the redundancy switching unit 205. One of the data signals is selected by the redundancy switching unit 205 and output to the outside through the transmission processing unit 206.

Each circuit package and redundancy switching section 2
Reference numeral 05 is a simplified one, and is actually composed of a plurality of circuit packages and a plurality of redundancy switching units, respectively, as shown in FIG. 3 or 4. For simplification of description, FIG. 1 shows only one signal path for each of the # 0 system and the # 1 system and one redundancy switching unit for selecting one of them.

The selection signal SEL indicating the selection state of the redundancy switching unit 205 is input to the signal conversion unit 207, where it is converted into a path operation signal OP including a # 0 system path operation signal OPa and a # 1 system path operation signal OPb. It The # 0 system path operation signal OPa and the # 1 system path operation signal OPb are output to the path operation signal processing units 208A and 208B provided in the circuit packages 204A and 204B, respectively. Furthermore, the circuit package 203 is passed from the path operation signal processing units 208A and 208B through the transfer paths 209A and 209B.
Path operation signal processing unit 21 provided in A and 203B
0A and 210B respectively.

Regarding the transfer paths 209A and 209B,
If each circuit package performs bidirectional signal transmission, it is not necessary to provide separate lines for transferring the data signal and the path operation signal. Circuit package 203A
And 203B to 204A and 204B, respectively, and at the same time, the path operation signals OPa and OP
It is possible to use a bidirectional transmission line capable of transferring b in the opposite direction. Alternatively, when the data signal has a blank data field portion, the blank data field portion can be used to transfer the path operation signals OPa and OPb. Of course, the path operation signal O
Dedicated transmission lines for transferring Pa and OPb may be separately provided.

The # 0 system path operation signal OPa is a signal having a value corresponding to a plurality of signal paths passing through the circuit package 204A, and the signal path selected by the redundancy switching unit 205 is "1", that is, “Active” is set to “0”, that is, “non-operation” is set for the unselected items. Since the # 0 system and the # 1 system have an alternative relationship, the # 1 system path operation signal OPb has an inverted value of the # 0 system path operation signal OPa.

The path operation signal processing units 208A, 208B,
210A and 210B are the circuit packages 2 respectively.
The operating state of 04A, 204B, 203A, and 203B is determined, and predetermined control is executed. For example, when all the signal paths passing through the circuit package 203A are “non-operation”, that is, when the values of the path operation signal OPa are all “0”, the path operation signal processing unit 210A causes the operation indicator lamp of the circuit package 203A to operate. To turn off.
In addition, at least one value of the path operation signal OPa is "1".
Indicates that at least one signal path through the circuit package 203A has been selected,
Turn on the operation indicator lamp. Note that such operation display information can also be used as a part of information for maintenance.

The configuration and operation of the path operation signal and the path operation signal processing section will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a more detailed structure of this embodiment. However, circuit parts having the same functions as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. In the # 0 system, a plurality of circuit packages (here, 212A, 203A
A and 204A are illustrated. ) Are connected in cascade, and a path operation signal processing unit (POP) is provided for each. The # 1 system has the same configuration (21 in this case).
2B, 203B, and 204B are illustrated. ).

The path operation signal processing section (POP) is a collection section C for collecting path operation signals from a plurality of circuit packages located on the downstream side of the data signal, and a transfer for transferring these path operation signals to the upstream circuit package. It is composed of a section T, an OR operation section for calculating a logical sum (OR) of the values of the collected path operation signals, and an operation display lamp whose lighting is controlled by the result of the OR operation section.

The path operation signal processing unit 210A of the circuit package 203A will be described as an example. The path operation signal processing unit 210A receives the path operation signal OP from the path operation signal processing unit 208A provided in the downstream circuit package 204A.
Enter a. This path operation signal OPa is transferred to the transfer path 20.
It is composed of a column of values "1" / "0" indicating the operation / non-operation of a plurality of signal paths in 9A. As shown, OPa
= (1, 0, ... 1), the first signal path represents “active” and the second signal path represents “non-active”. Therefore, the corresponding path operation signal OPb in the # 1 system is
It becomes an inverted value of those values and is (0, 1, ... 0). That is, the first signal path is “non-operation” and the second signal path is “operation”.

The path operating signal is input to the collecting section of the path operating signal processing section 210A from all the circuit packages 204A from which the circuit package 203A sends data signals (details will be described with reference to FIG. 3). That is, the path operation signals are collected from all the downstream circuit packages connected to the circuit package 203A. These path operation signals are transferred to the upstream circuit package connected to the circuit package 203A by the transfer unit, and are input to the OR operation unit. The OR operation unit calculates the logical sum of the values of all the collected path operation signals. As described above, when at least one "1" is included in the path operation signal, the OR
The arithmetic unit outputs "1", and it is determined that the signal path selected by the redundancy switching unit 205 exists.
As a result, the operation display lamp L is controlled to turn on. On the contrary, when the values of all the path operation signals are "0", "0" is also output from the OR operation unit. As a result, it is determined that the signal path selected by the redundancy switching unit 205 does not exist, and the operation display lamp L is controlled to be turned off. As described above, the output signal of the OR operation unit can also be used as a part of the information for maintenance.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing in detail how the path operating signal is collected by the collecting section of the path operating signal processing section 210A. Circuit package 204A
Is a plurality of circuit packages 204A1, 204A2 ,.
.. consisting of circuit packages 204A1-2
It is assumed that three 04A3 are connected to the circuit package 203A through the transfer paths 209A1 to 209A3, respectively.

Path operation signal processing units 208A1 to 208A
The transfer unit of No. 3 has respective path operation signals OPa1 to OPa.
a3 is transferred to the path operation signal processing unit 210A of the circuit package 203A through the transfer paths 209A1 to 209A3. As described above, the path operation signals OPa1 to OPa3 indicate the operation status of the signal paths passing through the transfer paths 209A1 to 209A3, respectively. Such path operation signals OPa1 to OPa3 are transmitted to the path operation signal processing unit 21.
The OR operation unit determines the signal path operation status of the circuit package 203A using the path operation signal collected by the 0A collector.

The configuration and operation of such a path operation signal processing unit 210A are the same in other path operation signal processing units. Therefore, the path operation signals OPa and OPb output from the SEL / OP conversion unit 207 are respectively traced back in the flow of the data signal while the circuit package 2
The signals are sequentially transferred from 04A and 204B to 203A and 203B, and further to the upstream circuit package, and the operation status of the signal path is determined in each circuit package, and the lighting control of the operation display lamp is performed.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a switching system according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the signal branching unit 202 shown in FIG. 2 is incorporated in each package of the interface IF1, and the redundancy switching unit 205 is incorporated in each package of the interface IF2. In the # 0 system, the package 501, the package 502, the exchange SW, the package 503, and the package 504 are connected in series in the data signal flowing direction.

For example, four packages 501 are connected to each of the packages 502.
Four packages 504 are connected to each 03. The # 1 system also has the same configuration. Also, package 50
Each 1 is connected to three packages of interface IF1. Furthermore, three input lines are connected to each package of the interface IF1, and one input line is connected to each input line.
The individual signal branch units 202 are provided. That is, the N input lines are branched into two by the N signal branching units 202, and the respective data signals are sent to the # 0 system and the # 1 system. Similarly, each of the packages 504 is connected to three packages of the interface IF2. Furthermore,
Three output lines are connected to each package of the interface IF2, and one redundancy switching unit 205 is provided corresponding to each output line.
Is provided. That is, the N redundancy switching units 205 are
The N data signals respectively output from the # 0 system and the # 1 system are selected and transmitted to the outside through the N output lines.

Incidentally, in relation to the first embodiment, FIG.
Arbitrary two packages (for example, packages 503 and 504, or package 5) that are connected in
04 and interface IF2 package)
And circuit packages 203A and 204A in FIG.
It corresponds to.

The SEL / OP conversion section 207 selects the selection signal S from each of the N redundancy switching sections of the interface IF2.
EL is input, and the selection signal SEL is converted into a path operation signal OPa indicating operating / non-operating and a path operating signal OPb indicating its inverted value (non-operating / operating) for each package of the interface IF2. Then, the path operation signal OP
a is traced back in the flow of the data signal Da, that is, output from the package of the interface IF2 to the corresponding package of the package 504. Path operation signal OP
Similarly, b is output to the # 1 system.

As described above, the path operation signal OPa is collected by the path operation signal processing unit POP of each package of the package 504, and the path operation signal OPa (1) is further transferred to the corresponding package of the package 503. . The path operation signal OPa (1) indicates the operation status (operation / non-operation) of a plurality of signal paths between the package 504 and the corresponding package of the package 503. Further, the path operation signal OPa (2) is transferred from the package 503 to the corresponding package of the package 502 via the exchange SW,
The path operation signal OPa (3) is transferred from the package 502 to the corresponding package of the package 501.

In this way, the # 0 path operation signal OPa
The # 1 system path operation signal OPb is sequentially transferred in the opposite direction to the data signal, and the operation status of the signal path is determined in each circuit package. As already mentioned,
Depending on the operation status of the corresponding signal path, the lighting control of the operation display lamp L of the package can be performed.

Therefore, even in the redundant configuration in which a very large number of packages exist and a large number of signal paths are dynamically selected and operated in a complicated combination as in the present embodiment, the operation display lamp L is turned off. Indicates that all signal paths through the unit are non-operational and may be removed for repair or inspection.

Such a circuit package operation status determining method transfers the path operation signal OP indicating the operation / non-operation for each path in the direction opposite to the data signal, instead of the centralized control by the central control unit as in the prior art. However, since the distributed control is to set the operating state in each circuit package, the load on the central control unit is greatly reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a redundant system such as a transmission system and a switching system regardless of the number of incoming lines and the number of outgoing lines to the redundant system.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case of the duplex redundant system is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. Since the present invention transfers the path operation signal OP for each path, it can be applied not only to the redundant redundant system but also to a general N + 1 redundant system. Further, the present invention can be applied to a redundant system in which the plurality of redundancy switching units 205 operate completely independently and the selected system has no mutual relation, and the same effect can be obtained.

[0041]

As described above in detail, the redundant system according to the present invention sequentially transfers the path operation information indicating the operation / non-operation of the signal path through the plurality of circuit packages forming each system of the redundant configuration. , Each circuit package itself determines the path operation status according to the path operation information.

As a result, it is possible to grasp the operation status of the signal path for each circuit package and control the lighting of the operation display lamp, and to set the operation / non-operation of each circuit package in a short time. . In other words, conventionally, the central control unit collectively executes the operation control, but in the present invention, the path operation information is sent to each redundant system so that the operation control is executed in a distributed manner in each circuit package.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified configuration of a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a more detailed configuration of the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing in detail how path collecting signals are collected by a collecting section of the path managing signal processing section 210A.

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

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing a simplified configuration of a conventional transmission device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 201 reception processing unit 202 signal branching unit 203A electronic circuit package 203B electronic circuit package 204A electronic circuit package 204B electronic circuit package 205 redundancy switching unit 206 transmission processing unit 207 SEL / OP conversion unit 208A 0 system path operational signal processing unit 208B 1 system path Operation signal processing unit 209A 0 system transfer path 209B 1 system transfer path 210A 0 system path operation signal processing unit 210B 1 system path operation signal processing unit SEL selection signal OP path operation signal OPa 0 system path operation signal OPb 1 system path operation signal

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A redundant system, wherein a plurality of systems composed of a plurality of circuit packages are connected in parallel, and a plurality of signal paths are formed through the circuit packages cascade-connected in each system, and the redundant configuration. And a selection unit provided on the output side of the selection unit for selecting a signal path of any one system from corresponding signal paths formed in the plurality of systems, and selection or non-selection of each signal path by the selection unit. Path operation information generation means for generating path operation information indicating selection or non-selection of a signal path in each of the plurality of systems based on the selection information; and a signal provided in each of the circuit packages and passing through the circuit package. The path operation information of the path is transferred to the circuit package on the upstream side that traces the flow of the signal path, and the circuit concerned is transferred based on the path operation information. Redundant system, wherein the determining control unit operation status of Kkeji, in that it consists of. 2. The control means comprises: a collecting means for collecting path operation information from a plurality of circuit packages located downstream; a transfer means for transferring the path operation information to a circuit package located upstream; and the collecting means. The redundancy system according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit that calculates a logical sum of the path operation information, and a display unit that indicates an operation state of the circuit package according to a determination result of the determination unit. 3. Any two circuit packages connected by a transfer path transfer a data signal to the downstream side through a signal path of the transfer path, and to the upstream side through the other path of the transfer path to the path operation information. The redundant system according to claim 1, characterized in that the redundant system is transferred. 4. A system comprising a plurality of circuit packages, comprising a redundant configuration in which a plurality of systems are connected in parallel and a selector provided on the output side of the redundant configuration, and at least one signal path in each of the plurality of systems. In a redundant system in which a signal path of any one system is selected by the selector from corresponding signal paths in each system, selection information indicating selection or non-selection of each signal path by the selector. On the basis of the above, to generate path operation information indicating the selection or non-selection of the signal path in each of the plurality of systems, in the direction of going back each of the signal paths in each system, through the circuit package related to each signal path The path operation information is transferred, and the path of the circuit package is received based on the path operation information for each circuit package that receives the path operation information. A method of operating a redundant system characterized by determining the operation status. 5. The transfer step collects path operation information from a plurality of circuit packages located downstream, and transfers the path operation information to a circuit package located upstream. Operating method. 6. The operation method according to claim 4, wherein the determination step calculates a logical sum of the collected path operation information. 7. The operating method according to claim 4, wherein the operating state of the circuit package is displayed according to the determination result of the determining step. 8. The arbitrary two circuit packages connected by a transfer path transfer a data signal to a downstream side through a signal path of the transfer path, and the path operation information to an upstream side through another path of the transfer path. 5. The operation method according to claim 4, further comprising: