JPH0715486A - Modem monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the check time by allowing a MODEM with a monitor function to sequentially check whether or not other MODEM is available for communication and stopping the succeeding check for a predetermined number to MODEM in the communication disable state and making communication. CONSTITUTION:Data terminal equipments 41-44 make mutual data communication via a MODEM 1 with a monitor function, MODEMs 21-23 and transmission lines 31-34 and the a MODEM 1 with a monitor function collects state data of the MODEMs 21-24. Then a 1st communication request is conducted in the order of the MODEMs 21, 22,.... When a power supply of, e.g. the MODEM 22 is interrupted and not in the communication enable state, the a MODEM 1 with a monitor function makes no communication request to the MODEM 22 in the case of a communication request to the MODEMs 2 from next, that is, 2nd to n-th time but makes a communication request to the other MODEMs 21, 22, 23, 24 and a communication request to the MODEM 22 is restored from (n+1)th time and data to the MODEMs 21-24 are collected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a modem monitoring system using a modem with a monitoring function used in the field of data communication.

 (Prior Art) Conventionally, in the case of configuring a data communication network, a plurality of modems are connected by a transmission line, and one of the modems is provided with a function of monitoring another modem or a line state. It is being used as a modem with a monitoring function. A modem with a monitoring function in such a data communication network regularly collects status data of each modem (for example, line quality data, interface signal status data with terminals, eye pattern data, etc.). To do. In this case, each modem is accessed sequentially in a predetermined order. However, if the modem on the other side is not operating due to power off etc. and communication is not possible, it will take a predetermined time after access. After confirming that there was no response after a certain period of time, the access to the next modem was started.

 Therefore, there is a problem that the data collection time becomes long as a whole because the predetermined time has passed.

 (Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in the conventional modem monitoring method, it is confirmed that no access has been made to the next modem after a predetermined time has passed, and then the next modem is accessed. However, because of the waiting time, there was a problem that the data collection time as a whole was long.

 The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional modem monitoring method, and an object thereof is to provide a modem monitoring method capable of shortening the inspection time as a whole in the inspection repeated many times. It is to be.

 [Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The modem monitoring system of the present invention includes a plurality of modems, and determines whether or not another modem among these modems is in a communicable state. In a data communication network that has a modem with a monitoring function, the modem with a monitoring function sequentially checks in a predetermined order whether other modems are in a communication-enabled state, and is not in a communication-enabled state. The modem is characterized in that the inspection is paused after a predetermined number of times thereafter and communication is performed.

 (Operation) According to the above configuration, a modem that is not in the communication-enabled state is not in the communication-enabled state because it is not accessed for a predetermined number of inspections after detecting that the communication is not in the communication-enabled state. Since the modem is likely to stay in the same state next time, the waiting time due to unnecessary access can be shortened.

(Example) Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a modem with a monitoring function, 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ , ... Is a modem, 31 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ , 3 ₄ , ... Is a transmission line, 41 ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 _3. , 4 ₄ , ... Denote DTE (Data Terminal Equipment). Each of the DTEs 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 ₃ , 4 ₄ , ... Is provided with a monitoring function modem 1, modems 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ , ... And transmission lines 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 _{3 3} , 3 ₄ ,. Data communication with each other is performed by the monitoring function modem 1, but the status data of each modem 2 (for example, line quality data, interface signal status data with the terminal, eye pattern data, etc.) is collected. Specifically, the modem 1 with a monitoring function is provided with a CPU, a keyboard input unit, a display unit including an LCD and an LED, and performs an operation related to data collection. Then, the first communication request (access) is made in the order of the modems 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ , .... In this case, for example, a modem 2 ₂ has a power-off, and was not in a communicable state. Then, the monitoring function with modem 1, next, without That communication request against the modem 2 ₂ during the communication request to the modem 2 for the second time to the n-th, other modems 2 ₁ , 2 _3, and communicates requests for ..., from the n + 1 th to perform data collection for each modem 2 revive a communication request to modem 2 _2.

FIG. 2 shows an essential part of the modem 1 with a monitoring function that makes a communication request as described above. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a control unit composed of a CPU, which refers to a timer 31 connected to the control unit 31 to collect state data of each modem 2 at predetermined intervals (for example, every 24 hours). The modem numbers (identification information) of the respective modems 2 are given to the pause number holding unit 12 and the communication unit 15 via the address line 21 in order. The pause count holding unit 12 holds pause count data for each of the modems 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ , ..., In the initial state, “0” corresponds to the modem numbers of all the modems 2. And then stored. The pause count holding unit 12 outputs the stored pause count data to the data line 23 in accordance with the modem number given via the address line 21. The data line 23 is provided to the communication availability determination unit 14 and the down count circuit 19. The communication availability determination unit 14 outputs an H level signal indicating that communication is possible when the data supplied from the data line 23 is "0", and outputs an L level signal indicating that communication is not possible when the data is other than "0". . The output of the communicability determination unit 14 is given to the communication unit 15, the down count circuit 19, and the control unit 11 via the signal line 25. The communication unit 15 includes a modem or the like, and when receiving an H-level signal indicating that communication is possible from the communication availability determination unit 14, sends a communication request signal (a signal for collecting data) to the modem given by the data line 23. It is transmitted via the transmission line 31. The communication request signal including the modem number is sent to each modem 2 via the transmission lines 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ , ... And the modem 2 having the same modem number as itself returns reply data. It should be noted that the data is passed through the modem 2 even when the power is off. The returned response data is passed to the control unit 11 via a route not shown. When the output of the communication availability determination unit 14 is L level indicating that communication is not possible, the communication unit 15 does not make a communication request to the modem with the modem number on the address line 21, and the control unit 11 outputs the next modem number. Then, the down-counting circuit 19 sends the data obtained by subtracting “1” from the pause count data of the data line 23 to the line 24. As a result, the pause number data is stored in the area of the corresponding modem number of the pause number holding unit 12 with "1" subtracted. The communication unit 15 outputs a communication disable signal (H level) to the signal line 26 when the response data is not returned even though the communication request signal is sent to the modem 2, and in other cases. Sends an L level signal to the signal line 26. As a result, the signal on the signal line 26 is at the H level, the AND gate 18 is opened, and the control unit 11 outputs the next modem number. When the control unit 11 detects that the modems 2 cannot communicate with each other, the register 17 stores the number of data (n-1 in FIG. 1) for suspending the communication request thereafter. When the AND gate 18 is opened, the initial value of the pause count data is set in the area of the modem number corresponding to the pause count holding unit 12.

In such a monitor-equipped modem 1, the control unit 11 sends the modem number to the address line 21 with reference to the timer 31. At this time, since "0" is stored in the area corresponding to each modem number of the pause number holding unit 12, communication is enabled next time, and the communication unit 15 outputs a communication request to each modem 2. At this time, the modem 2 ₂ is in the power-off, since the response data are not returned, the communication unit 15 outputs the communication disable signal via the signal line 26 (H level). As a result, A Ndogeto 18 is opened, the initial value of the number of pauses data in the register 17 is set to the region of the modem number corresponding to the modem 2 ₁ pause count holding unit 12, and the control unit 11 signal line 26 It receives a signal at a higher level and outputs the next modem number.

Then, in the case of the second communication request, the modem number corresponding to the modem 2 ₂ is output, the corresponding region of the number of pauses holding portion 12 is set an initial value of the number of pauses data Therefore, the communication availability determination unit 14 outputs an L level signal indicating that communication is not possible, so the communication unit 15 does not output the communication request signal, and the down count circuit 19 subtracts "1" from the initial value. Output. Thus, in the area of the modem number corresponding to the modem 2 ₂ pause count holding unit 12, number of pauses data drawn to "1" from the initial value is set. Similar operation is repeated hereinafter in the case of the n + 1-th communication request, in the region of the modem number corresponding to the modem 2 ₂ pause count holding unit 12, by a "0" is set, the modem communication request to 2 ₂ is made.

 Although the present embodiment shows the case where each modem is continuously connected, the configuration of the data communication network is not limited to this.

 [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, for a modem in an incommunicable state, a predetermined number of inspections are suspended after the detection of the incommunicable state. The test is performed excluding the modem as many times as it is likely that the modem is in the same state, and the waiting time due to unnecessary test can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a modem with a monitoring function. 1 ... Modem with monitoring function 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ ... Modem 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ , 3 ₄ ... Transmission line 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 ₃ , 4 ₄ ... DTE 11 ... Control unit 12 ... Quiesce Number-of-times holding unit 14 ... Communicability determination unit 15 ... Communication unit 17 ... Register 19 ... Down count circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A data communication network comprising a plurality of modems, and having a modem with a monitoring function for inspecting whether or not another modem is in a communicable state among these modems. , The modem with monitoring function sequentially checks whether or not other modems can communicate with each other in a predetermined order, and suspends the predetermined number of times of the above-mentioned checks for the modems that are not in communication with each other. Modem monitoring method characterized by performing communication by means of communication.