JPH07193629A - Communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid a communication controller from taking a processing time for maintenance terminal equipment by linking bus interfaces provided respectively to the communication controller, an external storage device and a maintenance terminal equipment with buses. CONSTITUTION:When it is detected that a maintenance request comes from CPUs 17, 19 of maintenance terminal equipments 6-1, 6-2, the CPU 11 reads maintenance information or the like in a main memory and sends the information to the CPUs 17, 19 of the maintenance terminal equipments 6-1, 6-2 via RS-232C interfaces 13, 14. In this case, when it is detected that the maintenance information is not requested from the CPUs 17, 19 of the maintenance terminal equipments 6-1, 6-2 whether or not an access request comes to an external storage device 5 is detected. When it is detected that an access request to the device 5 is produced, the CPU 11 accesses the external storage device 5 via a SCSI bus interface 27 based on request to write maintenance information or the like or to read out data to be sent.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication system suitable for maintenance of, for example, a communication control unit forming a part of an electronic private branch exchange (PBX).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A PBX, as shown in FIG. 4, forms a communication path between extension terminals 2-1 to 2-m, or an extension terminal 2-1 to 2-m and a station line 3-. It forms a communication path between 1 to 3-n and basically controls the exchange of voice and, in some cases, the exchange of image data (when the extension terminal is a facsimile machine) and character data. This PB
The communication control in X1 is performed by the communication control device 4 which is composed of a computer mainly composed of a CPU. The communication control device 4 stores the result as maintenance information in the external storage device 5 by detecting a failure or the like for convenience of maintenance and inspection. Of course, the external storage device 5 stores programs used by the communication control device 4, data necessary for processing, and other data such as voice and images for the purpose of saving and storing.

On the other hand, conventionally, a maintenance terminal is connected to the PBX 1 for the purpose of maintaining the PBX 1. in recent years,
In order to back up the maintenance terminal itself and handle various maintenance purposes, a plurality of maintenance terminals have been connected. FIG. 5 shows details of essential parts of a conventional communication system of this type. The communication control device 4A is provided with a CPU 11 that integrally controls the entire device, a port 12 that connects to the system bus 10, and RS-232C interfaces 13 and 14 that connect to RS-232C cables 15 and 16. In addition, the maintenance terminals 6-1A and 6-2A have Rs for connecting to the CPUs 17 and 19 and the RS-232C cables 15 and 16 that collectively control the entire apparatus.
S-232C interfaces 18 and 20 are provided. The external storage device 5A is provided with a storage medium 22 such as a magnetic disk and an interface function, and writing and reading of data to and from the storage medium 22 is performed by the system bus 10.
And a drive control unit 21 that is executed based on an instruction from the CPU 11 that arrives via the.

[0004]

In the system as described above, the CPU 11 of the communication control device 4A centrally uses the external storage device 5A. Therefore, when the maintenance terminals 6-1A and 6-2A collect data necessary for maintenance of the communication control device 4A, the data stored in the main memory of the CPU 11 as well as the external storage device 5A are used. Also for the data stored in
Request was sent to. Therefore, there is a problem that a load is applied to the communication control device 4A.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a communication system in which a communication control device is unlikely to be overloaded despite the existence of a maintenance terminal. Is.

[0006]

Therefore, in the invention described in claim 1 of the present application, a serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided, a communication control device for controlling communication of data and a bus interface are provided, and the communication is performed. An external storage device used by the control device, a serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided, and a maintenance terminal for maintaining the communication control device is provided, and the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal are provided respectively. A communication system is configured by including a bus for connecting the bus interfaces and a cable for connecting serial communication interfaces respectively provided to the communication control device and the maintenance terminal.

Further, in the invention according to claim 2 of the present application, a serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided, a communication control device for controlling communication of data, an external storage device provided with the bus interface, and a serial communication interface. And a bus interface, the maintenance terminal for maintaining the communication control device, the communication control device, the external storage device, the maintenance terminal,
The communication control device and the maintenance terminal are provided with a bus connecting the bus interfaces provided respectively, and a cable connecting the serial communication interfaces provided to the communication control device and the maintenance terminal, respectively. The communication system is configured to share the external storage device.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3 of the present application, an external storage device provided with a bus interface, a serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided for controlling data communication, and in the self device and the external device A communication control device that stores maintenance information in a storage device;
A serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided, while requesting maintenance information to the communication control device via the serial communication interface, while reading maintenance information stored in the external storage device via the bus interface, A maintenance terminal that executes maintenance processing of the communication control device, a bus that couples bus interfaces provided to the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal, and to the communication control device and the maintenance terminal. , And a cable for connecting the serial communication interfaces respectively provided, to configure a communication system.

[0009]

According to the invention of claim 1 of the present application, since the bus interfaces respectively provided in the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal are coupled by the bus, the data stored in the external storage device is connected. When the maintenance terminal collects information about
The external storage device can be directly accessed via the bus.

According to the invention of claim 2 of the present application, the bus interfaces provided respectively to the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal are coupled by a bus, and the external storage device is connected to the communication control device and the maintenance terminal. Are shared by
The maintenance terminal not only reads necessary data from the external storage device when desired, but also writes necessary information to the external storage device, so that when there are a plurality of communication control devices or maintenance terminals. , By making the other maintenance terminals read the information, mutual communication can be performed.

According to the invention of claim 3 of the present application, the communication control device functions to store the maintenance information in its own device and in the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal performs the communication control via the serial communication interface. While requesting maintenance information to the device, the maintenance information stored in the external storage device is read via the bus interface and the maintenance control of the communication control device is performed. Collected from the device or from an external storage device,
The maintenance process is executed appropriately.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 4 shows a system in which the present invention is applied to PBX1. In this system, PBX
1 forms a communication path between the extension terminals 2-1 to 2-m, or the extension terminals 2-1 to 2-m and the office lines 3-1 to 3-3-
It forms a communication path with n, and basically controls the exchange of voice and, in some cases, the exchange of image data (when the extension terminal is a facsimile machine), character data, and the like. The communication control in the PBX 1 is performed by the communication control device 4 which is composed of a computer mainly composed of a CPU. The communication control device 4 stores the result as maintenance information in the external storage device 5 by detecting a failure or the like for convenience of maintenance and inspection. Of course, the external storage device 5 stores programs used by the communication control device 4, data necessary for processing, and other data such as voice and images for the purpose of saving and storing. The communication control device 4 detects a failure and stores the result in the external storage device 5 as maintenance information for convenience of maintenance and inspection.
Of the failure detection results, required maintenance information is stored in the main memory of the CPU.

The maintenance terminals 6-1, 6-2, the communication control device 4, and the external storage device 5 are connected by a SCSI bus 7 in a daisy chain system. In addition, the communication control device 4
And the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2 are connected by RS-232C cables 8-1 and 8-2, respectively.

FIG. 1 shows details of essential parts of the communication system. The communication control device 4 includes a CPU 11 that controls the entire device, a SCSI bus interface 27 that connects to the SCSI bus 7, an RS-232C cable 15,
RS-232C interface 1 for connecting to 16
3, 14 are provided. In addition, maintenance terminals 6-1, 6
-2 is a CPU 17 which controls the entire device, 1
9, RS-232C interfaces 18, 20 for connecting to the RS-232C cables 15, 16 and SC
SCSI bus interface 2 connected to SI bus 7
5, 26 are provided. The external storage device 5 is provided with a storage medium 22 such as a magnetic disk and a function of a SCSI bus interface, and a CP that writes and reads data to and from the storage medium 22 via the SCSI bus 7
The drive control unit 23 is provided which is executed based on the instructions from U11, 17, and 19.

CPU 1 of the above maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2
7, 19 perform maintenance processing by the program of the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, the maintenance terminal 6-
The CPUs 17 and 19 of 1 and 6-2 are activated and start, and the request is fetched (31). Then, the captured request is analyzed (32). As a result of the analysis, it is detected whether the access request to the communication control device 4 is made on the program or from the input device of the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2 (33). Here, when it is detected that the request is an access to the communication control device 4, the CPU 17, 19 is detected.
Sends a request for transmitting necessary maintenance information and the like to the CPU 11 of the communication control device 4 via the RS-232C interfaces 18 and 20, and receives the transmission of maintenance information and the like from the CPU 11 (34). When it is detected in step 33 that the access request to the communication control device 4 is not received,
It is detected whether the access request to the external storage device 5 is made on the program or from the input device of the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2 (35). Here, when it is detected that the access request is to the external storage device 5, the CPU 17,
19 accesses the external storage device 5 via the SCSI bus interfaces 25 and 26 and reads out necessary maintenance information (37). In step 35,
If it is detected that the access request to the external storage device 5 is not made, the program is executed or the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2 are executed.
Based on the content of the request generated from the input device, the required processing is executed in the own device (36). In the processing in the own device, for example, to list the maintenance information,
Operations such as displaying or printing out the listed information are performed.

On the other hand, the CPU 11 of the communication control device 4 described above.
Executes processing according to the program of the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, the CPU 1 of the communication control device 4
1 is activated and started, and the request is fetched (41). Then, an analysis of the captured request is performed (42). As a result of the analysis, the CPU 1 of the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2 via the RS-232C interfaces 13 and 14
It is detected whether or not maintenance information has been requested from 7, 19 (43). Here, maintenance terminals 6-1, 6-2
When it is detected that the maintenance information is requested from the CPUs 17 and 19, the CPU 11 determines the maintenance information in the main memory based on the request (for example, the command executed up to several steps before, each status, etc.). ) Is read out RS-
Maintenance terminal 6 via the 232C interfaces 13 and 14
-1, 6-2 are sent to the CPUs 17, 19 (44).
When it is detected in step 43 that the maintenance information is not requested from the CPUs 17 and 19 of the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2, whether or not an access request to the external storage device 5 is generated. Is detected (45).
Here, when detecting that an access request to the external storage device 5 is generated, the CPU 11 executes the SC based on the request.
The external storage device 5 is accessed via the SI bus interface 27 to perform processing such as writing maintenance information or reading data to be sent to the extension terminals 2-1 to 2-m (47). . On the other hand, the external storage device 5
When detecting that there is no access request to the CPU, the CPU 11 executes a process based on the content of the request by the data in the main memory (46). The processing here is a call control processing in the PBX 1 and storage of maintenance information in the main memory.

As described above, the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-
No. 2 can read the data in the external storage device 5 directly through the SCSI bus 7 without using the communication control device 4 and use it for maintenance and the like. That is, the load of the communication control device 4 does not increase regardless of the addition of maintenance terminals. Further, when the maintenance information or the like is obtained from the communication control device 4, it is possible to obtain the data via the RS-232C interface as in the conventional case. That is, in the present embodiment, the maintenance terminals 6-1, 6-2 and the communication control device 4 share the external storage device 5 and execute processing. Of course, the maintenance terminals 6-1 and 6-2 can be read by the communication control device 4 or another maintenance terminal by writing necessary information in the external storage device 5.

The communication system of this embodiment is a PBX.
However, the present invention can be applied not only to PBXs but also to other exchanges and communication devices. Further, an example has been shown in which the maintenance terminal collects the maintenance information written in the external storage device. However, the storage exchange, the facsimile storage exchange device, the mailbox, etc., in which the image information and the voice information are stored in the external storage device are shown. In the case of the embodiment, the maintenance terminal reads the accumulated data, detects whether or not an error has occurred during the accumulation, and performs the maintenance process. In this way, wider maintenance is possible.

[0019]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present application, since the bus interfaces provided to the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal are coupled by the bus, the external device described above is used. When the maintenance terminal collects the data stored in the storage device, the external storage device can be directly accessed via the bus without passing through the communication control device, and the communication control device performs processing for the maintenance terminal. No time is taken. That is, it is possible to prevent the communication control device from being overloaded regardless of the addition of maintenance terminals.

As described above, according to the invention of claim 2 of the present application, the bus interfaces provided in the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal are coupled by a bus, and the external storage device is connected. Since the communication control device and the maintenance terminal are shared, the maintenance terminal can not only read the necessary data from the external storage device when desired, but also write the necessary information in the external storage device to control the communication. If there are multiple devices or maintenance terminals,
By making the other maintenance terminals read the information, mutual communication can be performed.

As described above, according to the invention of claim 3 of the present application, the communication control device functions to store the maintenance information in its own device and in the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal operates in the serial communication interface. It is necessary to request maintenance information to the communication control device via the communication control device while reading the maintenance information stored in the external storage device via the bus interface and perform maintenance processing of the communication control device. There is an effect that proper maintenance processing is executed by collecting various maintenance information from the communication control device or the external storage device.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the maintenance terminal of the communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the communication control device of the communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a PBX communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a communication system according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 PBX 2-1 and 2
-M extension terminal 3-1 to 3-n station line 4 communication control device 5 external storage device 6-1, 6
-2 Maintenance terminal 7 SCSI bus 8-1, 8-2 RS-232C cable 11, 17, 19 CPU 13, 14, 18, 20 RS-232C interface 22 Storage medium 23 Drive control unit 25, 26, 27 SCSI bus interface

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided, a communication control device for controlling communication of data, a bus interface are provided, an external storage device used by the communication control device, a serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided. A maintenance terminal for maintaining the communication control device, a bus for coupling a bus interface provided to each of the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal, the communication control device, the maintenance A communication system comprising a terminal and a cable for connecting a serial communication interface provided to each terminal. 2. A communication control device provided with a serial communication interface and a bus interface for controlling data communication, an external storage device provided with the bus interface, a serial communication interface and a bus interface, and the communication control A maintenance terminal for maintaining a device, a bus that couples bus interfaces provided to the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal, and a communication control device and the maintenance terminal, respectively. And a cable for connecting a serial communication interface, wherein the communication control device and the maintenance terminal share the external storage device. 3. An external storage device provided with a bus interface, and a serial communication interface and a bus interface provided for communication control of data and storing maintenance information in the device itself and in the external storage device. A control device and a serial communication interface and a bus interface are provided, and while requesting maintenance information to the communication control device via the serial communication interface, maintenance information stored in the external storage device via the bus interface is provided. A maintenance terminal that reads information and executes maintenance processing of the communication control device, a bus that couples bus interfaces provided to the communication control device, the external storage device, and the maintenance terminal, and the communication control device, A serial communication interface provided on each of the maintenance terminals. Communication system characterized by comprising a cable connecting the over scan.