JPH07248947A - Maintenance diagnostic method for file device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the reliability of the whole fitting device and to reduce generation of errors by performing a periodical diagnosis even of unused areas of the filing device and files with a low utilization. CONSTITUTION:The diagnostic processing 8 of the file with high utilization, the periodical diagnostic processing 9 to the unused area and the periodical diagnostic processing 10 to the file with the low utilization detect whether or not periodical diagnostic time periods respectively determined for themselves beforehand arrive by time data 7 and execute the diagnostic processing to the filing device 1 when the diagnostic time period arrives. Thus, the high reliability is maintained by shortening the interval of the diagnostic time period and performing the diagnosis for the file with the high utilization, the diagnosis is performed with the appropriate interval of the diagnostic time period for the unused area and the file with the low utilization as well without excluding them from a diagnostic object, the reliability of the entire storage area of the filing device is completely secured at a fixed level and the error generation of the file is extremely reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a maintenance diagnosis method for improving the reliability of a file device in a file management system for performing file processing using a file device such as a magnetic disk device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional example of a file device. 1 is a file device capable of storing a large amount of data such as a magnetic disk device, and 2 is area management information and index information. Labels, 3 are stored files (A, B, and C are individual file IDs), 4 are unused areas, and 5 is a file management system.

The file management system 5 has an area management function, a file access function, and a maintenance diagnosis function. The area management function manages the use / unuse of the storage area of the file device 1, allocates an area of a necessary size from the unused area 4 when a file storage request is made, and the area is updated by adding or updating the file. If there is a shortage, additional allocation will be performed, and if there is a file deletion request, the area allocated to that file will be returned to the unused area. The position (address) and size of the unused area, the index information to the area allocated to the file, and the like are set in the label 2, and are updated correspondingly when the area allocation changes.

The file access function refers to label 2 in response to a file reference request or an update request, reads the corresponding file and transfers it to the request source, or updates it and writes it back to the file device 1. At this time, an access record (log) is taken every time an access is made, and the time, file name, access type, etc. are recorded. Further, when the access fails due to an error such as a data error detected in the read file, the access is retried again. The retry is repeated within a fixed number of times until the access is successful. When this access error occurs, an error record is created even if the retry is successful. The error record contains the time, file name, error position,
The error type and the number of retries are included.

The maintenance diagnosis function performs a process for preventing the occurrence of an error, and, for example, periodically refers to the access record of the file device 1 to select a file that has been accessed within a recent fixed period, Perform access to those files to diagnose whether the access was successful. If the number of retries during error recording is monitored and statistically processed to determine whether the number of retries until the access is successful tends to increase, for example, if the number of retries tends to increase A preventive warning message is output to alert the user.

[0006]

In the maintenance diagnosis function of the conventional file management system, the preventive diagnosis targets the file which has been recently accessed, and the unused area,
Files that were not used recently and were not used were excluded. Therefore, if an unused area or a low-usage file has a failure, an unrecoverable error occurs when the unused area is allocated for storing a new file or when a low-usage file is accessed. Sometimes, there was a problem that it took time to recover the file.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the reliability of the entire file device including unused areas of the file device and files with low utilization, and reduce the occurrence of errors.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention improves the reliability of the entire file device by periodically diagnosing unused areas of the file device and files with low utilization.

FIG. 1 shows the principle of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a file device to be subjected to maintenance diagnosis.

2 is file identification information and area management information,
It is a label for which index information and the like are set. Reference numeral 3 denotes stored files A, B, and C. Here, it is assumed that the file A and the file B have a high usage rate, and the file C has a low usage rate.

Reference numeral 4 is an unused area. Reference numeral 5 is a file management system having a maintenance diagnosis function. Reference numeral 6 is access record information, which records information such as the file name, time, and access type of the accessed file each time the access is performed.

Reference numeral 7 is time data generated by the timepiece device. Reference numeral 8 is a periodical diagnostic process for a highly used file. Reference numeral 9 is a periodical diagnosis process for an unused area.

Reference numeral 10 is a periodical diagnostic process for files with low utilization.

[0014]

In FIG. 1, a diagnostic process 8 for a highly utilized file, a regular diagnostic process 9 for an unused area, and a regular diagnostic process 1 for a less utilized file.
0 detects from the time data 7 whether or not the regular diagnostic time set in advance has arrived, and when the diagnostic time comes, the diagnostic processing for the file device 1 is executed. For example, the diagnosis period of the diagnosis process 8 is set once a week, the diagnosis period of the diagnosis processes 9 and 10 is set once a month, etc. in a longer cycle. This is appropriately determined based on the amount of files and the time required for diagnostic processing.

Diagnostic processing 8 for highly used files
Reads the label 2 from the file device 1 and further refers to the access record information 6 to read files A and B among the files 3 stored in the file device 1 that have been accessed within a certain period of time recently. Is extracted and read access is performed to the file device 1 for those files A and B, and a diagnosis is made to determine whether or not there is an abnormality depending on whether or not the file apparatus 1 is normally executed.

In the diagnostic processing 9 for the unused area, the label 2 is read from the file device 1, the address and size of the unused area 4 are detected, a test file is created, and access to write to those areas is executed. Next, the test file is read from the same area, and the presence / absence of an abnormality is determined based on whether or not the file has been correctly read, and diagnosis is performed.

Diagnostic processing 1 for files with low utilization
0 extracts the file C that has not been accessed within the recent fixed period from the file 3 stored in the file device 1 from the label 2 and the access record information 6 and targets the file C. Read access is performed to diagnose whether there is an abnormality.

By executing each of the above-described diagnostic processes at an appropriate cycle, it is possible to continue diagnosing the entire storage area of the file device 1 without a heavy load.

[0019]

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of maintenance diagnosis processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. The maintenance diagnosis processing of the illustrated embodiment is started at the time of turning on the power, and the schedule management is first performed.
,,, highly used files,
Whether or not the diagnosis time set for each of the unused area and the file with low utilization is reached is checked. Then, only the diagnostic process when the diagnostic time comes is executed.

When the diagnostic process for the file with high utilization of is executed, first, the file name of the file currently stored in the file device is extracted from the label of the file device, and this is compared with the file name of the access record information. Then, the latest access time is checked for the coincident items, and it is checked whether or not the access time is within a preset period, for example, within one month. If so, select that file,
Read access to the file device 1 is executed.
If the access is not performed normally, a diagnostic record of the abnormality is created and the next file is diagnosed. The process ends when all files to be diagnosed have been diagnosed.

Next, when the diagnostic process for the unused area is executed, first, the position and size of the unused area in the file device are identified from the label of the file device, and a test file matching the size is created. To do. At this time, the test file is divided and created so as not to affect the user's work. After that, the access process of registering and storing the test file in the file device is executed, and subsequently the access for reading the test file is executed. If this series of access is not normally performed, an abnormal diagnostic record is created, the test file is deleted, and the process ends.

Next, when the diagnostic process for the file with low utilization is executed, the file name of each stored file is extracted from the label of the file device and collated with the access record information, as in the first case. And check the latest access time. If the access time is not within a preset period, for example, within one month, the file is selected and read access is executed. If this access is not performed normally, an abnormal diagnostic record is created, and the process ends when all diagnostic target files have been executed. If there is an error in, a warning message will be displayed.

[0023]

According to the present invention, a highly utilized file is diagnosed by shortening the diagnostic interval so that high reliability is maintained, and unused areas and files with low utilization are also diagnosed. Since diagnostics are performed at appropriate diagnostic time intervals without being excluded from the target, the reliability of the entire storage area of the file device can be completely secured at a certain level, and file error occurrence is significantly more significant than in the past. Can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of maintenance diagnosis processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional example of a file device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 File Device 2 Label 3 File (A, B, C) 4 Unused Area 5 File Management System 6 Access Record Information 7 Time Data 8 Diagnostic Processing for Highly Used File 9 Diagnostic Processing for Unused Area 10 Low Usage Diagnostic processing for files

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method of maintaining and diagnosing a file device in a file management system having functions of area management of a file device, file access processing, and access record creation, together with a file that is regularly used among files stored in the file device. A maintenance diagnostic method for a file device, which comprises periodically diagnosing an unused area of the file device. 2. The maintenance diagnosis method for a file device according to claim 1, further comprising periodically diagnosing a file that is not in common use among files stored in the file device.