JPH0798667A - Remote monitor system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the stability of a remote monitor operation when the faul of a channel occurs and to precisely specify a fault occuring point on a remote monitor system. CONSTITUTION:A monitored system 15 provided with a software monitor means 11 monitoring the normality of the processing of software, a communication control means 13 controlling the communication of the duplexed channel and repeating-processing the duplexed channel and monitoring normality by the procedure and a notice means judging the presence or absence of the fault on a bidirectional loop-formed path between the duplexed channel and the software monitor means 11 through the communication control means 13, adding the result to a message received under communication control and returning it, and a monitor center 18 provided with a transmission means 16 which individually transmits the messages to the duplexed channel and a fault occurring period specification means 17 specifying a fault occurr: period based on the combination of the contents of the returned messages and the constitution of the path are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system for monitoring whether a computer system is operating normally via a communication path.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a computer system or the like installed in a remote place and operated unattended, the computer system is accessed via a communication line in order to detect the occurrence of a failure at an early stage and effectively implement a recovery measure. As a result, whether or not the operation is normal is remotely monitored.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional remote monitoring system.
FIG. In the figure, the monitoring center 91 is a model
Mu 92₁, Public communication network 93, modem 92 ₂And service
A central processing unit to be monitored via a processor (SVP) 94.
It is connected to the processing device (CPU) 95. Central processing unit 95
Software that realizes the functions required for
Operating system for comprehensive management and control (below
Below, it is simply called "OS". ) 96 and the above function
Appearing application software (hereinafter simply "A
P ”. ) 97 and. Service process
The server 94 is tightly coupled to the OS 96 via predetermined hardware.
Be combined.

In the remote monitoring system having such a configuration,
The monitoring center 91 uses the modem 9 at a predetermined cycle.
2 _1, the service processor 94 via the public communication network 93 and modem 92 _2, sends a message in the format shown in FIG. 10. In such a message, the identification information ID (= 1) of the message, the fault identification information indicating the content of the fault that occurred, the detection point identification information indicating the detection point of the fault occurrence (SVP, OS, AP, monitoring center, …), Time of failure and checksum (S
UM) is included.

Upon receiving the above-mentioned message, the service processor 94 transfers the message to the AP 97 via the OS 96. The AP 97 captures such a message and stores it in the OS 96 and the service processor 94.
It is sent back to the monitoring center 91 via.

By the way, in the process of returning (loopback) such a message, the service processor 94
And OS 96 determine the message to be returned by comparing the identification information field of the message transferred to OS 96 and the message returned to AP 97, respectively, and further determine the message to be returned with such message and the result of the comparison beforehand. The identification information of the failure individually detected based on the determined criteria (for example, timeout, checksum error, hardware error) is included.
In the following, such message edit / update processing is referred to as notification processing.

The monitoring center 91 includes the service processor 9
4. Compare the identification information fields of the message sent before 4 and the message returned, and compare the result of the comparison with a predetermined criterion (eg, timeout, checksum error, hardware error). A message indicating the comprehensive monitoring result is generated by incorporating the identification information of the failure detected based on the information.

Further, the monitoring center 91 has the contents of the identification information field of the message thus generated and the contents of the identification information field, and the other fields contain information indicating the detection of a failure. If it is not included, the person in charge is notified that it is normal via a predetermined terminal, and conversely, if any of these conditions is not satisfied, the failure given by the content of the generated message Will be notified in the same way.

Therefore, in the monitoring center 91, the central processing unit 9 installed at a remote location via the public communication network 93.
5 can monitor whether or not it is operating normally under the processing of OS 96 and AP 97.

In such a conventional remote monitoring system, not only the failure of the central processing unit 95 and the OS 96 detected under the monitoring of the service processor 94 as described above, but also the service processor 94 and the central processing unit 95 are detected. Faults detected spontaneously based on machine check interrupts, I / O completion interrupts, program check interrupts, timer monitoring, etc. are also monitored.

[0011]

By the way, in such a conventional remote monitoring system, for example, the modem 92 ₁ ,
When a communication path is not formed between the monitoring center 91 and the service processor 94 due to some failure in the communication network 92 ₂ or the public communication network 93, the monitoring center 91 cannot perform the remote communication because the alternative communication path cannot be formed. Even if such a communication path is normally formed even if such a communication path is normally formed, if the above-mentioned notification processing and message return based on the processing are not normally executed due to some kind of failure, a failure will occur. The point of origin could not be identified.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote monitoring system which enhances the stability of the remote monitoring operation at the time of a failure of a communication path and can specify the occurrence point of the failure with high accuracy.

[0013]

FIG. 1 shows the principle of the present invention.
It is a lock figure. The present invention is a software that realizes a desired function.
Software, check the normality of the processing of that software.
The software monitoring means 11 for monitoring and the redundant communication
Faith 12 ₁, 12₂Communication control of the
Based on the order, relay processing and normal
Communication control means 13 for monitoring₁, 13₂And the communication path 12
₁To communication control means 13₁ , Software monitoring means 11
And communication control means 13₂Through the communication path 12₂Leading to
A software monitoring tool is available for bidirectional loop paths.
Stage 11 and communication control means 13₁, 13₂Of the monitoring done by
The presence or absence of a fault is determined from the result, and the result of the determination is controlled by communication.
Under the communication path 12₁, 12₂Message received from
To be monitored and attached to
System 15 and communication path 12₁, 12₂Individual message to
Transmission means 16 for transmitting and communication path 12 ₁, 12₂Through
The combination of message contents returned individually and the route
Based on the configuration and the fault occurrence section on the route
A monitoring sensor having a failure occurrence section specifying means 17 for specifying
And a switch 18 are provided.

[0014]

In the remote monitoring system according to the present invention, the notifying means 14 sends the messages transmitted from the transmitting means 16 in both directions along the loop path to the communication control means 1.
3 ₁ and 13 ₂ are taken in, and the software monitoring means 11 and communication control means 13 ₁ and 13 ₂ are included in the message.
The monitoring result acquired by is added and returned.

With respect to the two messages to which such a monitoring result is added, when both the communication paths 12 ₁ and 12 ₂ and the communication control means 13 ₁ and 13 ₂ are normal, they are both routed through the above loop-shaped path. And sent back to the monitoring center 18, and on the contrary, the communication paths 12 ₁ and 12 ₂ and the communication control means 13
_{When a} failure occurs in any _{one of 1} and 13 _2, the failure occurrence section specifying means 17 returns from the point before the occurrence point of the failure on the above-mentioned loop route and returns it to the monitoring center 18. The message sent back to the device is received, and the faulty section on the route is specified based on the combination of these contents and the configuration of the loop-shaped route described above. Stability and accuracy of identifying a faulty section are improved.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between this embodiment and the conventional example shown in FIG. 9 is that the monitoring center 21 and the operating system (OS) 22 having the functions described below in addition to the conventional functions are replaced by the monitoring center 91 and the OS 96, respectively. Prepare, O
S22 and comprising a cascade connected communication control unit (CCP) 23 and a modem 92 ₃ between the public communication network 93, instead of the conventional central processing unit 95 will be tightly coupled through a bus to the communication control device 23 The central processing unit 24 is provided. It should be noted that parts having the same functions and configurations as those shown in FIG. 9 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

Regarding the correspondence between this embodiment and the block diagram shown in FIG. 1, OS 22 and AP 97 correspond to the software monitoring means 11, and public communication network 93 corresponds to the communication paths 12 ₁ and 12 _2. , Service processor 94
The communication control device 23 (including the modem 92 ₂ ) and the communication control device 23 (including the modem 92 ₃ ) correspond to the communication control means 13 ₁ and 13 ₂ , and include the service processor 94, the communication control device 23, and the communication control device 23.
OS22 and AP97 correspond to the reporting unit 14, the central processing unit 24, the service processor 94, the communication control unit 23 and a modem 92 _2, 92 ₃ is non-monitoring system 15
Corresponding to the monitoring center 21 and the modem 92 ₁ transmitting unit 16, a faulty segment identifying means 17 and monitoring center 1
Corresponds to 8.

FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram (1) for explaining the operation of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram (2) for explaining the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram (3) for explaining the operation of this embodiment. The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. A first communication path is set between the monitoring center 21 and the service processor 94 via the modem 92 ₁ , the public communication network 93 and the modem 92 ₂ , and between the monitoring center 21 and the communication control device 23. Modem 9
2 _1, second channel through the public communication network 93 and modem 92 ₃ is set.

In the monitoring center 21, a monitoring task is activated, and its monitoring task executes the first transmission path (monitoring center 2).
1 → modem 92 ₁ → public communication network 93 → modem 92 ₂ → service processor 94 → OS22 → AP97 → OS22
→ communication control device 23 → modem 92 ₃ → public communication network 93 →
The message “a” indicating the modem 92 ₁ → the monitoring center 21) is set in the identification information field (FIG. 7), and the constructed message a is sent to the service processor 9 via the first communication path.
4 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4 (a), FIG. 8 (1)).

The service processor 94 sends such a message to the OS 22 (FIG. 8 (2)), and the OS 22 sends the message to the AP 97 (FIG. 8 (3)). further,
The AP 97 performs notification processing on such a message and returns it to the OS 22 (FIG. 8 (4)), and the OS 22 performs notification processing on the message and transfers it to the communication control device 23 (FIG. 8 (5)). The communication control device 23 generates the thus returned subjected to notification process to the transferred message message a ', a modem 92 _3, public communication network 93 and modem 9
Through the 2 ₁ returns to the monitoring center 21 (FIG. 4 (a), the 8 (6)).

The monitoring task is responsible for such return messages.
If a'is received within a certain time, its return message
Second transmission without issuing any status information corresponding to
Route (monitoring center 21 → modem 92₁→ Public communication network 93
→ Modem 92₃→ communication control device 23 → OS22 → AP9
7 → OS 22 → Service Processor 94 → Modem 92 ₂
→ Public communication network 93 → Modem 92₁→ Monitoring center 21)
Information "b" shown is set in the identification information field (see FIG. 7).
) Pass the constructed message b via the second communication path.
To the communication control device 23 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4 (b), FIG.
(7)).

The communication control device 23 sends such a message to the OS 22 (FIG. 8 (8)), and the OS 22 sends the message to the AP 97 (FIG. 8 (9)). Furthermore, AP9
7 sends the message to such a message, and OS2
Then, the message is sent back to the service processor 94 (FIG. 8 (10)), and the OS 22 performs notification processing on the message and transfers it to the service processor 94 (FIG. 8 (11)). The service processor 94 performs notification processing on the message thus transferred to generate a return message b ', and returns it to the monitoring center 21 via the modem 92 ₂ , the public communication network 93 and the modem 92 ₁ (FIG. 4). (b), Figure 8 (12)).

When such a return message b'is received within a fixed time, the monitoring task activates the verification task without issuing any status information corresponding to the return message.

In the verification task, the above-mentioned status information is not issued from the monitoring task, and the return messages a'and b '
The contents of the checksum field do not include the detection point identification information, and it is recognized that the contents of the checksum field are authentic corresponding to the contents of the identification information field, the failure identification information field, the detection point identification information field, and the failure occurrence time field. Then, the process is terminated without sending any alarm.

However, unlike the case where the respective parts are normally operating as described above, for example, when some failure occurs on the OS 22 side, the service processor 94
When the fault is recognized, the information indicating the fault is added to the message a (“OS (to S
VP) ”is set, and the mode (for example, checksum error) of the fault recognized as the fault identification information is set. )
The notification process is performed and the information is returned to the monitoring center 21 via the modem 92 ₂ , the public communication network 93 and the modem 92 ₁ (FIG. 5).
(a), Figure 8 (13)).

In such a case, since the above-mentioned return message a'is not received within a fixed time, the monitoring task issues status information a to that effect (FIG. 3).
The above message b is sent to the communication control device 23 via the second communication path (FIG. 3, FIG. 8 (7)).

Such a message b is shown in FIGS. 8 (8) to (9).
Is transmitted to AP97. AP97 is
The OS 22 is accessed based on a predetermined processing procedure, response time and status information passed to each other are monitored in the course of the access to recognize any failure, and information indicating the failure is added to the message b. ("OS (to CCP)" is set as the detection point identification information, and the mode of the recognized failure (for example, a timeout error) is set as the failure identification information.) Notification processing is performed and the OS
22, the communication control unit 23, a modem 92 _3, public communication network 9
3 and the modem 92 ₁ to the monitoring center 21 (FIG. 5 (b), (FIG. 8 (14)).

In such a case, since the above-mentioned return message b'is not received within a fixed time, the monitoring task issues status information b indicating this (FIG. 3).
Start the verification task.

The verification task determines the presence or absence of the above-mentioned status information a and b (FIG. 3). If both statuses are present, each message returned to the monitoring center 21 according to the message a and b. Content (information set in each field of fault identification information and detection point identification information)
By applying a predetermined algorithm based on the system configuration shown in FIG. 2, the point of failure (here, “OS22” for simplicity) is identified (FIG. 3). Further, the verification task, together with the result of such identification, generates an alarm message including the mode and occurrence time of the corresponding failure (given by the failure occurrence time field), and sends the message to a predetermined terminal device. The output informs the person in charge of the occurrence of a failure (Fig. 3).

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when a failure occurs in one of the above-mentioned first communication path and second communication path, the message a is not transmitted to the service processor 94, The message b is the communication control device 23
May not be transmitted to. The monitoring center 21 recognizes that the message a ′ and the message b ′ are not received within a predetermined time, grasps such a state, and performs the same communication as the conventional example via the other communication path in which no failure has occurred. Remote monitoring operation of.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a ring-shaped redundant communication path is formed between the computer system to be monitored and the monitoring center 21, and the message is notified through the individual communication paths. By returning, if a failure occurs in one of the communication paths, remote monitoring is continued stably via the remaining communication paths, and based on the information included in the two messages returned by the notification process. It is possible to accurately recognize the point of failure.

In this embodiment, the monitoring center 21 is
Although the message is sent to the communication control device 23 after the message is sent to the service processor 94 in advance, the present invention is not limited to such a method, and both messages can be reliably identified by each part. In that case, for example, the message may be simultaneously sent to the service processor 94 and the communication control device 23.

Further, in this embodiment, the OS 22 includes the service processor 94, the OS 22, the AP 97 and the OS 2.
Although the message relay processing and the notification processing are performed in the bidirectional route to the communication control device 23 via the communication route 2, the present invention is not limited to such a method.
OS22 is from service processor 94 to OS22, AP
First return path returning to the service processor 94 via 97 and the OS 22, and the OS from the communication control device 23.
22, the communication control device 2 via the AP 97 and the OS 22
The relay process and the notification process may be similarly performed for the second return route returning to 3.

Further, in this embodiment, the service processor 94, the OS 22, the AP 97 and the communication control device 23.
Performs a message relay process and a message process in a certain direction of the ring-shaped communication path when each unit is normal, but the present invention is not limited to such a method, and the monitoring center 21 If it is possible to reliably return the message via a normal communication path, for example, when the message is forwarded in the above-described direction, the notification process is not performed, and the message for which the notification process is performed is appropriately communicated. The route may be reversed and returned to the monitoring center 21.

Further, in the present embodiment, the monitoring center 21 and the central processing unit 24 to be monitored are connected via a duplicated communication path, but in the present invention, the communication path having such a configuration is used. However, the normal transmission route of the message for which the notification process is performed to the monitoring center 21 is performed by using three or more redundant communication channels and sequentially monitoring the operating conditions of these communication channels. It is also possible to secure two or more or make the transmission lines for such messages further redundant.

Further, in this embodiment, the service processor 94, the OS 22 and the communication control device 23 monitor the operation of the lower devices and software according to their own judgment criteria prior to the message relay processing and the message processing. However, the present invention is not limited to such a method, and for example, similar monitoring may be performed in synchronization with the above-described relay processing and notification processing.

Further, in the present embodiment, the monitoring task and the verification task are activated in series at the remote monitoring cycle in the monitoring center 21, but the present invention is not limited to such a software configuration. For example, software of any configuration that performs equalization processing with these tasks may be used.

[0040] Further, in this embodiment uses a modem 92 _{1-92 3} adapted for analog transmission of the public communication network 93, in the present invention, the monitoring center 21 and the central processing unit 2
If the redundant communication path described above is reliably formed between the communication path and the communication channel 4, the private communication line may be used, or any method may be adopted as the transmission method of the communication path.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, the monitoring center and the monitored system are connected to each other via a duplicated communication path, and the monitored system transmits data via these communication paths. And the process related to the software are monitored, and the result of the monitoring is added to the message received from the monitoring center and returned.

That is, at the monitoring center, a message including such a monitoring result is reliably returned even when a failure occurs in any one of the above-mentioned communication paths, so that the remote monitoring operation at the time of failure of the communication path is performed. It is possible to improve the stability of the system and to accurately specify the faulty section based on the combination of the contents of these messages and the configuration of the monitored system.

Therefore, in the remote monitoring system to which the present invention is applied, the monitoring result can be obtained with high reliability, and accurate failure recovery can be achieved based on the monitoring result.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram (1) explaining the operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram (2) explaining the operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram (3) explaining the operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the structure of a message in this embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method of identifying a failure occurrence point.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional remote monitoring system.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a structure of a message in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 software monitoring means 12 communication path 13 communication control means 14 reporting means 15 monitored system 16 sending means 17 failure occurrence section specifying means 18, 21, 91 monitoring center 22, 96 operating system (OS) 23 communication control device (CCP) 24, 95 Central Processing Unit (CPU) 92 Modem 93 Public Communication Network 94 Service Processor (SVP) 97 Application Program (AP)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Software for realizing a desired function, software monitoring means (11) for monitoring the normality of processing of the software, and communication control of duplex communication paths (12 ₁ , 12 ₂ ). And then
Communication control means (13 ₁ , which performs relay processing and normality monitoring for these communication paths based on the communication control procedure)
13 and _2), the communication control unit from the communication passage (12 ₁₎ (13 _1), the software monitoring means (11) and the communication control means (13 ₂₎ channel via a (12 ₂₎ to reach the two-way For the looped route, the presence or absence of a fault is determined from the results of the monitoring performed by the software monitoring means (11) and the communication control means (13 ₁ , 13 ₂ ), and the result of the determination is determined by the communication control. in the monitored system (15) having a notification means (14) to return in addition to messages received from the communication channel (12 _1, 12 _2), said channel (12 _1, 12 ₂₎ to the individual Based on the combination of the sending means (16) for sending the message to the client, the contents of the messages individually returned via the communication paths (12 ₁ , 12 ₂ ) and the configuration of the path, Failure occurrence section identification hand to identify the failure occurrence section A remote monitoring system comprising: a monitoring center (18) having a stage (17).