JPH0844551A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correct the compressed data at low cost and to use these data by correcting partly the data stored in a 2nd storage to store them in a 1st storage before the data of the 2nd storage are expanded and stored in the 1st storage. CONSTITUTION:When the data stored in a 1st storage 102 are partly corrected, these data are previously held by a correcting data holding means. In an initial state such as the application of a power supply, etc., the data stored in a 2nd storage 120 are expanded by a data expanding means 112. Then the expanded data are compared with the partly corrected data before the former data are stored in the storage 102. If both data are related to the same storage address, the partly corrected data are stored in the storage 102 in place of the data expanded by the means 112. In other words, the data stored in the storage 120 are partly corrected and stored in the storage 102 before the data of the storage 120 are expanded and stored in the storage 102.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention compresses data defining a processing procedure or contents or data to be processed and stores the compressed data in a second storage device, and decompresses the data before execution of the first information processing. The present invention relates to an information processing device that stores information in the storage device and performs information processing using the data stored in the first storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of information processing apparatus, there is a micro program control type information processing apparatus.

In this microprogram control type information processing apparatus, the microprogram is stored in a relatively high speed storage device such as a RAM. However, since this kind of storage device is volatile, the microprogram is stored in advance in the non-volatile storage device, and is read from the non-volatile storage device at the time of power-on or the start of information processing, such as RAM. It is generally stored in the storage device.

However, as the processing contents become more sophisticated, the scale of the microprogram also increases, and the storage capacity of the storage medium for storing the microprogram is also increasing.

Therefore, a method is being adopted in which the microprogram is compressed and stored in advance in a non-volatile storage device, read at power-on or when information processing starts, and stored in a storage device such as a RAM.

This is also the case with personal computers, and in order to effectively utilize a large-capacity hard disk device of about 100M to 300M, a method of pre-compressing and storing a program is being adopted.

[0007]

However, when the method of compressing and storing the microprogram or the program is adopted, it is difficult to make a partial correction.

That is, when the data is not compressed, only the corresponding portion can be directly corrected. However, when the data is compressed, the correction content is created for the data before the compression, and therefore it cannot be directly corrected.

Further, since the data compression process is affected by the entire file or the data before and after a specific portion, if the change is added to this, the entire data after compression may be changed.

Therefore, there is no choice but to employ a method in which the compressed data (microprogram or program) is once expanded, the expanded data is partially corrected, and the corrected data is compressed again and stored.

However, in order to do so, it is necessary to always have a compression process, and it is necessary to secure a large auxiliary storage space for performing the compression process, so that partial correction can be performed at low cost. There is a problem that you cannot do it.

In this case, there is a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-20086 as a method for compressing a microprogram, but this publication does not disclose a partial correction method for compressed data.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of partially modifying compressed data such as a microprogram or a program at low cost.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention basically comprises a second storage device in which data to be transferred and stored in a first storage device is compressed and stored, and A data decompression means for decompressing the data stored in the second storage device and decompressing the data to store it in the first storage device, and using the data stored in the first storage device for information In an information storage device that performs processing, a correction data holding unit that holds partial correction data of data to be stored in the first storage device, and the data expanded by the data expansion unit and the partial correction data are compared, If both are data relating to the same storage address, the data decompression means is provided to replace the data decompressed by the data decompression means with partial correction data stored in the first storage device.

[0015]

According to the present invention, when the data to be stored in the first storage device is partially modified, the partially modified data is held in the modified data holding means in advance. Then, in the initial state such as when the power is turned on, the data stored in the second storage device is expanded by the data expansion means, but the expanded data is stored before the expanded data is stored in the first storage device. And the partial correction data are compared, and if both are data relating to the same storage address, the partial correction data is stored in the first storage device instead of the data expanded by the data expansion means.

That is, before the data stored in the second storage device is expanded and stored in the first storage device, the correction portion is modified and stored in the first storage device.

As a result, it is possible to correct and use the compressed data at low cost without the need for data compression processing.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. A control device 101, an auxiliary control device 110,
The auxiliary storage device 120 and the control device 101 and the auxiliary control device 110 are connected by a transfer / control means 130, and the auxiliary control device 110 and the auxiliary storage device 120 are connected by a transfer / control means 131.

The control device 101 is a central functional part of information processing, and is a control device that employs microprogram control.

The control device 101 has a control memory 102, and the processing procedure is controlled by a microprogram stored in the control memory 102 during operation.

The auxiliary control device 110 is a control device that plays an auxiliary role of the control device 101, and has one of its important functions.
Examples include access control of the auxiliary storage device 120, management of each file held by the auxiliary storage device 120, and power control of the entire information processing apparatus shown in this embodiment.

The auxiliary storage device 120 is, for example, a hard disk device, and holds a micro program file 121 and a patch information file 122.

The auxiliary control unit 110 stores the microprogram file 1 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 120 when the power is turned on.
The microprogram is read from 20 and the control device 10
The control for storing in the control memory 102 in 1 is performed. In this case, the control memory (first memory device) 102 is composed of RAM.

The operation of the information processing apparatus having this configuration is as follows.

(1) The auxiliary control device 110 reads the microprogram stored in the microprogram file 121 of the auxiliary storage device 120 via the transfer / control means 131.

(2) Since the read microprogram is compressed, it cannot be stored in the control memory 102 as it is. Therefore, the auxiliary control device 110 decompresses the read microprogram using the decompression means 112 and then stores it in the control memory 102 via the transfer / control means 130.

The control device 101 executes processing in accordance with the microprogram stored in the control storage 102.

Next, the procedure for modifying the microprogram stored in the control memory 102 will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 4, the old data 201 is a description of a microprogram before modification, and its meaning is as follows.

(1) Address: 100 The microprogram address of this microprogram step is 100 (hexadecimal).

(2) A = B + A means an instruction of a process executed in this microprogram step.

(3) Next = 110 The address of the microprogram step to be executed next is 110 (hexadecimal).

The old code 202 is coded according to this content.

The microprogram stored in the control memory 102 is such a code in which the codes are arranged in the order of the microprogram address.

Here, the old data 201 is replaced with the new data 211.
Suppose there is a situation in which the correction is made as follows.

The meaning of the new data 211 is as follows.

(1) Address: 100 The microprogram address of this microprogram step is 100 (hexadecimal).

(2) C = D + A means an instruction of a process executed in this microprogram step.

(3) Next = 110 The address of the microprogram step to be executed next is 110 (hexadecimal).

The new code 212 is coded according to this content.

The old code 202 and the new code 212 are naturally different.

When only this difference is to be corrected, it is a primitive method, but it is generally carried out by the following procedure.

(1) Procedure 220: An address in the microprogram file 121 is obtained from 100 (hexadecimal) of this microprogram address.

In this embodiment, since the code length of one microprogram step is 8 bytes, it is sufficient to simply multiply the microprogram address by 8.

In the case of this example, 100 (hexadecimal) × 8 = 800 (hexadecimal).

(2) Procedure 221: Old data is obtained from the old code 202.

(3) Step 222: Obtain new data from the new code 212.

(4) Write the data obtained in steps 220, 221 and 222 on the patch information sheet 230.

The patch information sheet 23 thus obtained
Although patch correction is actually performed using 0, in the example of FIG. 4, the microprogram held by the microprogram file 121 is not compressed.

First, according to the patch information sheet 230, for example, a maintenance person operates the auxiliary storage device 120 by operating the operation console or the like to modify the micro program file 121.

Micro program file 121-1
It is assumed that maintenance personnel make corrections (before updating).

(5) Step 223: Patch information sheet 23
According to 0, the data of the address 800 (hexadecimal) of the microprogram file 121-1 (before updating) is obtained.

(6) Step 224: Patch information sheet 23
It is confirmed that the old data of 0 and the pre-update code 232 match.

(7) Step 225: Patch information sheet 23
Micro program file 121 according to new data of 0
-2 (after updating).

If the data is not compressed, the partial correction can be performed without any problem by the conventional procedure as described above.

FIG. 5 illustrates what kind of problem the correction procedure described in FIG. 4 causes when the microprogram is compressed and stored in the microprogram file 121-3.

As described with reference to FIG. 4, it is assumed that the old data 201 is modified to the new data 211.

The old code 202 is changed to the new code 212, but the procedure described in FIG. 4 cannot be applied.

This is because the data stored in the micro program file 121-3 is compressed and is not the old code 202.

(1) Compression processing 310: The old code 202 is compressed according to the compression algorithm. As a result, the compressed old data 311 is obtained.

(2) Compression processing 312: The new code 212 is compressed according to the compression algorithm. As a result, the compressed old data 313 is obtained.

Next, the micro program file 121
The address of the compressed old data 311 in -3 must be obtained.

This is the microprogram address 00
It is difficult to know because it depends on the compression result of the code of all the microprogram steps from 0 to OFF (hexadecimal).

(3) Compression processing calculation 314: Micro program file 121-3 (compression) is expanded while the target micro program address is "100".
Calculates the address where is stored.

In the case of this example, it is assumed that "0471 (hexadecimal)" is obtained.

(4) Fill the patch information sheet 230 with the data obtained by the compression processes 310 and 312 and the compression process calculation 314.

The patch information sheet 23 thus obtained
The procedure for actually performing patch correction using 0 is as follows.

According to the patch information sheet 230, for example, a maintenance person operates the auxiliary storage device 120 by operating the operation console or the like, and tries to correct the micro program file 121-3.

(5) According to the patch information sheet 230, the data of the address "0471 (hexadecimal)" of the pre-update microprogram file 121-3 (compression) is obtained.

(6) Confirm that the old data on the patch information sheet 230 and the pre-update code 311 match.

(7) Micro program file 121-3 (compressed) according to the new data on the patch information sheet 230
Try to update.

However, the compressed new code 313 is longer than the compressed old code 311.

Therefore, the old compression code 311 cannot be replaced with the new compression code 313.

As described above, the microprogram file 121 holding the compressed microprogram cannot be partially modified by the conventional procedure.

Next, how the present invention solves such a problem will be described with reference to FIG.

It is assumed that the patch information sheet 230 has been created by the procedure described with reference to FIG.

What the maintenance person who receives the patch information sheet 230 should do is to operate the operator console and input the data of the patch information sheet 230 to the patch information file 122.

After that, the functions peculiar to the present invention make partial corrections.

Micro program file 121-4
The operation of the auxiliary control device 110 when reading (compressed) will be described below.

Process 410: The auxiliary control device 110 reads the microprogram of the microprogram file 121-4 (compressed) via the transfer / control means 131.

The read microprogram (compressed data) is expanded by the data expansion means 122.

This read operation is sequentially started from the address "0" of the micro program file 121-4 (compressed).

The compressed old data 3 to be patch-corrected
Processing for the address 11 is started.

Data decompression process 420: The compressed old data 311 read from the microprogram file 121 (compressed) in process 410 is decompressed by the decompression means 112.

The decompressed result is the address decompressed result 4
12, the data is passed to the decompression result 413.

On the other hand, the patch correction means 111 performs the following processing under the control of the auxiliary control device 110.

Address match 414: patch correction means 11
1 compares the address obtained from the decompression result 412 with the address “0800” read from the patch information file 122 via the transfer / control means 131.

At this time, if the compressed old data 311 is processed, the address obtained from the processing result 412 is "0800", and both addresses match.

Old data match 415: Patch correction means 11
1 is the old data 40 after decompression obtained from the decompression result 413.
1 and transfer / control means 1 from the patch information file 122
The old data “8D0000” read via 31 is compared.

At this time, since the compressed old data 311 has been processed, the data obtained from the processing result 413 is "8D0000", and both data match.

The patch correction means 111 determines that the partial correction should be applied when (a) the address matches 414, the addresses match, and (b) the old data match 415 matches the old data. To do.

Therefore, the new data change 416: the patch correction means 111 reads out a part “8D0000” of the expanded old data 401 obtained from the expansion result 413 from the patch information file 122 via the transfer / control means 131. Replace with new data “8F0040”.

Process 417: The patch correction means 111 causes the unmodified portion "000000" of the old data 401 after decompression.
8110 ”is used as it is.

As a result, patch-corrected data 402 is obtained.

The auxiliary control device 110 transfers the patch-corrected data 402 obtained as described above to the transfer / control means 1
It is stored in the control memory 102 via 31.

As described above, the compressed microprogram can be partially modified. Next, an embodiment in which the data (instruction string data) of the compressed program file is partially modified will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 3, the auxiliary storage device 120 holds a program file 510 and a patch information file 511.

Of these, the program file 510 holds compressed program data, and the patch information file 511 holds patch correction information.

The decompression means 111 reads the compressed program from the program file 510 via the transfer / control means 531 and decompresses it. The decompressed program data is transferred to the patch correction means 11 via the transfer / control means 532.
2 is transferred.

The patch correction means 112 is the transfer / control means 5.
Based on the patch correction information read from the patch information file 511 via 32, the expanded program data transferred from the expansion means 111 via the transfer / control means 533 is patch-corrected.

The patch correction means 112 transfers the program data after the patch correction to the main storage device 501 via the transfer / control means 534.

In this way, the data of the program file 510 compressed and held in the auxiliary storage device 120 is stored in the main storage device 501 after being corrected by the partial correction information of the patch information file 511. .

As described above, according to each of the above embodiments, the data compression processing is not required, and the compressed data can be corrected and used at low cost.

In the embodiment, the case where the microprogram file and the data of the program file are partially modified has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, data compressed and stored in a database is stored. The same can be applied to the case of partially modifying.

[0106]

As described above, according to the present invention, before the data stored in the second storage device is decompressed and stored in the first storage device, the correction portion is modified to correct the first data. Since the data is stored in the storage device, the data compression process is not required, and the compressed data can be modified and used at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for partially correcting compressed data of a microprogram file.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for partially modifying compressed data of a program file.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure of partially correcting uncompressed data of a microprogram file by a conventional method.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure of partially correcting the compressed data of a microprogram file by a conventional method.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 101 ... Control device, 102 ... Control storage, 110 ... Auxiliary control device, 111 ... Patch correction means, 112 ... Decompression means,
120 ... Auxiliary storage device, 121 ... Micro program file, 122 ... Patch information file, 510 ... Program file, 511 ... Patch information file.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A second storage device in which data to be transferred and stored in a first storage device is compressed and stored, and data stored in the second storage device is read out and then expanded to obtain the first data. A data decompression unit for storing the data in the first storage device and performing information processing using the data stored in the first storage device. Partial correction of the data stored in the first storage device. The correction data holding means for holding data is compared with the data expanded by the data expansion means and the partial correction data, and if both are data relating to the same storage address, the data expanded by the data expansion means is replaced And a data correction unit for storing the partial correction data in the first storage device. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data is microcode or instruction string data.