JPH09127857A - System for training trouble-shooting technique - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to artificially generate the troubles in various sections constituting a system during the operation of the system and to execute many and diversified kinds of trainings as far as possible in an education cource of a short period by providing the system with a computer system, trouble generators and a trouble control means. SOLUTION: This system is composed of a standard computer system 100 which simulates a customer system, many and diversified kinds of the trouble generators 50 dispersedly arranged at the respective points of this computer system 100 and a training system control console 70 for controlling this training system 4. The computer system 100 connects a center 110 and a first branch 130 and second branch by network. As a result, the troubles in all the sections constituting the system are generated during the system operation by using the representative constitution of the computer system. In addition, the prepn. period for generating these troubles is shortened to a nearly negligible period.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for performing training for separating faulty parts when a fault occurs in the education of engineers engaged in computer maintenance. The present invention relates to an obstacle training skill training system that can be generated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Computer system failures encountered by a technician in charge of computer maintenance not only involve various parts where a failure can occur, but also the types of failures that occur in each part are not one. That is, the failure phenomena of the computer system vary depending on the location of the failure, and even if the cause is different, the same phenomenon may occur depending on the operating condition of the system, that is, the timing of occurrence of the failure. In order for computer maintenance technicians to be able to cope with these various kinds of obstacles, education of computer maintenance technicians is important. In other words, it is desired that various kinds of faults are artificially generated in various parts constituting the computer system in order to perform a fault isolation (cause investigation) technique training on the entire computer.

[0003]

However, the equipment constituting the computer system has a difference in physical and logical operations and structures, and the failure generation method differs for each equipment. It was difficult to master all methods of failure.

[0004] For this reason, it takes a lot of time for a technical educator to perform preparatory work prior to the implementation of training, and it has been difficult to carry out many trainings in a short educational period.

Further, since it is desired to repeatedly carry out the training, it is necessary to return the device to a normal state after the training, although the device is put in a failure state during the training. As an implementation technique, for example, a failure state of hardware can be generated by interrupting signal transmission at a connection portion such as a connector in hardware equipment. Further, by adding a certain potential to the logic signal in the hardware device, it is possible to cause an abnormality in the logical operation of the device.

However, if this method is performed while the device is operating, that is, while power is being supplied, undesired signals may be cut off at the same time,
Alternatively, there is a high possibility of causing electrical breakdown. For this reason, in many cases, the operation of disconnecting the signal transmission or adding the potential to the logical signal is performed after the power supply of the device is turned off in advance, and the planned stop of the system operation, the disconnection of the signal or the operation of adding the potential is performed. It takes about 10 to 60 minutes to perform a series of operations such as restarting the power supply and restarting the system operation.

[0007] Further, there have been cases where it is not possible to reproduce a fault situation that occurs during operation of the customer's system.

[0008] The present invention uses a typical configuration of a customer's computer system in which a student is in charge, enables failures in various parts of the system to be simulated during system operation, and The aim is to provide an environment in which a wide variety of trainings can be conducted in short-term educational courses as much as possible.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, a failure countermeasure skill training system for educating a computer maintenance engineer according to the present invention has various devices which are targets of pseudo failure. A computer system, a plurality of fault generating devices for artificially generating various faults in various devices of the computer system, and a fault control means for centrally controlling the plurality of fault generating devices. is there. The computer system includes various devices such as a central processing unit, a magnetic disk device, a terminal, and a network line. A failure generating device is prepared for each of these devices and installed in advance. The plurality of fault occurrence devices have predetermined functions corresponding to the physical structure and logical operation of the corresponding device.

[0010] Preferably, the fault control means has a display device, displays a device selection screen including blocks representing the various devices of the computer system on the display device, and gives a user's instruction to the device selection screen. On the basis of,
Select the device for which a failure has occurred.

[0011] Preferably, the fault control means includes:
A failure selection menu including a plurality of predetermined failure contents for the selected failure target device is displayed, and failure contents to be generated are selected based on a user's instruction to the failure selection menu.

The failure control means includes, for example, a device selection screen data storage means for storing data of the device selection screen, a failure selection menu storage means for storing the failure selection menu, and a selection corresponding to the display screen. Input means for giving an instruction, and fault control data means for storing control data for the plurality of fault occurrence devices in advance corresponding to the plurality of fault contents, respectively.

[0013] As one of the trouble generating devices, means for storing predetermined guidance data for a user to generate a trouble based on a human factor, and presenting an erroneous operation procedure to the user based on the guidance data. Means may be provided.

[0014] Preferably, the fault control means controls the plurality of fault occurrence devices using different control interfaces.

Even if the operation of each fault generating device is originally an independent procedure, the present invention is to centrally control each fault generating device by a fault control means such as a personal computer so as not to be conscious of each procedure. This unifies the man-machine interface.

More specifically, a device in which a fault is to be caused is selected based on a system standard configuration diagram of a computer system, and then a fault phenomenon to be caused in the device is selected. As a result, for the target failure generating device,
By transmitting unique control data, a physical device failure occurs.

According to the present invention, since a plurality of fault generating devices distributed in the computer system are centrally controlled, a preparation time for generating a fault can be eliminated. Further, various failures can be generated by a single operation in an interactive manner with a display screen, for example, without being aware of the difference in the operation method of each failure generating device.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a failure countermeasure skill training system for performing a fault isolation training for the entire computer system for a technician engaged in computer maintenance. This system includes a standard computer system 100 that simulates a customer system, a variety of various fault generators 50 that are distributed at various locations in the computer system, and a training system control console 70 for controlling the training system. Consists of

In this example, the computer system 100 includes a center 110, a first branch 130 and a second branch 1
The network 40 is connected to the network 40.

The computer system 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 10, 15, communication control devices 11, 14,
Disk devices 12, 13, console 16, printer 1
7. Modem interface switching device 19, high-efficiency multiplexing device (MM: multimedia multiplexing device) 20, 2
1, packet switch 22, modem (M: modem) 2
3.

The network 120 is a high-speed digital line, IS
Includes DN lines, packet switched lines, direct lines, branch lines, and public lines.

The first branch 130 is connected to the high-efficiency multiplexer 3
0, packet switch 31, distributed processor system 3
2, a LAN system 33, and a terminal 34.

The second branch 140 is connected to the high-efficiency multiplexer 4
0, modems 41 and 42, distributed processor system 43,
It has terminals 44 and 45 and a transit exchange 47.

The fault generating device group 50 includes the I / O device interface fault generating device 5 related to the fault of the center 110.
1. The fault generating program 52 and the logical unit fault generating device 53, the line fault generating device 54 and the high-speed digital network simulator 55 related to the fault of the network 120, and the fault of the first and second branches 130 and 140. And a modem interface fault generator 56. In this way, various types of failure generating devices are distributed in the computer system.

The training system control console 70 includes a failure control device 60 using a personal computer, a main CRT and an auxiliary CRT, a monitor TV for monitoring, a switch group (SW), and a keyboard (K).
B), a pointing device (not shown), and a telephone (TEL). The failure control device 60 operates a centralized control program that centrally controls which device of the training system causes which failure.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of the configuration of the interface between the fault control device 60 and each fault occurrence device. The feature is that the fault control device 60 has different control interfaces depending on the fault occurrence device group, that is, RS232C, GP.
An IB and a host connection adapter (for communication with a failure generation program in the host computer) are provided, and a failure can be generated in each device by a command from the failure control device 60. That is, the fault control device 60
I / O device interface fault generator 51, modem interface fault generator 56, logical unit fault generator 5
3 and the line fault generator 54 are connected via an RS232C adapter 61. Failure occurrence program 5
2 is connected via a host connection adapter 62. Furthermore, GPIB is provided in the high-speed digital network simulator 55.
It is connected via the adapter 63.

In FIG. 1, the failure generating program 52 is shown outside the system 100 in order to show it as one of the failure generating device groups 50.
Located within the storage device.

Although details of each fault occurrence device will be described later, for example, a logic fault occurrence device corresponding to the central processing unit is a signal pin of a platter for mounting a plurality of logic circuit packages or packages constituting the central processing unit. The space between them is connected by a lead wire including a relay. At this time,
One of the signal pins of the platter is a logic signal pin for which a fault is to be caused, and the other is a pin for outputting a fixed potential to be added. Until the command from the fault controller is issued, the open state is maintained by the relay between the signal pins. Then, when a closed circuit is formed by the relay in response to a command from the fault control device, the logical operation of the central processing unit abnormally occurs and the fault occurs. That is, depending on the fault occurrence device,
A failure can be generated by processing the potential of a specific logic signal. The “platter” refers to a large-sized base on which a plurality (5 to 20) of packages for implementing a logic circuit such as a central processing unit are mounted.

The cause of system failure includes "erroneous operation", that is, a failure due to human factors, which cannot be reproduced by the failure generating device. Therefore, in order to surely generate a failure in a portion that cannot be covered by the failure generating device, a guidance function for "incorrect operation procedure" is provided for the instructor. That is, the “erroneous operation procedure” display unit 57 is provided.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of a control program built into the personal computer of the failure control device 60.

In FIG. 3, a screen service unit 65 is a part that controls a man-machine interface with a user 651. The failure selection unit 66 is a device selection screen data 60
1. Failure selection menu registration file (table creation data (6
02), access the fault control data file 603,
Data is exchanged between the screen service unit 65 and the failure control unit 67. The device selection screen data 601 indicates the system configuration of the entire computer system 100 as shown in FIG. 5 described below, and stores data of a device selection screen that is presented to the user to select a device to be subjected to a failure. I have. Failure selection menu registration file 602
Stores menu data presented to the user to allow the user to select a variety of failure contents for the selected device, as shown in FIG. 6 described below. The fault control data file 603 includes device commands corresponding to individual faulty devices for actually causing a specific fault of the specific device selected in this way, and the device commands are issued as control commands.

The failure control section 67 receives a control command from the failure selection section 66 and outputs a device command unique to each failure occurrence device. As a result, it is possible to intensively control various failure generating devices having different control interfaces. For the logical unit fault generator 53, line fault generator 54, input / output device interface fault generator 51, and modem interface fault generator 56, corresponding device commands are transferred to the RS232C controller 610. For the high-speed digital network simulator 55, the GPIB controller 63
1 is transmitted to the corresponding device command. GBI
The B control unit 631 controls the high-speed digital network simulator 55 via the GPIB driver 632. As for the failure occurrence program 52, a corresponding device command is transferred to the failure occurrence program control unit 621. The fault occurrence program control unit 621 transmits the fault occurrence program 5 via the host access function terminal emulator 622.
2 is controlled. Regarding the “erroneous operation procedure” display section 57,
The corresponding device command is transferred to the guidance control unit 64. The guidance control unit 64 controls the “erroneous operation procedure” display unit 57 with reference to the guidance data 605 stored in advance.

In FIG. 3, the "erroneous operation procedure" display unit 5
Although 7 is shown in the failure generating device group 50 for convenience, it is actually located in the failure control device 60.

Referring to FIG. 4, a brief description will be given of a general operation procedure performed by the user (instructor) for generating a pseudo failure in the training system control console 70 in the present embodiment.

First, a device selection screen (system configuration display screen) 410 is displayed by starting the system. The device selection screen 410 is a screen including device blocks of each system unit as shown in FIG. 5 as an example corresponding to the system 100 of FIG. Here, “device” is a term of a broad concept including a network.

Next, from the device selection screen 410, the user designates a device to be a target of the failure occurrence on the screen by using a pointing device such as a mouse, for example. In response, a failure menu screen 420 corresponding to the specified target device is displayed. FIG. 6 shows an example of a failure menu when a high-speed digital line is designated as the target device in the example of FIG. This menu presents a plurality of items each consisting of a "trouble cause" and the "trouble phenomenon". The pointer information for the failure control data file 603 is determined for each item.

Next, the operation flow of the fault control device 60 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the device selection screen data 601 is read, and the device selection screen (FIG. 5) is displayed on the main CRT of the training system control console 70 (501). On this screen, the user selects and instructs a device for which a failure has occurred. In response to this, information of the selected device is taken in (502), and data corresponding to the device is taken out from the failure selection menu file 602 based on the device information, and a failure selection screen (for example, FIG. 6) Is displayed (503). When the user selects and instructs a desired fault item on the fault selection screen, control data corresponding to the fault item is fetched from the fault control data file 603 (504).

Then, a failure occurrence command is issued according to the control data (505). As a result, the corresponding fault occurrence device is controlled, and the target pseudo fault occurs. Thereafter, the actual training of the trainee starts.

The elapsed time after issuing the fault command is measured and displayed in a small window 81 opened at the corner of the device selection screen as illustrated in FIG. 8 (506).

Further, the failure display function is activated (5
07). Thereafter, the “fault display operation” and the “fault stop operation” become possible. When the failure display operation is performed, as shown in FIG. 9, a window 91 is opened in a part of the selection screen (preferably at a position corresponding to the failure occurrence device), and the content of the failure currently occurring is displayed therein. Is performed (512). This failure content display is stopped by the "fault display stop operation" (514). Although not shown in the screen of FIG. 9, the failure elapsed time shown in FIG. 8 is also displayed.

When a failure stop operation is performed, the failure display function is invalidated (509), and the measurement of the failure elapsed time is stopped (510). Next, a failure stop command is issued (511). Thereby, the fault of the fault generating device is released, and the training is completed.

FIG. 10 and FIG.
A list of specifications and functions of 1 to 56 is shown.

In the figure, the “main unit” indicates each fault occurrence device. “SSB information” in item 1 means detailed information (sense byte) of a failure detected by a magnetic disk device or the like, and “CCHH” is cylinder / head (address).
Is shown. “DIAG” in item 3 indicates a command for performing diagnosis by one of the functions of the central processing unit, and “DIAG”
"W" indicates that the operation command CCW to the magnetic disk device or the like is invalid. “DSB” means a device status byte indicating whether the execution of the CCW has been completed normally.

In item 4, “DCE (Data Communication)
Equipment) is a modem and DSU (Data Service Uni
This is a generic term for t). “CRV error” in item 5 indicates a coding rule violation. "DNR (Dce Not Ready)"
“UNR (Uncontrolled Not Ready)” and “S (Status)” indicate status information sent from the high-speed digital network, DNR indicates a network-side failure, and UNR indicates a partner terminal failure. Further, S indicates a line use state (1 is in use, 0 is not in use).

As described above, various types of faults can be intensively generated by a single operation without being aware of the difference between fault generating devices.

[0048]

According to the present invention, a failure in all parts constituting the system is generated during operation of the system, and a preparation time for the failure is substantially negligible using a typical configuration of the computer system. Can be shortened.

As a result, as much training as possible is possible in a short-term educational course, so that the training effect can be expected to be improved.

Also, in the technical acquisition of the instructor in charge of the computer system maintenance technology education, a variety of configurations can be used and the training can be performed in a short time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a failure countermeasure skill training system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an interface between a fault control device and various fault occurrence devices in the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining functions of the fault control device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic operation procedure of a user with respect to the training system console of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a device selection screen displayed in the procedure of FIG.

6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a failure menu screen displayed in the procedure of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the fault control device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an elapsed time display performed during the processing procedure of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a failure content display performed during the processing procedure of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of specifications and functions of the fault occurrence device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of specifications and functions of the fault occurrence device shown in FIG. 1, following FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

50: failure generating device group, 60: failure control device, 70: training system control console, 100: computer system.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A failure training skill training system for educating a computer maintenance technician, comprising: a computer system having various devices to be simulated; and simulating various devices of the computer system. A fault countermeasure skill training system, comprising: a plurality of fault generating devices for causing a fault to occur; and fault control means for centrally controlling the plurality of fault generating devices. 2. The fault training skill training system according to claim 1, wherein said fault control means has a display device, and displays a device selection screen including blocks representing said various devices of said computer system on said display device. A failure countermeasure skill training system which displays and selects a device targeted for failure based on a user's instruction on the device selection screen. 3. The failure countermeasure skill training system according to claim 2, wherein said failure control means displays a failure selection menu including a plurality of predetermined failure contents for said selected failure target equipment. A failure countermeasure skill training system, wherein a failure content to be generated is selected based on a user's instruction to the failure selection menu. 4. The failure training skill training system according to claim 3, wherein said failure control means comprises: equipment selection screen data storage means for storing data of said equipment selection screen; and failure selection menu for storing said failure selection menu. Storage means, input means for giving a selection instruction corresponding to the display screen, and fault control data means for storing control data for the plurality of fault occurrence devices in advance corresponding to the plurality of fault contents, respectively. Disability countermeasure skill training system characterized by having. 5. A training system according to claim 1, wherein, as one of said fault generating devices, means for storing predetermined guidance data for a user in order to generate a fault based on a human factor. A means for presenting an erroneous operation procedure to a user based on the guidance data. 6. The fault training skill training system according to claim 1, wherein said fault control means controls said plurality of fault occurrence devices using different control interfaces. Disability measures skill training system.