JPH10260926A - Computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the computer system which enables even a system operator to switch and replace computers. SOLUTION: In the computer system consisting of a primary machine 3, a backup machine 4, and a control machine 5 which are connected to one another by Ethernet 7, the start modes of the primary machine 3, backup machine 4, and control machine 5 are set to one of a server mode, a client mode, and an off-line mode on a system monitor board 6 according to a signal, outputted from the backup machine 4, which corresponds to the installation place of one of a 'computer room 1', a 'computer room 2', and a 'control room 1' and the previously inputted system constitution pattern of the primary machine 3, backup machine 4, and control machine 5, and communication destinations of the primary machine 3, backup machine 4, and control machine 5 are set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to, for example, an AGV (Aut
The present invention relates to a computer system applied to a system monitoring panel of an operation management system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when constructing a client-server system in a computer system, a backup machine serving as a spare machine is often provided in addition to the server machine and the client machine.

Here, in order to actually use the backup machine at the time of occurrence of a trouble or the like, each computer constituting the system is made to recognize the start mode, that is, which mode of the server or the client, and communicates. It is necessary to know which computer is the partner.

[0004] In particular, grasping the latter computer, which is a communication partner, is important in operating the system.
For this purpose, the following two methods are conventionally known.

[0005] One is a method of changing the setting of each computer, particularly the address setting required for communication. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the client machine 41 sets the address of the server machine 42 to aa. bb. cc.
When communication is performed as dd, the backup device 43
Is used in place of the server machine 42, the address of the backup machine 43 is changed to uu. xx. yy. zz to a
a. bb. cc. Change to dd.

Another method is to notify the computer of the computer configuration of the entire system. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the client machine 41 receives the address aa. bb. cc. dd, the communication partner of the client 41 is addressed to the address uu. by communicating the change of the computer configuration and the accompanying data to the client 41.
xx. yy. Switch to the backup device 43 of zz.

However, in such a computer system, it is important to easily switch and replace the computer in order to shorten the downtime when a trouble occurs. In view of this, the above two methods are the following. There is a problem as follows.

First, changing computer settings requires knowledge about computer management. In addition, since incorrect address setting may adversely affect the entire network, the system operator is often not permitted to set an address. Therefore, in practice, a system operator who should perform a primary response when a trouble occurs cannot use this method.

On the other hand, considering that the system operator uses the method of notifying the computer configuration to switch the computer, depending on the location of the computer, for example, using the computers in the rooms A and B. It is easiest to specify the computer configuration. However, in order to set the switching pattern of the computer configuration in this way, the computer must be specified only by the information of the installation location. Moreover, if this condition is satisfied, the computer cannot be replaced.

[0010]

As described above, the conventionally known computer system has a problem that the system operator cannot easily switch and exchange computers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a computer system in which a system operator can easily switch and exchange computers.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a computer system comprising a plurality of computers interconnected by a network, comprising: a computer selected from among a plurality of computers as a backup computer; Based on the output signal corresponding to the installation location and the system configuration pattern of the plurality of computers input in advance, the start mode of the plurality of computers is set to one of the server mode, the client mode, and the backup mode, respectively. Means for setting a computer to be a communication partner of each of the plurality of computers.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a computer system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this computer system has three computers, which are shown as a production machine 3, a backup machine 4, and a control machine 5. These are interconnected by Ethernet 7 and connected by three transmission lines 8 to a system monitoring panel 6 having a communication line switching function.

Now, as a standard state of the computer system, a production machine 3 and a backup machine 4 are respectively installed in “computer room 1” and “computer room 2” of two computer installation locations in the computer room 1, and control is performed. The machine 5 is installed in the "control room 1" which is a computer installation place in the control room 2.

The production machine 3, backup machine 4 and controller 5 can be installed anywhere in "computer room 1,""computer room 2" or "control room 1." The installation location of the production machine 1 is fixed to the “computer room 1”.

In this computer system, it is assumed that the production machine 3, the backup machine 4, and the controller 5 can be started in three different start modes. The three start modes are a control mode for grasping and operating the system status as a server, a control mode for controlling the system as a client, and an offline mode cut off from the Ethernet 7 as a standby unit. Here, different start modes are assigned to the production machine 3, the backup machine 4, and the controller 5, respectively.

In this computer system, the computer installation locations, ie, "computer room 1", "computer room 2", and "control room 1" correspond to the computers that are activated (used) in the control mode or the control mode. This sets the system configuration pattern. Here, the processing in the control mode is always performed by the computer in the computer room 1, that is, either the computer room 1 or the computer room 2, and the computer in the computer room 1 is used in the control mode. Shall not. The processing in the control mode is normally performed by the computer in the "control room 1", and is performed by the computer in the computer room 1 as needed.

Under these conditions and the condition that the installation location of the production machine 1 described above is fixed to the “computer room 1”,
The system configuration pattern of this computer system includes a normal pattern in which the computers in the "computer room 1" and "control room 1" are active, and a control backup pattern in which the computers in the "computer room 1" and "computer room 2" are active. And a control backup pattern in which the computers in the "computer room 2" and the "control room 1" are active.

In such a computer system, the start mode and the communication partner of the production machine 3, the backup machine 4, and the control machine 5 are set as described below. First,
It is assumed that the production machine 3, the backup machine 4, and the controller 5 are appropriately installed in the "computer room 1", the "computer room 2", or the "control room 1" in accordance with the conditions described above. In this case, first, a preset identification signal is output from the backup device 4 and input to the system monitoring panel 6 via the transmission line 8. At this time, the system monitoring panel 6 pays attention to the transmission line 8 to which the identification signal has been input, and detects whether the backup machine 4 is installed in the “computer room 2” or the “control room 1”. Here, "Computer Room 1",
It is assumed that one of the signals DIA, DIB, and DIC corresponding to each of the installation locations of the "computer room 2" and the "control room 1" has been input as HIGH by the backup machine 4. Since the production machine 3 is fixed to the "computer room 1" as described above, the signal DIA does not actually become HIGH.

On the other hand, a signal corresponding to one of the system configuration patterns of the normal pattern, the control backup pattern, and the control backup pattern is input to the system monitoring panel 6 by the system operator.
Here, three system configuration patterns are represented by signals DI1
And DI2 are distinguished by a HIGH / LOW combination. Specifically, the signal DI1 in the case of the normal pattern
Is HIGH and the signal DI2 is Low, and in the control backup pattern, the signal DI1 is Low and the signal DI2 is Low.
Becomes HIGH, and when the control backup pattern is set, both signals DI1 and DI2 become HIGH.

In this case, the combination of HIGH / LOW with respect to the signals DIA, DIB, DIC, DI1 and DI2 input to the system monitoring panel 6 corresponds to the combination of No. as shown in FIG. 1 to No. There are six patterns corresponding to six. Note that “O” and “X” in the figure indicate the H of each signal.
It corresponds to IGH and LOW. Further, "-" corresponds to a case where the signal is not confirmed by the system monitoring panel 6 because the computer is in the offline mode, and is treated as LOW in a logical operation described later.

Next, the system monitoring panel 6 outputs signals DIA, D
HIG of each of IB, DIC, DI1 and DI2
Based on the value of H / LOW, a logical operation according to the logical expression shown in FIG. 2B is performed, and the resulting determination signals DO1, DO2, DOA are referred to as “Computer Room 1” and “Computer Room”. 2 "and" Control Room 1 ".

For example, No. 1 in FIG. In the pattern No. 3, the determination signals DO1, DO2, and DOA output to the computer in the "computer room 1" are as follows. DO1 = DI1 (L) xorDI2 (H) = H DO2 = L DOA = DO1 (H) and (DIB (H) orDIC
(L)) = H Further, No. In the pattern of 3, "computer room 2"
Signals DO1, DO2, DOA output to the calculator
Is as follows.

DO1 = DI1 (L) and DI2 (H) = L DO2 = DI2 (H) and [not (DO1
(L))] = H DOA = DO1 (H) = L Furthermore, the same No. In the pattern No. 3, the determination signals DO1, DO2, DOA output to the computer in the "control room 1" are as follows.

DO1 = L DO2 = DI1 (L) = L DOA = DI1 (L) and DI2 (H) = L Similarly, No. 1 shown in FIG. 1 to N
o. 6, determination signals DO1, DO of "computer room 1", "computer room 2", and "control room 1" corresponding to the respective patterns.
2, DOA is as shown in FIG.
In addition, No. of FIG. 1 to No. No. 6 in FIG. 1 to No. 6, “○” and “×” indicate High and Low of each signal.

Next, each computer receives a judgment signal DO1, DO2, DOA input from the system monitoring panel 6, and
Judge its own startup mode and communication partner. Specifically, first, the High / Low value of the determination signals DO1 and DO2 is applied to the startup mode determination rule shown in FIG. 3B, so that the startup mode of the control device is any of the control mode, the control mode, and the offline mode. Is determined.

For example, as shown in FIG. In the case of the pattern corresponding to No. 3, since the determination signal DO1 is input as High and the determination signal DO2 is input as Low for the production machine 3 in the "computer room 1", the start mode is determined as the control mode. Further, the backup machine 4 in the “computer room 2” outputs the judgment signal DO.
Since 1 is input as Low and the determination signal DO2 is input as High, the startup mode is determined as the control mode. further,
Since the determination signals DO1 and DO2 are both input as Low, the controller 5 of the "control room 1" determines that the startup mode is the offline mode.

Next, each computer determines the Hig of the judgment signal DOA.
The computer to be the communication partner is determined by applying the value of h / Low to the communication partner determination rule shown in FIG. Note that the determination of the communication partner is performed only by the computer determined to be in the control mode or the control mode in the determination of the start mode described above. For example, FIG.
No. of (a). In the case of the pattern corresponding to No. 3, the production machine 3 in the “computer room 1” determines that the communication partner is the backup machine 4 since the determination signal DOA is High,
The backup device 4 determines that the communication partner is the production device 3 because the determination signal DOA is Low.

As described above, in the computer system according to the present embodiment, only the backup machine among the production machine, the control machine and the backup machine constituting the computer system outputs an identification signal corresponding to the installation location. A determination signal corresponding to the installation location of the computer is generated from a combination of the data of the installation location of the backup machine shown and the system configuration pattern corresponding to the installation location specified by the system operator, and based on the determination signal, The computer, that is, the production machine, the control machine, and the backup machine are made to themselves determine the start mode and the communication partner.

That is, the system operator need only specify a simple system configuration pattern corresponding to the installation location, and the processing for changing the actual startup mode and the communication partner is automatically performed by each computer. Therefore, for example, if a trouble occurs in the computer system and it is desired to switch the start mode of the computer or replace the computer itself,
The system operator can reset each computer by a simple operation without considering where each computer is installed. At this time, since the address setting of each computer is not changed, an appropriate countermeasure against a trouble can be taken at the level of the system operator, for example, even in a computer system in which the address setting is permitted by the system operator.

Further, unlike the conventional method of switching the computer by designating the installation location of the computer, the system operator can arbitrarily select the switching of the computer and the exchange of the computer.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, only by inputting a system configuration pattern of a plurality of computers,
Based on this system configuration pattern and the signal corresponding to the installation location from the computer selected as the backup machine, the start mode of each computer is automatically set to one of the server mode, client mode or offline mode, and Since the communication partner of each computer is also automatically set, it is possible to easily switch and exchange computers at the system operator level.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an exemplary view for explaining processing according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary view for explaining processing according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a conventional computer system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Computer room 2 ... Control room 3 ... Production machine 4 ... Backup machine 5 ... Control machine 6 ... System monitoring panel 7 ... Ethernet 8 ... Transmission line

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A computer system comprising a plurality of computers interconnected by a network, comprising: a signal corresponding to an installation location output from a computer selected as a backup computer among the plurality of computers; The start mode of each of the plurality of computers is set to one of a server mode, a client mode, and an offline mode based on the system configuration pattern of the plurality of computers. A computer system comprising means for setting a computer.