JPH10320346A - Input and output processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it unnecessary to set an assignment priority order by system generation or the like, and to eliminate any peripheral equipment sub-system which is invalidated due to the fault of a general input and output channel when a substitute function is provided at the time of the fault of the general input and output channel. SOLUTION: A channel allocating means 3 assigns one of general input and output channels Ci which are not being used by referring to a channel state chart 4 in response to a request from a channel common control part 2 or a port control part Pj, and sets information indicating the connection of the assigned general input and output channel Ci with a port connecting part Pj being the object of an input and output operation in a channel connection chart 5. A channel port connecting circuit 6 connects the objective general input and output channel Ci with the port connecting part Pj based on the content of the channel connection chart 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an input / output processing device, and more particularly to an input / output processing device of an information processing device having a plurality of general-purpose input / output channels.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an input / output processing device of this type is provided with an external input / output processing device even when a port unit fails, as shown in an input / output channel control system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-92948. In order to prevent the corresponding external input / output processing device from becoming unusable so that the device can be used continuously, a configuration having an alternative port portion is adopted.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional input / output channel control system.

[0006] The input / output channel control system shown in FIG. 6 comprises a central processing unit 110 and an input / output channel control unit 120 connected to an external input / output processing unit 230.

The central processing unit 110 includes a main storage unit 111 for holding instructions and data, an arithmetic processing unit 112 for executing arithmetic processing by executing instructions, and an input / output processing unit for performing input / output processing with the outside. 113.

[0006] The input / output channel control unit 120 includes a port control unit 121 connected to the input / output processing unit 113.
And a port unit 2 connected to the external input / output processing device 230
21 to 22n.

Next, the operation will be described.

In FIG. 6, an external input / output processing unit 230
Instructions and data to the CPU 11
0 is assumed to have been processed.

The port unit 2 of the input / output channel control unit 120
In 21-22n, n is the external input / output processing device 230
The optimal number of ports is determined by the system design of the information processing system. Further, all the port units 221 to 22n are connected to the port control unit 121. Port control unit 12
1 selects which external input / output processing device 230 to connect each of the port units 221 to 22n, and the priority of the selection is determined by the system generation of the information processing system.

When the central processing unit 110 performs output processing with the external input / output processing unit 130, data from the main storage unit 111 and the arithmetic processing unit 112 are transferred to the input / output channel via the input / output processing unit 113. Control unit 12
0 to the port control unit 121,
The output is performed using the port unit 22i (i ≦ n) determined in step S1.

When input processing is performed between the central processing unit 110 and the external input / output processing unit 230, data from the external input / output processing unit 230 is transmitted to all the port units 22.
The data is input to the port control unit 121 via 1 to 22n. In the port control unit 121, a predetermined port unit 22i is selected, and data from the selected port unit 22i is transmitted to the main storage device 111 and the arithmetic processing unit 112 via the input / output processing unit 113 of the central processing unit 110. hand over.

In the above input / output processing, the port unit 22
If a failure occurs in i, the port control unit 121 determines whether the replacement port unit 22 has failed based on a predetermined selection priority.
m (m ≦ n, m ≠ i) is selected, and the input / output processing is continued.

[0013]

However, the designation of the second port unit to be assigned when the first port unit has failed must be determined in advance by the system generation of the information processing system. The larger the scale, the greater the number of ports, and the more types of external input / output processing units connected, the more difficult it is to determine the optimal combination. There is a problem that it becomes complicated. Since the complexity increases as the scale of the system increases, it is difficult to change the system configuration such as expansion.

Also, since the port unit and the external input / output processing device are basically semi-fixed one-to-one correspondence with each other,
Since there are external input / output processing devices that cannot be used by the number of failed port units, there is a problem that the failure of the port unit leads to a decrease in the function of the system.

[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a function that makes it unnecessary to set an alternative assignment priority when a failure occurs in a port unit, that is, a general-purpose input / output channel during system generation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a function for preventing an external input / output processing device, that is, a peripheral device subsystem from becoming unusable even when a general-purpose input / output channel fails.

[0017]

The input / output processing device of the present invention dynamically allocates a general-purpose input / output channel that is not being used in response to a connection request from a common channel control unit or a peripheral device subsystem.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input / output processing device for controlling an input / output relationship between a central processing unit and a plurality of peripheral device subsystems. N to take
Port connection units, m general-purpose input / output channels for performing interface control between the peripheral device subsystems, and channel port connection means for switching and connecting the general-purpose input / output channels and the port connection units. A channel connection table for providing a connection pattern of the channel port connection means, a channel state table indicating a state of the general-purpose input / output channel, and a request for changing a connection relationship between the port connection unit and the peripheral device subsystem. Channel allocation means for allocating one of the general-purpose input / output channels for input / output operations using the channel state table and the channel connection table, respectively, and a channel common control unit connected to the central processing unit. The general-purpose input / output channel that manages and uses the path identification between the Wherein the assigned dynamically.

In the above input / output processing apparatus, the channel status table is composed of a number of rows corresponding to the number of channels m, and the i-th row is the status of the i-th general-purpose input / output channel, "unused", "port". It is characterized in that any one of "in use by number j" and "failure" is set. Further, in the input / output processing device, the channel connection table includes a number of rows corresponding to the number n of the port connections, and the j-th row is a state of the j-th port connection, such as “unallocated”, “general purpose”. One of "connecting to input / output channel" is set. In addition, in the input / output processing device, the channel allocating unit may search for the status of the general-purpose input / output channel and the status of the port connection unit using an address of the channel status table and the channel connection table, each of which is a rewritable RAM, as an index. -It is characterized by rewriting.

More specifically, referring to FIG. 1, channel port connection means (6 in FIG. 1) for switching connection between n port control units and m general purpose input / output channels,
A channel connection table (5 in FIG. 1) for giving a connection pattern of the channel port connection circuit, a channel state table (4 in FIG. 1) indicating the state of the general-purpose input / output channel, and a channel state table and a channel connection table are used. Allocating means for allocating one general-purpose input / output channel in response to a request from a channel common control unit or a port connection unit (3 in FIG. 1)
And

[Operation] The association between the general-purpose input / output channel and the peripheral device subsystem is dynamically performed for each connection request from the channel common control unit or the port control unit. Therefore, there is no need to set the assignment order of the alternative general-purpose input / output channels when the general-purpose input / output channel fails, at the time of system generation. If at least one general-purpose input / output channel is in a normal state, all peripheral subsystems can operate. Further, a flexible system can be constructed without having to match the number of general-purpose input / output channels with the number of peripheral device subsystems.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

([1] Description of Configuration) Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the input / output processing device of the present invention. The input / output processing device 1 of the present invention is a peripheral device subsystem that is an external input / output processing device based on a command from a central processing unit (not shown) including a main storage device, an arithmetic processing device, and an input / output processing device. S
1 to Pj ... Pn for accommodating a cable between 1... Sj... Sn and for mainly adjusting the electrical level between the cable and the inside of the input / output processing device 1. Based on a command from the common control unit 2, the port connection units P1 ...
Peripheral device subsystems S1... Sj via Pj.
Channel ports for switching connection between m general-purpose input / output channels C1... Ci. Cm for performing interface control between... Sn and the general-purpose input / output channels C1. The connection circuit 6, a channel connection table 5 for providing connection patterns of the channel port connection circuit 6, and general-purpose input / output channels C1 ... Ci ...
Using the channel state table 4 representing the state of Cm, and the channel state table 4 and the channel connection table 5, one general-purpose input / output channel C1... Ci is instructed by the channel common control unit 2 or the port connection units P1. .. Are composed of channel allocating means 3 for allocating Cm.

The channel state table 4 and the channel connection table 5 use the address of a rewritable RAM or the like and the state of the pair as an index, and the RAM may use a common chip or a separate chip. It can be connected to the channel allocation means in the form of a bus. The channel common control unit 2, the channel allocating unit 3, and the channel port connection circuit 6 use programmable operation means such as a CPU or a logic circuit, and use general-purpose input / output channels C1.
m and the port connection portions P1... Pj. Although not shown in FIG. 1, it is also assumed that port retry or port change may be performed in the channel common control unit of the input / output channel control unit in accordance with an instruction from the input / output processing unit of the central processing unit. This will be described below.

The channel status table 4 is composed of m rows, and the ith row is one of the statuses of the general-purpose input / output channel Ci: "unused", "in use by port number j", or "in failure". Represents

The channel connection table 5 includes n rows,
The j-th row indicates one of “unallocated” and “connected to general-purpose input / output channel Ci”, which are the states of the port connection unit j.

([2] Description of Operation) Next, the operation of the channel allocating means 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The channel allocating means 3 includes a peripheral device subsystem Sj
When an attempt is made to relocate the port connection unit Pj to the port or when the port connection unit Pj fails, the operation is performed by an input / output channel acquisition request or an input / output channel release request from the channel common control unit 2 or the port connection unit Pj. Start.

Upon receiving the input / output channel acquisition request, the channel allocating means 3 first obtains the port number j to be connected from the input / output channel acquisition request source (step A1), and uses the port number j to set the channel connection table 5. (Step A2), and checks the state of the port number j (step A3).

As a result, if the port number j is in the "unallocated" state, the channel state table 4 is searched to check the channels in the "unused" state (step A4). Judge (step A5), "unused"
If there is a channel in the state, the channel number i is obtained (step A6), and the i-th row of the channel state table 4 is set to the “in use by port number j” state (step A).
7), the j-th row of the channel connection table 5 is set to the “connected to general-purpose input / output channel Ci” state (step A8), and a completion notification is sent to the input / output channel acquisition request source (step A).
9).

If the status of the port number j is "connected to the general-purpose input / output channel Ci" in step A3, an acquisition completion notification is immediately sent to the input / output channel acquisition request source (step A9).

If there is no channel in the "unused" state in step A5, as shown in FIG. 3, the input / output channel acquisition request source is notified that all channels are in use (step A10).

On the other hand, when the input / output channel release request is received by the channel allocating means 3, as shown in FIG. 4, the port number j to be released is obtained from the input / output channel release request source (step B1). The channel number i being connected is acquired from the contents of the j-th row of the channel connection table 5 (step B2). Then, the contents of the i-th row of the channel state table 4 are read (step B3), and it is checked whether or not the channel is "in failure" (step B4).

At this time, if the channel is not "failed", the i-th row of the channel state table 4 is set to "unused" state (step B5). The contents of Table 4 are not changed.

In any case, the j-th row of the channel connection table 5 is set to the "unallocated" state (step B6), and a release completion notification is sent to the input / output channel release request source (step B7).

Here, the operation of the input / output processing device 1 of the present invention will be described based on the above operation.

Prior to the access to the peripheral device subsystem Sj, the channel common control unit 2 issues an input / output channel acquisition request for the port number j to the channel allocating means 3.
Wait for the acquisition completion notification.

When receiving the acquisition completion notification from the channel allocating means 3, the channel common control unit 2 refers to the channel connection table 5 and obtains the number i of the general-purpose input / output channel Ci allocated to the port number j. At this time, the channel port connection circuit 6 is in a state where the general-purpose input / output channel Ci and the port connection part Pj are connected according to the contents of the channel connection table 5, and the channel common control unit 2 performs the purpose through the general-purpose input / output channel Ci. A data transfer operation with the peripheral device subsystem Sj is performed.

When the data transfer operation is completed, the channel common control unit 2 issues an input / output channel release request to the channel allocating unit 3 and, after receiving the release completion notification from the channel allocating unit 3, ends the operation.

When the channel allocating unit 3 returns a notification indicating that all channels are in use in response to an input / output channel acquisition request from the channel common control unit 2, the channel common control unit 2 abnormally ends the input / output operation. .

On the other hand, when a connection request from the peripheral device subsystem Sj to the input / output processing device 1 occurs, the port connection unit Pj receiving the request makes an input / output channel acquisition request to the channel allocating means 3. Receives the acquisition completion notification from the channel allocating unit 3,
An interrupt is issued to the channel common control unit 2 via the interface. The channel common control unit 2 that has accepted the interrupt obtains the port number j of the request source by searching the channel state table 4 using the number i of the general-purpose input / output channel Ci. The subsequent operation is the same as the operation from the channel common control unit 2.

When the common channel controller 2 detects a failure of the general-purpose input / output channel Ci, the i-th row corresponding to the relevant channel in the channel state table 4 is set to the "under failure" state.

As described above, in the present invention, since the general-purpose input / output channel Ci is dynamically associated with the port connection part Pj, it is possible to prevent the function of the system from deteriorating even when the general-purpose input / output channel fails.

(3) Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 5, channel common control unit 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes a basic control unit 16 having the same function as the channel common control unit 2 in FIG. 1, a channel allocation unit 13 having the same function as the channel allocation unit 3, and a channel having the same function as the channel state table 4. It is composed of a state table 14. Further, all the port connection parts Pj and all the general-purpose input / output channels Cli are directly connected, and the channel port connection signal from the channel connection table 15 is input to each general-purpose input / output channel Cli.

The scale of the channel port connection circuit 6 in FIG. 1 becomes complicated in proportion to the product of the number m of the general-purpose input / output channels Cli and the number n of the port connection portions Pj. There is a problem that the channel port connection circuit 6 becomes large. In this embodiment, the function of the channel port connection circuit 6 is distributed to the general-purpose input / output channels Cli, so that the circuit configuration can be simplified as compared with the case where the functions are independently configured. Further, the channel allocation means 13 and the channel status table 14 are microprogrammed together with the basic control means 16 to convert them into microprograms.
The circuit configuration can be made smaller by incorporating it into

The second embodiment of the present invention has an effect that the circuit can be reduced in addition to the effect of the first embodiment.

[0047]

According to the present invention, the general-purpose input / output channel is dynamically allocated in response to a request from the channel common control unit or the channel port connection unit. It is not necessary to set the assignment priority when a failure occurs.

Further, since the assignment of the general-purpose input / output channels is dynamically performed in response to a request from the channel common control unit or the channel port connection unit, one general-purpose input / output channel can be used even when a plurality of general-purpose input / output channels fail. This means that all peripheral subsystems are available as long as the output channel is normal.

Furthermore, since the assignment of general-purpose input / output channels is dynamically performed in response to a request from the channel common control unit or the port connection unit, the number of general-purpose input / output channels and the number of peripheral device subsystems are made equal. Therefore, there is an effect that a highly flexible system can be constructed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an input / output processing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a channel allocating unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the operation of the channel allocating means of FIG. 1;
FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the channel allocating means of FIG. 1;
FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the input / output device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a conventional input / output channel control method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 I / O processing device 2 Channel common control part 3 Channel allocation means 4 Channel status table 5 Channel connection table 6 Channel port connection circuit 11 I / O processing device 12 Channel common control part 13 Channel allocation means 14 Channel status table 15 Channel connection table 16 Basic control unit 110 Central processing unit 111 Main storage unit 112 Processing unit 113 Input / output processing unit 120 Input / output channel control unit 121 Port control unit 221 to 22n Port unit 230 External input / output processing unit A1 to A10 Operation of channel allocation unit 3 Steps B1 to B7 Operation steps of the channel allocating means 3 Cl to Cm General-purpose input / output channels Cll to Clm General-purpose input / output channels Pl to Pn Port connections Sl to Sn Peripheral device subsystem

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An input / output processing device for controlling an input / output relationship between a central processing unit and a plurality of peripheral device subsystems. Port connection units, m general-purpose input / output channels for performing interface control between the peripheral device subsystems, and channel port connection means for switching and connecting the general-purpose input / output channels and the port connection units. A channel connection table for providing a connection pattern of the channel port connection means, a channel state table indicating a state of the general-purpose input / output channel, and a request for changing a connection relationship between the port connection unit and the peripheral device subsystem. One general-purpose input / output channel using the channel status table and the channel connection table. And a channel allocating means for allocating the general-purpose input / output channel, wherein the identification of a path between the channel common control unit connected to the central processing unit and the peripheral device subsystem is managed by a port number and used. An input / output processing device characterized by dynamically allocating data. 2. The channel status table has a number of rows corresponding to the number m of channels, and an i-th row is a status of an i-th general-purpose input / output channel, “unused”, “in use at port number j”, 2. The input / output processing device according to claim 1, wherein any one of "under failure" is set. 3. The channel connection table includes a number of rows corresponding to the number n of the port connection sections, and a j-th row is a state of the j-th port connection section, “unallocated”, “a general-purpose input / output channel and 2. The input / output processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of "connected" is set. 4. The channel allocating means retrieves and rewrites the status of the general-purpose input / output channel and the status of a port connection unit by using an address of the channel status table and the channel connection table, which are composed of a rewritable RAM, as an index. The input / output processing device according to claim 1, wherein: