JPS58186842A - Controlling system of service processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a conversation with an operator with regard to even a hardware fault relative to an external storage device by allowing a simple conversational program which operates a service processor with its reduced functions to reside in a storage circuit. CONSTITUTION:A control storage CS3 is divided into a CS-A for storing a normal resident program, a CS-B for storing an overlay program, and a CS-C where the simple conversational program which operates the service processor with its reduced functions resides. If a fault occurs in a floppy disk FDC4 or FDC5 while a microprocessor MP2 accesses the floppy disk FDD through a floppy disk controller FDC4, the MP2 starts executing a group of instructions of the CS-C. The MP2 executes the instructions of the CS3 to display a simple conversational screen on a console display 10 through a console display controller 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Object of the Invention The present invention relates to a service processor (SVP), and particularly to a service processor control method suitable for conversation with an operator due to a failure of an external storage device controlled by the service processor. .

As is well known in the art, the function of SvP is to monitor and control the entire hardware system. Therefore, SvP requires many programs, and it is difficult to use.

Since the control storage capacity for storing a program becomes large, the program is divided into a resident part and an overlay part to reduce the control storage capacity.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional SvP configuration. In FIG. 1, SVP 1 has a microprocessor (MP) 2 and a control storage (C8) 3, and is connected to a floppy disk device (1'DD) 5 through a floppy disk controller (FDC) 4. In addition, a console display control device (CI) c) 6 is connected to a video terminal device (VI) i') 7. VDT 7 is a console display (C
D) 10 and a keyboard (KB) 11.

8 and 9 are a central processing unit (CP[J) and other devices under the supervision and control of SVP1.

The program is stored in C83, and M P 2 reads this program and executes 1'1: 3 to 5.
vP1 works. child! So, C83 is C3-A which stores the resident program and C3-A which stores the overlay program.
It is divided into 3-B. The program of the overlay part is written on the floppy disk 5 as shown in FIG. By pressing the key, only one program corresponding to the key is selected from the floppy disk 5 and stored in C5-13 via C4.-) When M P 2 completes the program, a conversation screen necessary for communicating with the operator is displayed on the console display 10 via the CI C6. An example of the displayed screen peaks and valleys is shown in FIG.

The operator selects ME on the conversation screen 100 as shown in FIG.
N1. Select a function from J section 101 and select S E L
E Key in the CTloN section 102. The overlaid program interprets the characters pressed/pressed in the 5ELECT ION section 102, and if another conversation screen is required, select the predetermined program from the floppy disk again and proceed in the same manner as described above. and load C3-B. This loaded program outputs the target hardware control information to the IVI E S S A G E section 103 shown in FIG. 3 and causes the operator to confirm it. S Y S 'r" 12 M
-Ill) ICATOR 104 displays the status of the hardware, and is used to display failure information when FDD 5 cannot be accessed, for example.

As described above, conventional SvP employs a control system in which most conversations with the operator are performed by programs stored in an external storage device such as a floppy disk. Therefore, if a failure occurred in the floppy disk drive or its control device, there was a problem in that it was impossible to communicate with the operator, and the entire system was forced to stop operating.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a control system in which a program for an SVP to communicate with an operator is loaded from an external storage device, and to prevent the SVP from communicating with the operator even in the event of a software failure related to the external storage device. The purpose of this invention is to provide a control system that enables SVI control.

The SVP is a device that monitors and controls the hardware anostem by communicating with the operator. Therefore, information that is easy for the operator to communicate with is displayed on the console display for the purpose of allowing the operator, who does not know the details of the Doware system, to monitor and control the Doware system. Therefore, the programs or microprograms and screen information necessary to communicate with the operator become enormous, and the storage circuitry within the SVP increases.Therefore, the programs or microprograms and screen information necessary for the operator are stored in an external storage device. The conventional SVP employs a control method in which microprograms and screen information that are required for each conversation with an operator are stored and overlaid from an external storage device onto a storage circuit in the SVI. However, in this SVP control method, if any failure occurs in the external storage device or external storage control device, the SVP
cannot perform its functions at all. That is, since the state of the software system cannot be monitored at all, no countermeasures against failures can be taken.

In order to solve the problem described in 4--, the present invention aims to reduce the functions of the SVP to prevent damage related to external storage devices and to monitor and control the hardware system. The program causes the microprogram and screen information to reside in the SvP memory circuit. In this case, the program or microprogram has the minimum functions and the screen information is limited to about one piece, so that it can be easily memorized compared to the normal use program, FI program, My 70 program, and screen information. The capacity is small, and in the event of a failure related to the external storage device, by executing this simple conversation program or microprogram and screen information, a fail-soft S■P is realized.
Moreover, there is no need to stop the operation of the hardware system.

Embodiment of the invention FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention. The difference from Fig. 1 is that the control tray/3 is a normal resident program τ.
C3-A to store and C to store overlay program
In addition to S-H, it is divided into C-S-C, which houses a simple conversation program that operates by reducing the functions of SVP, so that the other configurations are basically the same as in Figure 1. is the same as

First, the normal operation will be explained. A conversation with a normal operator is initiated by pressing a specific key on the KBII. The CDC 6 detects that this key is pressed.

When M P 2 is executing the command of C8A, CDC6
When a key press is detected, the program is loaded from step 5 to C5-13 (instruction group in SA is FI). All of the above instructions are executed in 1VIP2,
F+> Control C4 and store r'l), 1) 57 programs into CS-13. After the storage in C3-B is completed, MP2b executes the instruction group of CS and -B, and
displays a screen as shown in FIG. 3 on (')' l) 10 via the CDC 6 and talks with the operator.

Next, M P2 is 1-' l) (F l
) l) When accessing 5, if a failure occurs in FI) C4 or r'' I) D 5, MP2
r) When a failure is detected by C4, M P2
Start executing C's tuna command group. The instruction group stored in C3-C is loaded when the SVP1 is powered on, and is a resident program. M P 2 is C8
By executing the command group 3, the simple conversation screen changes to C.
CI) 10 via DC6.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a simple conversation screen. In the example shown in FIG. Instruct the operation by A D l) RE S S, I) A i'
A C Indicates that this is a field for inputting data necessary for the above operation. The operator enters predetermined data on the second line in response to the conversation. That is, enter the key-in data corresponding to the M E N LJ section shown in Figure 3, which is necessary for normal conversation, in the F, M, and R fields, and enter the MESSAG
VC is required to input or display data corresponding to part E.
-Yuwo A I) L) R E S S, D A 'f'
By inputting information in the A field, it is possible to converse with the operator on the single screen shown in FIG.

The present invention has been described in detail above with respect to the case where a floppy disk is used as an external storage device, but the method of the present invention can also be applied to an SVP that employs, for example, a magnetic disk drive device and its control device as an external storage device. Needless to say, it can be applied.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention (C), even if a failure occurs in the external storage device controlled by the SVP, its control device, etc., it is possible to have a conversation with the operator using the simple conversation screen.
Due to a failure related to the external storage device...--by SVP without stopping the operation of the software system)--
It is effective to control and monitor the software system and improve the operating efficiency of the entire system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram for explaining the control method of a conventional service processor, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of information arrangement on a floppy disk in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an example of conversation image information in Figure 1. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a simple conversation screen used in the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Service processor, 2... Microprocessor, 3... Control storage, 4... Floppy disk drive control device fL5... Floppy disk device, 6... Console disk play control device, 7... Video terminal device, 10...console display, 11...keyboard Patent attorney Makoto Suzuki -

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Conversation with the operator is possible by reducing the function of the service processor, which loads a program from an external storage device as needed and displays the screen on the video terminal device under the control of the program to converse with the operator. A program that can (
Hereinafter, a service processor is characterized in that it has a built-in simple conversation program (5), and when an external storage device becomes inaccessible, executes the simple conversation program and displays a simple conversation screen on a video terminal device. control method.