JPS58217066A - File dualization controlling circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To lighten the burden of a processing device, by using a file dualization controlling circuit, receiving preferentially a request from the processing device and also utilizing an idle time. CONSTITUTION:A processing device 1 is connected to a main file 3 and a sub- file 4 through a file dualization controlling circuit 2, and the files 3, 4 are used as external storage devices. A function selecting mechanism 21, a file dualization control mechanism 22, a multi-file access mechanism 23, a statistic processing mechanism 24, a mutual monitoring mechanism 25 and a mutual shunting mechanism 26 are provided on this controlling circuit 2. A file dualization access mechanism 221 and a backup reproducing mechanism 222 being under the control are controlled by the control mechanism 22 of said constitution. In this state, a request from the device 1 is received preferentially by the mechanism 21, a data is recorded dually in the files 3, 4 under the control of the mechanism 22, the statistic processing is executed by utilizing an idle time, and the burden of the device 1 is lightened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an input/output control circuit for an external storage device that is suitable for backup, failure analysis, and failure repair of an external storage device that requires high reliability for program and data files. Related to file duplication control circuit.

In general, external storage devices are positioned as files for resident and non-resident programs, and data files for software.

Non-resident programs are called from the external storage device to the main storage device only when they are started, and perform their functions for the first time. Previously, the resident program was only recorded in the main memory, but now the external memory is the main memory, and it is always called from the external memory to the main memory at power recovery start or initial start, and from then on, the resident program is stored in the main memory. [1%] is made to work as a. Data comes in many forms, each of which has different degrees of importance for users.

In systems that rely on such external storage devices, a failure of the external storage device can be a fatal flaw. Furthermore, as external storage devices become more dense and smaller, the number of defects that cannot be compensated for by the external storage devices increases, and reliability tends to gradually decrease.

For this reason, various efforts have been made to compensate for these deficiencies in control circuits responsible for data transfer between processing devices and external storage devices.

Examples of this are: (1) Trying to record and playback (2) Checking data validity by playing back immediately after recording (3)
Examples include alternative recording area processing that is fully aware of defects.

With the function of such a control circuit, it has become possible to significantly reduce system downtime caused by factors other than the system itself, such as foreign noise. However, it is not possible to completely eliminate mechanical and drowsy defects that occur in the external storage device itself.

Therefore, it is very dangerous to run all the system systems with one external storage device.For this reason, another external storage device is installed for bank-up, and when the main external storage device goes down, it can be recovered from the sub. This method has been adopted.

However, since each external storage device is under the control of software, the burden on the software required for this control increases, and each requires a complete control circuit, making the entire system expensive. had.

An object of the present invention is to provide a file duplication mechanism in a conventional file control circuit, thereby enabling file bank amplification and maintenance without the intervention of a processing device, and providing a highly reliable and low-cost duplex file. The object of the present invention is to provide the following, further reduce the burden on the processing device, and allow the processing device to have a high processing capacity.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an external storage device of a system that is the basis of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a processing device 1, a main file 3, and a subfile 4 are connected through the entire file duplication control circuit 2. In FIG. The figure (width) is a conventional external storage device configuration shown for reference, and the external storage devices # (main file 3, sub file 4) are of the same rank and are treated as continuous files.

The file duplication control circuit 2 has a function selection mechanism and has a multi-file access function that handles conventional continuous files.

FIG. 2 shows the detailed configuration of the file duplication control circuit using a block diagram.

The file duplication control circuit 2 includes a function selection mechanism 21, a file duplication control circuit 22, a multi-file access mechanism 23, a statistical processing mechanism 24, a mutual monitoring mechanism 25, a mutual monitoring mechanism 26. It also includes a duplication access mechanism 221 and a bank-up playback mechanism 222, which are under the control of the file duplication control mechanism.

The functions of the file duplication control mechanism 22, multi-file access mechanism 23, and mutual saving mechanism 26 are alternative, and are selected by external settings within the function selection mechanism 21.

When the multi-file access mechanism 23 is selected, the external storage device treats the main file 3 and four subfiles as continuous files, similar to the conventional method. Main file 3 and sub file 4 are not limited to multi-file access, but also include regular files 31 and 41, statistical data files 32 and 42, and temporal data file 33.
．． However, in the case of multi-file access, the above-mentioned normal file is recorded continuously, and the above-mentioned statistical data file is recorded in the area of the main file as the statistical data of each file and the temporal data file.

The mutual saving mechanism 26 is a function for determining the lifespan of an external storage device based on statistical data and transferring the data to an alternative device. This is intended for quick file repair.

The file duplication control mechanism 22 is the main part of the present invention,
Divide multiple external storage devices into main file 3 and subfile 4, and store the main file for the data transferred from processing device 1.
It has the function of double-recording both sub-files and also double-recording statistical data and temporal data. The duplication access mechanism 221 under the control of the file duplication control mechanism 22 is responsible for duplex recording to the file. In addition, the file duplication control mechanism 22 responds to a data reproduction request from the processing device 1.
The backknap playback mechanism 222 under management is instructed to play back data from the main file.

In data recording, the duplex access mechanism 221H,
After recording the data in the main file, once returning a completion response to the upper file duplication control mechanism 22, the file duplication control mechanism 22 receives the calculated duplication address for the main file of the subfile, and the data recorded in the main file. The same data is also recorded in the subfile.

In data reproduction, the backup reproduction mechanism 221 normally reproduces all data from the main file and passes the data to the file duplication control mechanism 22. If an error occurs in the main file, the backup playback mechanism 221 passes error information to the statistical processing mechanism 24. After performing statistical processing on the error information, the statistical processing mechanism 24 passes through the entire file duplication control mechanism 22 to the duplication access mechanism 221.
0 function performs double recording of statistical data.

When this is completed, the back amplifier reproduction mechanism 222, which has been waiting for statistical processing, receives the duplication address from the file duplication control mechanism 22 and reproduces data from the subfile 3.

Duplex access mechanism 221, bank up playback mechanism 22
2. tZC predefined or trial main file 3. ? This is done for all 4 def. The number of retries is recorded in duplicate throughout the 24 minutes of the statistical processing mechanism.

When performing bank up playback 4, it will take more than twice as long as normal playback if the need arises; 22 and returns the termination response through ?22, and its function is independent of the processing device? Demonstrate.

The mutual monitoring mechanism 25 performs a cross-check between the main file 3 and the sub-file 4 during a time period when there is no request from the processing device, and if an error occurs, it corrects the sub-file 4 based on the main file 3. It is something to do. however,
If an error other than a collation error occurs in the main file 3, the entire main file 3 is corrected based on the data in the subfile 4.

In either case, errors that occur are reported to the main file 3. Duplicate recording is made in the VB file 4.

When the duplex access mechanism 221 or the mutual monitoring mechanism 25 is operating without a request from the processing device 1, if a request for data recording/reproduction occurs from the processing device 1, the function selection mechanism 21 will issue the instruction. is issued, each mechanism interrupts its operation, stores the address processed at that point in a time-lapse data file, and moves on to the processing requested by the processing device. When this processing is completed, processing ft, P+ is opened based on the time-lapse data file.

As described above, according to this embodiment, by using the file duplication control circuit, requests from the processing device are accepted preferentially, while free time is utilized to perform double recording of data and statistical processing. In addition, bank amplifier regeneration can be performed without the intervention of a processing device. Furthermore, statistical processing of failure details can be performed independently of the processing device, resulting in the effect that the burden on the processing device is significantly reduced. Specifically, microprogramming,
In contrast to LSI implementation, the hardware can be kept to a minimum (9), making it possible to construct a cheaper control circuit, and only requiring an external storage device configuration diagram for backup, reducing system costs. This has the effect of lowering the

As described above, by using the file duplication control circuit according to the present invention, (1) Duplicate recording of files (2) Backup playback from v files (3)
Periodic maintenance of data by mutual monitoring of main and subfiles (4) Mutual saving of data of main and subfiles is possible, and all control is performed within the control circuit, reducing the burden on the processing device can do.

Implementing such a control has the effect of providing an easy-to-maintain, highly reliable, and low-cost file backup system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an external storage device for explaining the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the components of a file duplexing circuit showing one embodiment of the present invention. ■...Processing device, 2...File duplication side circuit, 3...Main file, 4...Sub file,
21...Function selection mechanism, 22...File duplication control mechanism, 23...Multi-file access mechanism, 24
...Statistical processing mechanism, 25...Mutual monitoring mechanism, 26.
・・Mutual evacuation mechanism, 221...Duplicate access machine IL
222... Bank up playback mechanism, 31.41...
Normal file, 32.42... statistical data file,
33.43... Time-lapse data file. Agent Patent Attorney Akio Takahashi (11) Figure 1 (f2) Figure 12 (b)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a file control circuit that is interposed between the processing device and the external storage device and has a continuous file processing mechanism, the multiple external storage devices are divided into main files and subfiles and data transfer processing is performed. double record,
Backup playback from subfiles, regular maintenance of files by comparing data between main files and subfiles, mutual data backup of main files and subfiles 4
A file duplication control circuit characterized in that it is provided with a file duplication mechanism for performing the file duplication.