JPS621040A - Analyzing device for trouble of computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain rapidly and easily study of the cause of a trouble and the method to cope with this trouble by providing a means which fetches the trouble data on a computer itself and stores it in an external board within the computer, and an analyzing means for the trouble data. CONSTITUTION:An external board 2 consists of an LSI for RAM of comparatively small capacity backed up by a battery for storage of the trouble data and set at the outside of a personal computer 1. Thus the trouble data within the computer 1 is fetched immediately and automatically by the board 2 when a trouble occurs. The data stored in the board 2 can be transferred and stored in an auxiliary storage medium as necessary. Furthermore, the trouble data in the board 2 or the auxiliary storage medium is analyzed by an analyzing program of the computer 1 itself or another computer of the same type. Thus it is possible to detect early the factor of the trouble and to cope with the trouble.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Invention σ] Technical field of FA] The invention relates to an apparatus for analyzing the cause of a failure in a personal computer or the like. [Prior Art and its Problems] Currently 0) In the computer field, although personal computers are not called personal, their functionality is comparable to that of conventional small computers. Also, the fields in which it is applied include automated factories and data banks, etc.)
In such fields, it is often necessary to solve the problem 1 (a 1 m failure is a serious problem).By the way, as a means of analyzing this type of failure, conventional large or small In the computer tC'j6, when a failure occurs, a means for sucking up the necessary data stored in the computer (also referred to as failure data) σ] and a program for analyzing it are prepared. However, due to constraints such as cost (σ), the problem is that there is not yet a sufficient means for analyzing the causes (θ) when a failure occurs. There is. [Invention U] Purpose The present invention eliminates the problems in advance and makes it possible to discover the cause at an early stage when a failure occurs in a personal computer or the like. The purpose is to provide a low-cost failure analysis device. [Invention σ] Key points] The main point of this invention 0) is that the personal computer σ] external devices such as battery backup and relatively small capacity RAM LSI, etc., for storing failure data are connected to the board. When a failure occurs, the fault data in the computer is automatically sucked up into the external board, and this external data is transferred into the board as needed. Storage medium - This enables the data to be transferred and stored, and the failure data can be analyzed from the analysis program of the own computer or another computer of the same model. This will enable early detection and treatment of the cause of failure. In other words, the gist of the present invention is to provide a computer device equipped with a means (such as a CPU) for detecting the occurrence of a fault within the computer device, and a computer device provided on an external part of the computer device to detect the occurrence of a fault at least at the point in time when the fault occurs. In the computer device q) Storage means FC Stored data σ] Data necessary for analysis of the failure (hereinafter referred to as failure data)
an external storage means for storing the failure data, a data display means (such as a CRT) provided externally; A siphoning function section (hereinafter referred to as fault data siphoning means) is also provided internally, and reads the fault data stored in the external storage means and analyzes the fault data. or failure analysis/output means (such as a failure analysis program) for outputting necessary information based on the data to the data display means; 20th) Two storage means (external board, auxiliary storage medium, etc.) are provided, and the fault data siphoning means stores the fault data in the 1st θ) storage means after a fault has occurred; 1st σ] Storage means 1ζ The storage means 1ζ is provided with 0) means for storing the fault data stored in the 20th) storage means, and the fault analysis/output means includes the first or second storage means. This is to ensure that the system is equipped with a means to read fault data. [Invention θ] Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention 0 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. , FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 are diagrams explaining an example of a different failure analysis method 01. In each figure, numerals 4-0) indicate the same or corresponding parts. Figure 1-C, computer main unit 2.The external connection for data download is connected to the board 2.The external connection is connected to the board 21C. A byte memory buffer, buffer 2a, is prepared for rlC, and the contents of the buffer 2aσ] include an external memory backup means (such as a battery) inside the board 2 (not shown),
1a and 1b are so that the data is retained even after the power is turned off. 3b) is the main body lσ] externally attached to the auxiliary storage medium, 3a is the hard disk, 3
b is 70 tupidisk. Further, 5 (5a, 5b) is a data display means attached to the outside of the main body lθ), and 5a is a CRT display (also simply referred to as CR, T);
5b is a printer. computer body

[Inside 61 outside the figure o] The CPU detects an abnormality in the data downloading function section 1a.
When this happens: Automatic start-up is performed, fault data is transferred to the external board 2 (q), and system down etc. (θ) commands are issued to stop the operation of the main unit 11 and display an abnormality display. Here, the abnormality ζ detected by the nuclear CPU is as follows. Ct+ R, OM check result abnormality (e.g. power supply O
N time θ+, ROM read check result q) abnormal). (2) RAM check result (J) abnormality (for example, RA
When reading data from M and writing θ data to R and AM 0) Check result σ] Abnormal). f31 Abnormal interrupt entered in I10 section, (4) Occurrence of division with zero as divisor. (5) Overflow (01 digit fuzzy during calculation), (
6) Watchdog timer q] Timeout. (7) % no response when accessing common memory (bus lock)
, (8) When accessing the main storage area q) No response, (9)
q) No response when accessing outside the main memory area (for example, I10 area). (10) RAM included q) For error checking and correction (EC
(for C) rJ] RAMg write error, (11) LSI for four arithmetic operations (for example, 8087) 61 generates an operation error. In addition, the external board 21C is equipped with a push button (not shown in Figure 1).
q) The push button has the function of issuing a request to the computer to forcibly download data. It is possible to obtain data corresponding to fault data at any point in time. The faulty data that cannot be downloaded is the O8 (operating system) 0) work area, the common memory area that is required if a multiprocessor structure is used, and the user specified area that can be specified arbitrarily in three locations. This data is necessary for failure analysis among the data 72 that is included outside the area such as 64 bytes. It is something that is memorized, and it becomes a powerful material for analysis of the cause of failure σ.Next, from Figure 2 and the same sound from 3rd IL, the external board 2) explains the method of analyzing the stored data θ. do. Figure 2 shows that if the failed computer is reset or turned on again and returns to normal operation (for example, the initial setting program will work and the CRT 51c will display a normal screen). In this method, the failure analysis program 1b in the computer main unit 1 is started, and the external failure data is analyzed in the board 2.However, during the failure analysis, new If a failure occurs, 2) External data may be rewritten inside board 2 and the failure data may be rewritten. It is necessary to memorize it. Therefore, LL This feature is based on the failure analysis board and program tbt in the computer main body l, and the external data is stored and saved on the board 2 via the computer main body l to the auxiliary storage medium 3, that is, the hard disk 3a or floppy disk 3b. In this case, the failure data σ is analyzed by saving the failure data to the auxiliary storage medium 3 as described above, and then performing the analysis. This is the failure analysis method for the computer in which the failure q) has occurred. If it is determined that normal operation is impossible, then σ is the failure analysis method. In this case, only board 2 is connected externally (q).
Remove it from the computer, and remove it from the computer.
Other σ] Computer main body 1lI (Installation, q) Main body 1
Data analysis is performed via 1. External connection is inside board 2〕
The data is backed up by the internal batch IJ (not shown in Figure 1), so remove it from the computer main unit 1.
"L C also does not destroy data. Faulty data q) is stored in the computer main body 11 that can operate normally.
The external board 2 is installed, and the failure analysis program llb in the computer main body 11 is activated.This is how the failure data is analyzed. The failure analysis program is executed on the CRT display 5a.
Above, θ)% is performed in the form of interaction with the user, and the analysis q] and v) are executed by inputting the corresponding command U], respectively. Here, the failure analysis program q
) Analytical machine scolding hereafter has σ〕 and σ〕. (11 failure data (64 bytes) can be externally transferred from board 2 or auxiliary storage medium 3 to computer main unit or 11
'/) Function to load fault data onto main memory, (2:J Function to save fault data from main memory to auxiliary storage medium 3. (3) Function to output fault data to CRT display 5a. (4) Function to output fault data to printer 5b. Function to output to (5
) A function that analyzes the data in the O8 work area that is included in the fault data and displays the status of the computer just before the fault occurred. (6) A function that displays the date and hour of the fault σ] from the fault data. Users can investigate the cause of failure by using the above functions.
), and you can get clearer information for 1ζ
By outputting the information to the printer 5b, the information can also be stored. When a failure occurs in a personal computer using the above methods, it is possible to discover the cause early, and at the same time, it is possible to analyze the fault data on the computer where the failure occurred using a computer. . [Invention U] Effects] As is clear from the above description, this invention is based on the present invention. [Personal computer σ] When a failure occurs 0) In order to store the failure data q), as an inexpensive means, an external board with battery-backed RAM is installed and tC, to prevent fogging inside the personal computer. is a means to absorb its own failure data and store it on an external board,
A failure data analysis means is provided, and the failure data in the external RAM can be stored in the personal computer via its auxiliary storage medium. It becomes possible to perform analysis using other computers of the same model, and the reliability of the personal computer (q) is further improved, and the cause (σ) of a failure can be investigated and dealt with more quickly and easily.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of C as an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams explaining different methods of failure analysis q). t, it: computer main body, la, lla: data download function section, tb, ttb: failure analysis program, 2: external board, 2a: memory buffer, 3: auxiliary storage medium % 3a hard disk, 3b: Floppy disk, 5: Data display means, 5a: CR'1
"Display (c Il, 'l'), 5b: Printer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) A computer device equipped with means for detecting the occurrence of a failure within the computer device, and a computer device provided outside the computer device and stored in a storage means within the computer device at least at the time when the failure occurs. Among the data collected, the data necessary for analyzing the failure (hereinafter referred to as failure data)
an external storage means for storing the fault data, a data display means also provided externally, and a means provided inside the computer device for storing the fault data in the external storage means (hereinafter referred to as fault data siphoning means). , a fault analysis/output device, which is also provided internally, reads the fault data stored in the external storage means, analyzes the contents of the fault, and outputs the fault data or necessary information based on the data to the data display means. A computer failure analysis device comprising: means. 2) In the failure analysis device according to claim 1, the external storage means includes two storage means, a first and a second storage means, and the failure data extraction means is configured to read the failure data after a failure occurs. means for storing the fault data in the first storage means; and means for transferring and storing the fault data once stored in the first storage means to the second storage means; A failure analysis device for a computer, characterized in that the means comprises means for reading failure data from the first or second storage means.