KR20000076468A - Expansion unit for information processing system, information processing system mountable on expansion unit, and presence management method of information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To manage the configuration changes of the client consisting of a combination of notebook PCs and expansion units.

When the notebook PC 100 is docked in the expansion unit 200, it sends a docking message to the server 500 that retains both identifiers (UUID), and then undockes that retain one identifier when the notebook PC is removed. Send a message to the server. Next, when the security key 213 of the expansion unit is locked, a PLA link start message and a physical link alert (PLA) message holding one identifier are transmitted to the server to notify the monitor start of the PLA message. When the notebook PC is removed during this monitor, a fraud removal message holding one identifier is sent to the server to explicitly notify the fraud removal of the notebook PC. Then, when the security key is unlocked, a PLA transmission end message holding one identifier is sent to the server to notify the monitor end of the PLA message.

The expansion unit is equipped with an alarm indicator 212 for indicating the management status of the notebook PC in response to the transmission of the docking / undocking / PLA / negative removal message.

Description

EXPANSION UNIT FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM MOUNTABLE ON EXPANSION UNIT, AND PRESENCE MANAGEMENT METHOD OF INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a combination of a notebook type personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a "notebook PC") used as a client in a client / server system and an expansion unit (e.g., a docking station or a port replicator) for extending its function. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combination of a notebook PC and an expansion unit corresponding to a network alarm function such as an Alert on LAN (AOL) function.

One technique aimed at reducing the total cost of a computer system, that is, the total cost of ownership (TCO), is the AOL function. This AOL feature is a solution for managing networked computers. It is the latest hardware and software technology jointly developed by IBM and Intel, and is already being implemented in desktop PCs such as the "IBM PC300PL" available from IBM. There is also a "IBM 16/4 Token-Ring PCI Adapter 2 with Wake on LAN" (34L0701), which is available from IBM as a network adapter that realizes AOL functionality. General information on the AOL feature is available from the WWW site at "http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/infobrf/alert/html".

Referring to FIG. 1, the AOL function refers to a case where an abnormal state occurs in a client (in this example, a desktop PC; 100) connected to a remote management server 500 through a network 400 such as a LAN. The state is notified to the management server 500 via the network 400 in a prescribed form called " alarm packet ". The items managed by the AOL function include the environmental state of the client 300, security, and the state of various software in operation.

Among these matters, for example, the following functions have already been realized for security in the client 300.

(1) intrusion alarm into the chassis;

(2) Alert of CPU Missing;

(3) confirming or managing the existence of the client 300 according to the physical link alert (hereinafter, abbreviated as "PLA") message; And

(4) network cable disconnection alarm.

In general, the present invention is directed to the above function (3) for managing the presence of the client 300 via the network 400. The conventional method applied to the client 300 having the form of a desktop PC in order to realize this function will be described below.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a main part of a configuration related to the AOL function among the configurations of a client (desktop PC) 300 to be managed by the management server 500. The client 300 has a PCI bus 320 for supporting the network adapter 310. In addition, the network adapter 310 is provided with the following components as the main means for realizing the AOL function.

Network controller 312;

AOL-ASIC (specific application IC; 314); And

EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Writeable ROM; 316).

Network controller (312)

For example, an Ethernet controller can be used.

The AOL-ASIC 314 consists of a register set connected to the SM (System Management) bus 118. For example, when a write is made to a specific register under the control of a predetermined message transmission processing instruction, the AOL-ASIC 314 generates a message accordingly. It is configured to. In another aspect, the AOL-ASIC 314 is driven by a reset signal that occurs when the auxiliary power is turned on (to always power a predetermined component including the network adapter 310) without intervening the main CPU. From the EEPROM 316, the PLA 300 that holds this UUID (more precisely PLA and Alert packet holding the UUID of the client 300] periodically to the client 300 at a unique interval on the network 400 to notify the management server 500 of the status in the client 300. .

As the south bridge 330, for example, an Intel PCI-ISA bridge chip "PIXX4E" can be used. As is well known in the art, this bridge chip is a PCI-ISA bridge for connecting ISA type resources, an IDE controller for driving HDDs and CD-ROM drives, and an SM bus for performing various system management operations. (118) SM, for controlling a bus that is functionally equivalent to a "Smart Battery" bus that transmits information such as temperature, voltage, current, etc., in accordance with the specification of the intelligence for notebook PC batteries formulated by Intel and other battery makers. The configuration includes a bus controller, power management logic for controlling the power mode, and the like.

"PME #" is, for example, when a PCI device such as the network adapter 310 connected to the PCI bus 320 receives a signal from the outside, the power management event for the South Bridge 330 (Power Management Event). Signal line to notify the occurrence of

Next, an example of managing the existence of the client 300 using the PLA message transmitted from the client 300 to the network 400 will be described.

The management server 500 monitors the existence confirmation of the client 300 by separating, recognizing, and processing the PLA message from the client 300. Each client 300 sends a PLA message at its own interval. In addition, since all the clients 300 under the management of the management server 500 do not normally transmit the PLA message, the management server 500 determines the timing at which each client 300 does not transmit the PLA message and the PLA message. Three command messages are defined in the following. The client presence checking monitor on the management server 500 is adapted to monitor the PLA message from each client 300 using these command messages sent from each client 300.

Command message Justice PLA_START This PLA transmission initiation message indicates that a PLA message from the client is to be initiated. The rate of the PLA message is stored in the lower 8 bits of this PLA transmission start message. PLA_CHANGE This PLA update message indicates that the client's PLA message has been updated. The rate of the updated PLA message is stored in the lower 8 bits of this PLA update message. PLA_STOP This PLA transmission end message indicates that the PLA message from the client intends to be indicated.

As a result, the client presence checking monitor monitors the PLA messages of all the clients 300 registered by these command messages, so that if the PLA message of any client 300 does not arrive between three PLA intervals, the clients The latest information such as the identifier (UUID) of the 300, the computer address, the machine status (for example, the loss of the PLA message) can be recorded, and a corresponding alert packet can be generated and notified to the system or network administrator.

The prior art method presupposes that the client 300 to be managed and the network adapter 310 corresponding to the notification means are always integrated in order to confirm the existence of the client 300 only depending on the presence of the PLA message. It is designed as. That is, the identifier (UUID) of the client 300 held by the PLA message identifies the client 300 and its network adapter 310 as one, and each of them cannot be independently identified as a separate unit.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, when the client 300 is configured by freely combining the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 that can be separated from each other, the management server 500 existing in the remote is connected to the notebook PC ( 100) and the dynamic configuration change (combination change) of the expansion unit 200 cannot be grasped properly. This means that the goal of the AOL function regarding the presence management of the client 300 cannot be realized at all.

In addition, since the prior art scheme checks the existence of the client 300 connected to the network 400 only depending on the presence of the PLA message, when the notebook PC 100 is mounted on the expansion unit 200 (dock) Management server 500 is not able to specifically recognize whether or not it has been removed (undocked) from the expansion unit 200, and even if the PLA message does not arrive at the management server 500, it is a notebook PC itself. There was a problem that 100 did not indicate that it was not mounted on the expansion unit 200 (see lower left portion of FIG. 3). That is, the main component may be disconnected from the network cable connected to the network adapter in the expansion unit 200, the notebook PC 100 may fall from the expansion unit 200, or the AC adapter of the expansion unit 200 may be disconnected from the power outlet for commercial use. This is because the PLA message may not finally arrive at the management server 500 even when the auxiliary power for always feeding power is turned off.

In addition, in the prior art method, when the PLA message is cut off, it is not possible to determine whether the notebook PC 100 is stolen or whether the user normally removes the notebook PC 100 from the expansion unit 200 and carries it. That is, the prior art method only results in that the PLA message is useful only for the notebook PC 100 which is not used in a portable manner.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is configurable from an unspecified combination of a notebook PC and an expansion unit portable by a client to be managed, and furthermore, a notebook PC and an expansion unit in a system environment in which both the notebook PC and the expansion unit can be managed. It is to realize security management of notebook PCs and expansion units or management of configuration changes to reduce TCO without sacrificing convenience.

It is another object of the present invention to transmit a mounting message to the remote management server, which stores the identifier of the notebook PC and the identifier of the expansion unit, when the notebook PC is mounted on the expansion unit, to which network the notebook PC is mounted. It is to make it easy for an administrator to grasp. That is, rather than knowing the mounting relationship of these units, the network administrator checks the fixed location of the expansion units registered in advance on the management server, and knows where the notebook PC is currently present, I am interested in taking action (for example, anti-theft).

Another object of the present invention is to know when the notebook PC is mounted or removed by immediately sending a mounting message or a removal message corresponding to the state to the management server when the notebook PC is mounted on or removed from the expansion unit. This is to ensure that the management server always checks correctly.

Another object of the present invention is that even when the notebook PC is locked in the expansion unit, when a malicious third party forcibly removes the notebook PC from the expansion unit without releasing this lock, a negative removal message corresponding to the state is generated. It is sent immediately to the management server so that the notebook PC can timely check the possible illegal removal status (e.g., theft status).

Another object of the present invention is to periodically transmit the PLA message to the management server only at a predetermined interval when the notebook PC is locked in the expansion unit, and terminate the transmission of the PLA message when the notebook PC is unlocked. In other words, when the notebook PC is locked, the removal of the notebook PC is detected, and when unlocked, the notebook PC is removed from the expansion unit so that it can be recognized as a legitimate removal.

Another object of the present invention is to indicate to a user of the notebook PC what management state the notebook PC is in accordance with the transmission of each of the above messages.

In order to achieve the above object, a basic aspect of the present invention is a client is configured by mounting a portable information processing system to an expansion unit, the expansion unit is a network controller for transmitting and receiving each message with a remote management server via a network, and expansion A client / server system provided with first storage means for nonvolatile storage of identifier data of a unit, and network alert control means for transmitting a predetermined message to a management server via a network controller and a network.

(a) when the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit, receives its identifier data from the information processing system, and stores it non-volatile in the second storage means in the expansion unit directly readable by the network alarm control means,

(b) when the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit, forming a mounting message holding both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system, and sending the mounting message via the network controller and the network. It aims to perform existence management of an information processing system by transmitting to a management server.

Here, the terms " mounting " and simply " removing " in each claim correspond to " docking " and " undocking " in the embodiments of the present invention, and the term " network alarm control means " is an embodiment of the present invention. Note that "Dock CPU" and "AOL-ASIC" correspond to a combination.

The second aspect of the present invention forms a removal message which holds both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system when the information processing system is properly removed, and the network controller sends the removal message to the network controller. And transmitting to the management server via the network.

The third aspect of the present invention provides the identifier data of the expansion unit and the information processing system to notify the management server that the information processing system is locked in the expansion unit when the security key means in the expansion unit is set to the locked position. It aims to form a physical link alert (PLA) message holding both or one side of the identifier data, and to periodically transmit the PLA message to the management server via the network controller and the network.

The fourth aspect of the present invention provides the identifier data of the expansion unit and the information processing system to notify the management server that the monitoring of the PLA message should be started when transmission of the PLA message is started while the information processing system is locked. It aims to form the PLA transmission start message which holds both or one of identifier data, and to transmit the said PLA transmission start message to a management server via the said network controller and a network.

The fifth aspect of the present invention provides the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system to notify the management server of the illegal removal state of the information processing system when the information processing system is removed after the PLA transmission start message is transmitted. It forms an illegal removal message holding both or one side of the message, and transmits the illegal removal message to the management server via the network controller and the network.

The sixth aspect of the present invention provides both the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system to notify the management server that the monitoring of the PLA message should be terminated when the information processing system is unlocked. Alternatively, a PLA transmission end message having one side is formed, and the PLA transmission end message is transmitted to the management server via the network controller and the network.

A seventh aspect of the present invention provides an extension for an information processing system having display means for indicating in which management state the mounted information processing system is in response to transmission of a mounting message, a removal message, a PLA message or a fraudulent removal message. The unit is aimed at.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system mountable on an expansion unit for an information processing system suitable for use in any one of the above aspects, comprising: storage means for nonvolatile storage of identifier data of the information processing system, and an information processing system. When attached to this expansion unit, the information processing system is directed so that the identifier data of the information processing system from the storage means is recorded in the storage means in the expansion unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a conventional AOL (Alert on LAN) function implemented as a management target for a client made of a desktop PC.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating main parts of a configuration related to the AOL function in the configuration of a conventional desktop PC.

3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a conventional AOL function realized as a management target of a client composed of a combination of a notebook PC and an expansion unit.

4 is a diagram schematically showing a hardware configuration of a notebook PC according to the present invention.

5 schematically shows the hardware configuration of the expansion unit according to the invention.

6 illustrates circuitry for detecting whether a notebook PC is docked to or undocked from an expansion unit.

Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of the alarm indicator and security key installed on the expansion unit.

8 is an enlarged view of the security key illustrating the rotationally switchable lock position and unlock position.

9 is a schematic representation of the overall hardware configuration of a client consisting of a combination of a notebook PC and an expansion unit in accordance with the present invention.

10 is a generalization of each field of an alert packet used to transmit a particular message.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation sequence for performing presence management of a client consisting of a combination of a notebook PC and an expansion unit.

12 is a flowchart illustrating a processing sequence of a docking message at the management server.

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating an entry of a place location table installed in the management server.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

11: CPU

13: North Bridge

14: Main memory

15: L2-cache

17: ROM

19: South Bridge

20: Video Controller

21: VRAM

22: LCD

23: Cardbus controller

24: card slot

25: IDE HDD

26: IDE CD-ROM

30: I / O Controller

31: FDD

34: KMC

35: keyboard

36: track point

37: Audio CODEC

39: EEPROM

40: Sub CPU

60: PCI-PCI Bridge

70: DC / DC

150: docking connector

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A. Hardware Configuration of Notebook PC

4 schematically shows a hardware configuration of the notebook PC 100 according to the present invention. The notebook PC 100 has a hardware configuration substantially similar to that of the notebook PC disclosed in FIG. 1 of, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 9-239977 (Applicant No. JA9-97-162), and the same configuration as the latter. The same reference numerals are assigned to the elements, respectively. Hereinafter, the main components of the notebook PC 100 according to the present invention will be described.

The CPU 11, which is the main controller of the notebook PC 100, executes various programs under the control of the OS. The CPU 11 is made of, for example, the CPU chip "Pentium II" of Intel Corporation, and has a processor bus 12 directly connected to its external pin, a PCI bus 16 as a local bus, and an ISA bus 18 as a system bus. Each of the hardware components described later is connected to each other through a three-layer bus.

The processor bus 12 and the PCI bus 16 are connected by the north bridge 13. The north bridge 13 corresponds to a host PCI bridge chip, also referred to as a "system controller," and as known in the art, the memory controller for controlling the access operation to the main memory 14, to the L2 cache 15. A cache controller for controlling access operations, a programmable interrupt controller (PIC) for executing a predetermined program (interrupt handler) in response to an interrupt request (IRQ) from a peripheral device, a processor bus 12 and a PCI bus 16 A data buffer or the like for absorbing the difference in data transfer rate between the two devices is included.

The bridge circuit (PCI-PCI bridge) 60 is for connecting the secondary PCI buses to each other downstream of the PCI bus (primary PCI bus) 16. The secondary side PCI bus is prepared inside the expansion unit 200 (FIG. 5) connected via the docking connector 150. As shown in FIG. In addition, when the PCI bus is not connected downstream, the bridge circuit 60 attenuates each PCI bus signal to approximately the termination.

The PCI bus 16 and the ISA bus 18 are connected to each other by the south bridge 19. This south bridge 19 is substantially equivalent to the south bridge 330 of FIG. 2, and as known in the art, a hard disk drive (HDD; 25) and a CD-ROM drive compliant with the IDE standard in addition to the PCI-ISA bridge. IDE controller for driving 26, a USB controller for connecting a universal serial bus (USB) via a USB port 27, and used to perform various system management operations in the notebook PC 100. The SM bus controller for controlling the SM bus 38 and the notebook PC 100 in accordance with the occurrence of a power management event notified via the aforementioned "PME #" signal line (not shown) from each PCI device in the notebook PC 100. Is a configuration including power management logic for controlling the power mode.

The ROM 17 connected to the ISA bus 18 is a code group (BIOS) that controls input / output operations of hardware such as a keyboard 35 or a floppy disk drive (FDD; 31), or a self-diagnosis test at power-on. Non-volatile memory for permanent storage of firmware such as programs.

The notebook PC 100 of the present invention is substantially different from the notebook PC disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application No. 9-239977, which is an identifier of the SM bus 38 and the notebook PC 100 independent of the PCI bus 16. The EEPROM 39 that stores the UUID and the sub CPU 40 that operate independently of the main CPU 11 are provided.

The SM bus 38 is a bus that is functionally equivalent to the SM bus 118 of FIG. 2 and extends from the SM bus controller (not shown) in the south bridge 19 to the docking connector 150. In addition to the sensors equivalent to the temperature sensor and the voltage sensor of FIG. 2, the SM bus 38 includes a sub-CPU 40 for monitoring these sensors or for managing charge of an internal battery (not shown). ) Is connected. The fact that the SM bus 38 is provided does not use a normal bus connection controlled by the operation of the CPU 11 or each bridge chip to realize the AOL function, but is connected by the independent SM bus 38. This is because it is necessary to communicate with the network adapter 210 (FIG. 5) in the expansion unit 200 by using.

The EEPROM 39 is used for non-volatile storage of the UUID of the notebook PC 100 in addition to information essential to the security / safety of the notebook PC 100 such as system configuration information (BIOS setting values) and power-on password. .

The sub CPU 40 is always powered by the auxiliary power supply (described later) while the notebook PC 100 is docked to the expansion unit 200 and the network adapter 210 in the EEPROM 39 and the expansion unit 200. The SM bus 38 is used for communication with. That is, the sub-CPU 40 is a notebook PC when a predetermined command is issued from the DockCPU 211 (FIG. 5) in the expansion unit 200 via the SM bus 38 in accordance with the detection result of the docking state of the notebook PC 100 or the notebook PC. Read the UUID of the notebook PC 100 from the EEPROM 39 when the POST program is executed within the 100, and the UUID is read from the network adapter [210] in the expansion unit 200 via the SM bus 38; Specifically, EEPROM 916 of FIG. 9 is recorded. In this case, recording is performed by the UUID of the notebook PC 100 and the network adapter [210; Specifically, it is preferable to perform on condition that UUIDs in EEPROM 916 of FIG. 9 do not mutually match.

The DC inlet 71 is a jack for mounting an AC adapter that converts external AC power to DC voltage. The DC / DC converter 70 performs step-down stabilization of the external DC power supply voltage received via the DC inlet 71 or the docking connector 150 to feed power to the respective portions of the notebook PC 100. When electric power is received from the expansion unit 200 side, it is input to the DC / DC converter 70 via the power line 70a.

As shown, each bus signal of PCI bus 16, SM bus 38, other port signals 20a, 30a, 30b, etc., and power line 70a are assigned to each connector pin of docking connector 150. It is. The docking connector 150 coincides with the docking connector 250 on the expansion unit 200 side with electrical and mechanical specifications. When the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 are combined, each bus signal of the PCI bus 16 and the SM bus 38 on the notebook PC 100 side, other port signals 20a, 30a, 30b, etc. It is deployed on the expansion unit 200 side.

In addition, the broken line Q-Q 'in FIG. 4 image the back part of the notebook PC 100. As shown in FIG. The notebook PC 100 is bonded to the expansion unit 200 at the docking connector 150 of the back portion. As a result of joining in the back portion, each port 51, 52, 53, etc. disposed on the back surface are concealed by the casing of the expansion unit 200 and become unusable. However, since each external attachment device is prepared by the port substitute function of the expansion unit 200, there is no problem.

In order to configure the notebook PC 100, many electric circuits and the like are required in addition to those shown in FIG. However, since these are well known to those skilled in the art and do not constitute the gist of the present invention, they are omitted between the present specification. In addition, in order to avoid the appearance of drawing, only some connection between each hardware component is shown in drawing.

B. Hardware Configuration of Expansion Unit

5 schematically shows a hardware configuration of the expansion unit 200 according to the present invention. The expansion unit 200 has a hardware configuration similar to that of the expansion unit disclosed in FIG. 2 of the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application No. 9-239977, and the same reference numerals are attached to the same configuration as the latter. Hereinafter, the main components of the expansion unit 200 concerning this invention are demonstrated.

Since the expansion unit 200 is equipped with the network adapter 210, the user can enjoy a network environment (for example, an Ethernet or a token ring LAN or another network method) by simply docking the notebook PC 100. Can be. The network adapter 210 in this embodiment, like the network adapter 310 of FIG. 2, has an AOL function and is mounted in the PCI bus slot 216A provided at the end of the secondary side PCI bus 216. The network adapter 210 is always in operation by the auxiliary power supply in the expansion unit 200 and is configured to transmit an alert packet via the network 400, but the details of the operation are shown in FIGS. 9 to 13 and Table 1. Will be described later.

Generally speaking, the DockCPU 211 is a main controller that manages the operation of each component in the expansion unit 200. The DockCPU 211 incorporates a RAM used as a work area, a ROM for storing executable program code (firmware), and the like (not shown). DockCPU 211 is, for example, an alarm indicator 212 for indicating what managed state the docked Notebook PC 100 is in, and a security key 213 for mechanically inhibiting / allowing removal of the Notebook PC 100. And a beeper 214 for generating an operational warning sound.

When some functions are established, the DockCPU 211 of this embodiment detects the docking state of the notebook PC 100 and the switching state of the security key 213, and issues predetermined message transmission processing instructions in response to these detection states. Network adapter via SM bus 238; Issued by the AOL-ASIC 914 of FIG. 9, the network adapter 210; Specifically, a predetermined alert packet is transmitted on the network 400 via the network controller 912 of FIG. 9.

In this regard, FIG. 6 shows a simple circuit for detecting whether the notebook PC 100 is docked in the expansion unit 200 at a specific pin on the docking connectors 150, 250 and generating a DOCKED # signal. Is illustrated. As shown, the DOCKED # signal is pulled down on the notebook PC 100 side, while the DOCKED # signal is pulled up on the expansion unit 200 side, and therefore, the expansion unit 200 is in the docked state of the notebook PC 100. Side DOCKED # signal indicates ACTIVE_LOW.

The DockCPU 211 reads the UUID of the PC notebook 100 from the EEPROM 39 of FIG. 4 by issuing a predetermined command via the SM buses 238 and 38 in response to this DOCKED # signal indicating the docking state. , This UUID is the network adapter [210; Specifically, provided that the UUID is not the same as the UUID in the EEPROM 916 of FIG. 9, the UUID is assigned to a network adapter 210; Specifically, EEPROM 916 of FIG. 9 can be recorded.

Using the circuit of FIG. 6, the undocking state of the notebook PC 100 can be detected similarly based on the UNDOCKED # signal (inverted signal of the DOCKED # signal).

The upper right end of the expansion unit 200 of FIG. 7 is provided with an alarm indicator 212 for displaying the management state of the notebook PC 100 in response to the transmission of a predetermined message (to be described later).

7 and 8 also show a security key 213 that is rotatable switchable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The locked position is a key position for prohibiting unauthorized removal or removal (eg, theft) of the docked notebook PC 100, and the unlocked position releases the locked state of the notebook PC 100 to enable the undocking. Is the key position. The switching operation of the security key 213 is mechanically transmitted to each part of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 through a predetermined mechanism (not shown) in order to perform the lock / unlock operation. Electronic components such as switches (not shown) may be electrically delivered to the DockCPU 211.

Returning to Fig. 5, the explanation will continue. According to the present invention, the EEPROM 215 is connected to the SM bus 238 on the secondary side provided in the expansion unit 200. The EEPROM 215 is a UUID of the expansion unit 200 itself, as well as information essential to security / safety at the time of incorporation and separation with the notebook PC 100, such as a manufacturing number, a user password, and system configuration information of the expansion unit 200. It is used to store the initial value of the network adapter 210 (for example, a value indicating the length of the interval of the PLA message) non-volatile. The contents of the EEPROM 215 can be referenced from the DockCPU 211 or the notebook PC 100 side.

The DC / DC converter 272 is a device for stepping down and stabilizing an external DC voltage input through the DC inlet 271, thereby distributing power to components in the expansion unit 200 and the notebook PC 100. The DC inlet 271 is equipped with an AC adapter that converts an AC voltage of a commercial power supply into a DC voltage. The DC / DC converter 272 of the present embodiment includes the sub-CPU 40 in the notebook PC 100, the DockCPU 211 in the expansion unit 200, and the network even when the expansion unit 200 and the notebook PC 100 are powered off. An auxiliary power source for always feeding power to components such as the adapter 210 is included.

In addition, in order to prevent the expansion unit 200 from being removed without permission, the expansion unit 200 may be fixed by using a commercially available antitheft device that includes, for example, a metal cable with a lock device and a key. For example, it is preferable to couple to a desk).

C. System and Packet Configuration for Realizing Client Existence Management

9 schematically shows the overall configuration of the client 300 which is a combination of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, the network adapter 210 has substantially the same configuration as the network adapter 310 of FIG. 2 except that the EEPROM 916 therein holds the UUID of the notebook PC 100. Have

This EEPROM 916 includes the UUID from the notebook PC 100 when the notebook PC 100 is docked to the expansion unit 200 or when the POST program is executed in the notebook PC 100. The UUIDs of the notebook PC 100 stored in (39, 916) do not coincide with each other]. Therefore, the UUID of the notebook PC 100 held in each message (to be described later) to be transmitted via the network 400 needs to be stored in a place where the AOL-ASIC 914 is directly readable, that is, the EEPROM 916. Because. In other words, even when the notebook PC 100 is undocked and the EEPROM 39 is inaccessible, the UUID of the notebook PC 100 can be read from the EEPROM 916 and used.

The auxiliary power source in the DC / DC converter 272 is the DockCPU 211 of the sub CPU 40 and the expansion unit 200 in the notebook PC 100 even when the main power of each of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 is turned off. ) And the network adapter 210.

In Fig. 10, each field of an alert packet used to transmit a specific message in the present embodiment is shown in general. In addition, Table 1 schematically shows the contents of each field (except fields 1010 and 1040) as components of this alert packet.

TABLE 1

Packet construction of specific messages

Field Name Message Name PLA / Events / Commands (1020) Alert ID (1030) UUID # 1 (1050) UUID # 2 (1060) Message type (1070) Dock event Dock UUID of the notebook PC UUID of the expansion unit DOCK Undocking event Dock UUID of the notebook PC N / A UNDOCK PLA PLA N / A UUID of the notebook PC N / A N / A Start sending PLA Command N / A UUID of the notebook PC N / A PLA_START End PLA sending Command N / A UUID of the notebook PC N / A PLA_STOP Cheating event Security UUID of the notebook PC N / A MRD

Note: The symbol "N / A" means "not applicable".

The field 1010 for holding the network header according to the network topology and the field 1040 for holding alarm data indicating the detailed information of the event itself are not sufficient to constitute the gist of the present invention, and thus description thereof is omitted. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10 and Table 1, the function of each other field is outlined.

(1) PLA / Event / Command

This field 1020 holds a plurality of bits to indicate whether the alert packet is to be used to transmit a PLA message, an event message or a command message. As shown in [Table 1], when each of the docking, undocking, and fraud removal messages is transmitted, "Event" is indicated in this field 1020, "PLA" for the PLA message, and PLA transmission start message. And "command" can be indicated for each of the PLA transmission end message.

(2) Alarm ID:

This field 1030 holds a plurality of bits for indicating the general type of the event notified by the alarm packet. There are various types of events such as OS hang, docking, voltage drop, security, and the like, but events such as OS hang and voltage drop do not constitute the gist of the present invention. Therefore, in Table 1, only the "dock" associated with docking and undocking messages and the "security" related to a fraud removal message are shown as the alarm ID shown in this field 1030.

Since each of the PLA message, the PLA transmission start message, and the PLA transmission end message does not hold information related to a specific event, an alarm ID is not displayed in each field 1030.

(3) UUID # 1:

This field 1050 holds the UUID of notebook PC 100 read from EEPROM 916 in network adapter 210.

Among the plurality of messages shown in Table 1, other messages except the docking message can hold both the UUID of the notebook PC 100 and the UUID of the expansion unit 200 in respective fields 1050 and 1060. However, it does not have to be the same. This is because the corresponding relationship between the notebook PC 100 and the UUID of the expansion unit 200 can be established on the management server 500 side by the docking message transmitted first (to be described later). In this embodiment, the other message assumes that only the UUID of the notebook PC 100 is retained in the field 1050, respectively.

Also, as another alternative method related to the docking message, if there is sufficient network header information (eg, IP address information) in the field 1010 to identify the expansion unit 200, the field 1050 of the docking message may be stored. It may not be necessary to hold the UUID of the expansion unit 200.

(4) UUID # 2:

This field 1060 holds the UUID of the expansion unit 200 read from the EEPROM 215.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the UUID of the expansion unit 200 is retained only in the docking message among the plurality of messages shown in Table 1 (described above).

(5) Message type:

This field 1070 indicates any of the types of the docking message DOCK and the undocking message UNDOCK and the negation elimination message MRD described later, in addition to the command messages PLA_START, PLA_CHANGE and PLA_STOP.

D. Operation Sequence for Realizing Client Existence Management

In the above, the hardware and packet structure suitable for implementing this invention are demonstrated. Hereinafter, an operation sequence for realizing the AOL function according to the existence management of the client 300 formed by the combination of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 will be described.

11 shows such an operation sequence in the form of a flowchart. Hereinafter, the operation sequence of existence management is demonstrated mainly with reference to FIG. 9 and FIGS. 11-13.

First, the DockCPU 211 determines whether or not the notebook PC 100 is docked based on the DOCKED # signal generated in the circuit of FIG. 6 (step 1110). If the result is NO, the process returns to this step.

Otherwise, the DockCPU 211 repeatedly and unilaterally transmits a docking message on the network 400 over a predetermined number of times (eg, three times) indicating that the notebook PC 100 is docked under its control. (Step 1112).

As described above, the one-way transmission of each message except the PLA message is performed because the collision or contention caused by the various signals on the network 400 is reduced. If the management server 500 receives each message only once, the processing is completed. Otherwise, the management server 500 detects any abnormality on the client 300 side through the inability to receive each message between predetermined intervals. However, since these matters do not constitute the gist of the present invention, the description thereof will be omitted below to simplify the description of the specification and the drawings.

Specifically, when a predetermined command is issued from the DockCPU 211 via the SM bus 38 in accordance with the detection result of the docking state of the notebook PC 100, the sub CPU 40 resets the UUID of the notebook PC 100 by EEPROM. In addition to reading from 39, the UUID is recorded in the EEPROM 916 via the SM buses 38 and 238 in accordance with the above-described conditions. In addition, the DockCPU 211 records the UUID of the expansion unit 200 held in the EEPROM 215 to the AOL-ASIC 914, and is predetermined for the AOL-ASIC 914 via the SM bus 238. Issue a message transmission processing instruction. In that case, the AOL-ASIC 914 forms a docking message holding both UUIDs and sends it to the management server 400 via the network 400. However, in order to simplify the description of the specification and the drawings, this operation will generally be described in the form of "DockCPU 211 transmits a message under its control".

12 schematically illustrates a processing sequence of a docking message in the management server 500. When the management server 500 receives the packet (step 1210), it determines whether the packet is an alert packet (step 1212). If so, the management server 500 determines whether the packet is a docking message (step 1214). If the result is YES, the management server 500 uses the UUID of the expansion unit 200 held in this docking message, While referring to the location table 1300, the location table 1300 is updated using the UUID of the notebook PC 100 held in this docking message (step 1216).

To illustrate the operation of step 1216, if the UUID of the expansion unit 200 is equal to "1234", the management server 500 accesses the first row of the location table 1300 and intersects with the first row. The UUID "XXXX" of the notebook PC 100 held in the docking message is recorded in the third column 1330. In this case, the management server 500 refers to the location table 1300 as necessary, whereby the notebook PC 100 is connected to the network 400 and the notebook PC 100 is referred to as "B5 building, North". It can be easily recognized that the docked to the expansion unit 200 is fixed to the "South block".

In this case, time stamp information indicating the transmission time is retained in each message including the docking message, or the management server 500 generates time stamp information indicating the reception time of the message, and the time stamp information. Is recorded in the location table 1300 in association with the UUIDs of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200, the management server 500 records the occurrence time of the corresponding event (docking, undocking, etc.). You can always check accurately.

Returning to Fig. 11, the explanation is continued. After transmission of the docking message (step 1112), the DockCPU 211 sets the alarm indicator 213 to an unprotected state and indicates that the notebook PC 100 is docked and notifies the management server 500 of the docking state. (Step 1114). During this unprotected state, the user of the notebook PC 100 can undocked the notebook PC 100 which is docked for carrying or maintenance work.

Next, the DockCPU 211 determines whether or not the notebook PC 100 is undocked based on the UNDOCKED # signal generated from the circuit of FIG. 6 (step 1116). If the result is YES, the DockCPU 211 transmits an undocking message indicating that the notebook PC 100 is undocked under the control (step 1118). After transmission of the undocking message, the DockCPU 211 turns off the display contents of the alarm indicator 213 set to the unprotected state between step 1114 so that the docking state of the notebook PC 100 is notified to the management server 500. Is displayed (step 1120). The process then returns to step 1110.

As described with reference to FIG. 10 and Table 1, the undocking message of this embodiment does not need to hold both the UUIDs of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200, and only shows the UUIDs of the notebook PC 100. FIG. It is good to hold in the field 1050 of ten. This is because the corresponding relationship between the UUIDs of the notebook PC 100 and the expansion unit 200 in the management server 500 side (for example, the location table 1300 in FIG. 13) is transmitted by the docking message transmitted first. Is already established.

When the management server 500 receives the undocking message, the management server 500 uses the UUID of the notebook PC held in the message as a key, and deletes the entry in the third column of the location table 1300 (Fig. 13) corresponding thereto. It is to show the undocking state of the notebook PC (100). In this undocking state, even if the user removes the notebook PC 100 from the expansion unit 200, this is not recognized as an illegal removal.

Returning to Fig. 11, the explanation is continued. If the result of step 1116 is NO, the DockCPU 211 detects the position of the security key 213 (Fig. 8), and determines whether or not the notebook PC 100 is locked (step 1122). If the result is NO, the process returns to step 1116.

Otherwise, the DockCPU 211 periodically transmits a PLA message indicating that the notebook PC 100 is locked under the control on the network 400 at a constant interval inherent to the expansion unit 200 (step 1124). In order to determine this interval, the initial value (previous) stored in the EEPROM 215 may be recorded in the interval setting register in the AOL-ASIC 914.

After transmission of the PLA message, the DockCPU 211 transmits a PLA transmission start message for notifying that the monitoring of this PLA message should be started under its control (step 1126).

As such, transmitting the PLA transmission initiation message after actually starting the transmission of the PLA message means that if there is any conflict on the network 400, the transmission of the PLA transmission initiation message is Delay, because other events may occur in the meantime. In contrast, when the transmission of the PLA message is terminated, the PLA transmission end message may be transmitted before the actual transmission ends.

After step 1126, the DockCPU 211 sets the alarm indicator 213 in a protected state, thereby completing a notification to the management server 500 that the notebook PC 100 is docked in the expansion unit 200 and locked there. Is displayed (step 1128).

Next, the DockCPU 211 determines whether or not the notebook PC 100 in the protected state is undocked using the UNDOCKED # signal generated from the circuit of FIG. 6 (step 1130). If the result is NO, the DockCPU 211 detects the position of the security key 213 (Fig. 8) and determines whether or not the notebook PC 100 is unlocked (step 1132). If the result is NO, the process returns to step 1130.

Otherwise, the DockCPU 211 transmits the PLA transmission end message for notifying that the monitoring of the PLA message should be terminated under its control (step 1134), and then actually terminates the transmission of the PLA message (step 1136). After this step, the process returns to step 1114.

On the other hand, if the result of the above-described step 1130 is YES, the DockCPU 211 transmits a fraud removal message for notifying that the notebook PC 100 is illegally removed under protection (step 1138), and ending the PLA transmission. After the message is transmitted (step 1140), the transmission of the PLA message is actually terminated (step 1142). Subsequently, the DockCPU 211 sets an illegal removal state indicating that the notebook PC 100 has been illegally removed to the alarm indicator 213 to call the user's attention (step 1144) and terminate the process.

The management server 500, which has received the illegal removal message in step 1138, refers to the entry in the location table 1300 (Fig. 13) corresponding to the UUID based on the UUID of the notebook PC 100 held in the message. Then, after specifying the location of the notebook PC 100, a predetermined attribute value (not shown) indicating the illegal removal state of the notebook PC 100 can be set in the entry.

The management server 500 can more accurately detect the actual illegal removal state of the notebook PC 100 on the expansion unit 200 side by using this illegal removal message.

In this regard, in the alternative method of determining the illegal removal state of the notebook PC 100 based on the PLA message not arriving at the management server 500, various causes of the PLA message being suspended or interrupted [for example, For example, there may be a general abnormality such as a network cable connected to the network controller 912 in the expansion unit 200 or an auxiliary power supply in the DC / DC converter 272 may be turned off. It should be noted that the actual fraud removal condition of 100) cannot be accurately detected. In other words, even if it is possible to detect that the PLA message has been stopped or broken by using this alternative method, this is because it generally indicates that any abnormality has occurred on the expansion unit 200 side.

In addition, this alternative method detects that the PLA message from the expansion unit 200 is interrupted on the management server 500 side between steps 1124 to 1028 in FIG. 11, and the expansion unit 200 side monitors the general abnormality. It is considerable. However, if the auxiliary power supply is turned off among these abnormalities, the power supply does not always hold according to one of the prerequisites for the AOL function, and thus no further processing can be performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, a client / server system in which a client to be managed can be configured by an unspecified combination of a portable notebook PC and an expansion unit, and further, both the notebook PC and the expansion unit can be managed. In this environment, by sending various messages according to the management status to the remote management server in a timely manner, the configuration change for the security management and the TCO reduction of the notebook PC and the expansion unit without compromising the convenience of the notebook PC and the expansion unit. Management can be appropriately realized.

Claims (18)

An expansion unit for an information processing system for attaching a portable information processing system to expand its function, (a) a network controller connected to a network and configured to transmit and receive messages via the network; (b) first storage means for nonvolatile storage of the identifier data of the expansion unit; (c) second storage means for receiving the identifier data from the information processing system and storing it non-volatile when the information processing system is mounted; (d) when the information processing system is mounted, forms a mounting message holding both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system, and simultaneously sends the mounting message to the network controller. Network alarm control means for transmitting on the network via Expansion unit for information processing system characterized in that it comprises a. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the information processing system has been duly removed, the network alarm control means simultaneously forms a removal message holding both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system. And transmitting said removal message on said network via said network controller. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising security key means for locking said mounted information processing system, When the information processing system is locked, the network alert control means both of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system to notify that the information processing system is locked in the expansion unit or An expansion unit for an information processing system, characterized in that a physical link alert (PLA) message having one side is formed, and the PLA message is periodically transmitted over a network through the network controller. 4. The identifier according to claim 3, wherein when the transmission of the PLA message is initiated while the information processing system is locked, the network alert control means informs that the monitoring of the PLA message should be started. An information processing system characterized by forming a PLA transmission start message holding both or one of data and said identifier data of said information processing system, and transmitting said PLA transmission start message on a network through said network controller; Expansion unit. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the information processing system is removed after the PLA transmission start message is transmitted, the network alert control means is configured to notify the identifier data of the expansion unit and to notify the illegal removal status of the information processing system. And an illegal removal message for holding both or one of the identifier data of the information processing system, and transmitting the illegal removal message on the network via the network controller. The identifier according to claim 5, wherein when the information processing system is unlocked, the network alarm control means notifies that the monitor of the PLA message should be terminated, the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier of the information processing system. And forming a PLA transmission end message holding both or one side of the data, and transmitting the PLA transmission end message on the network via the network controller. 6. The management system according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 5, wherein in response to the transmission of the mounting message, the removal message, the PLA message, or the fraudulent removal message, the mounted information processing system is in any management state. An expansion unit for an information processing system, characterized in that it further comprises display means for displaying whether or not there is. An information processing system which can be attached to the expansion unit for information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, Third storage means for nonvolatile storage of the identifier data of the information processing system; And the identifier data of the information processing system from the third storage means is recorded in the second storage means when the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit. An expansion unit for an information processing system for attaching a portable information processing system to expand its function, (a) a network controller connected to a network and configured to transmit and receive messages via the network; (b) storage means for receiving the identifier data from the information processing system and storing it non-volatile when the information processing system is mounted; (c) security key means for locking the mounted information processing system; (d) when the information processing system is removed after the information processing system is locked, to form a fraud removal message that holds the identifier data of the information processing system to notify the illegal removal status of the information processing system; At the same time, network alarm control means for transmitting the fraud removal message on the network via the network controller. Expansion unit for information processing system characterized in that it comprises a. An expansion unit for an information processing system for mounting a portable information processing system to expand its function, (a) a network controller connected to a network and configured to transmit and receive messages via the network; (b) first storage means for nonvolatile storage of the identifier data of said expansion unit; (c) second storage means for receiving the identifier data from the information processing system and storing it non-volatile when the information processing system is mounted; (d) security key means for locking the mounted information processing system, (e) when the information processing system is removed after the information processing system is locked, both of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system to notify the illegal removal state of the information processing system. Or a network alarm control means for forming a fraud removal message holding one side and transmitting the fraud removal message on the network via the network controller. Expansion unit for information processing system characterized in that it comprises a. A client is constructed by attaching a portable information processing system to an expansion unit for extending its function, wherein the expansion unit includes a network controller for transmitting and receiving each message with a remote management server via a network, and identifier data of the expansion unit. A client / server system provided with first storage means for nonvolatile storage and network alert control means for transmitting a predetermined message to the management server via the network controller and a network. (a) When the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit, the identifier data is received from the information processing system, which is non-volatile to the second storage means in the expansion unit which the network alarm control means can read directly. Step to save as, (b) when the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit, forming a mounting message holding both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system, and simultaneously receiving the mounting message. Transmitting to said management server via said network controller and network; Presence management method of the information processing system comprising a. 12. The removal method according to claim 11, wherein, when the information processing system is legally removed, a removal message holding both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system is formed. And transmitting a message to the management server via the network controller and a network. 13. The expansion unit according to claim 12, wherein the expansion unit is provided with security key means for locking the mounted information processing system, When the information processing system is locked, both or one of the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system to notify the management server that the information processing system is locked in the expansion unit. And forming a physical link alert (PLA) message that holds a message, and periodically transmitting the PLA message to the management server via the network controller and the network. Way. 15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the identifier data of the expansion unit is configured to notify the management server that the monitoring of the PLA message should be started when transmission of the PLA message is started while the information processing system is locked. And forming a PLA transmission start message holding both or one of the identifier data of the information processing system, and transmitting the PLA transmission start message to the management server via the network controller and a network. The existence management method of the information processing system characterized by the above-mentioned. The information according to claim 14, wherein when the information processing system is removed after the PLA transmission start message has been transmitted, the identifier data and the information of the expansion unit to notify the management server of the illegal removal status of the information processing system. And forming a fraud removal message holding both or one of the identifier data of the processing system, and transmitting the fraud removal message to the management server via the network controller and a network. How to manage the presence of processing systems. The method according to claim 15, wherein when the information processing system is unlocked, the identifier data of the expansion unit and the identifier data of the information processing system are notified to notify the management server that the monitoring of the PLA message should be terminated. And forming a PLA transmission end message having both or one side, and transmitting the PLA transmission end message to the management server via the network controller and a network. Way. The client is configured by attaching a portable information processing system to an expansion unit for extending its function, which includes a network controller for transmitting and receiving each message with a remote management server via a network, and a mounted information processing system. A client / server system provided with security key means for transmitting and network alarm control means for transmitting a predetermined message to said management server via said network controller and a network. (a) when the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit, receives the identifier data from the information processing system, and stores it unvolatilely into storage means in the expansion unit, which can be directly read by the network alarm control means. With the step to do, (b) a fraud removal message that holds the identifier data of the information processing system to notify the management server of the fraud removal status of the information processing system when the information processing system is removed after the information processing system is locked; And transmitting the fraud removal message to the management server via the network controller and a network. Presence management method of the information processing system comprising a. A client is constructed by attaching a portable information processing system to an expansion unit for extending its function, wherein the expansion unit includes a network controller for transmitting and receiving each message with a remote management server via a network, and identifier data of the expansion unit. First storage means for nonvolatile storage, a security key means for locking the mounted information processing system, and network alarm control means for transmitting a predetermined message to the management server via the network controller and a network; In a client / server system, (a) When the information processing system is mounted in the expansion unit, the identifier data is received from the information processing system, which is non-volatile to the second storage means in the expansion unit which the network alarm control means can read directly. Step to save as, (b) when the information processing system is removed after the information processing system is locked, the identifier data of the expansion unit and the information of the information processing system to notify the management server of the illegal removal state of the information processing system. Forming a fraud removal message holding both or one of the identifier data and transmitting the fraud removal message to the management server via the network controller and a network; Presence management method of the information processing system comprising a.