MULTIPROCESSING SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR DYNAMIC REDESIGNATION OF UNIT FUNCTIONS

• US 3,812,468 A
• Filed: 05/12/1972
• Issued: 05/21/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hans P. Birchmeier, James E. Wollum, Richard S. Sharp
• Inventors: Wollum, James E., Birchmeier, Hans P., Sharp, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henon, Paul J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nusbaum, Mark Edward
• Application Number:
  US05/252,874
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 340/172.5 235/153
• US Class Current: 714/4.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a multiprocessing system having a plurality of different units such as processor, I/O units and so forth that can be arranged into individual processing groups, the functions of which units can be redesignated in order to maintain continuous operation of the system should a malfunction occur in any one or more of such units. Each processing group is provided with a redesignator unit to represent that group, which redesignator unit senses malfunctions in any of the units in the corresponding group or in other groups and controls the reconfiguration or redesignation cycle. The system further includes a reconfiguration control unit that includes a designation memory in which are stored different designation parameters for the functional designation of the different like units in the system. These various sets of redesignation or reconfiguration control signals are selected from the designation memory in response to condition sensed in the system by the various redesignator units.

Claims

1. A multiprocessing system comprising:

a plurality of processing groups, each group including a processing unit, a memory unit, and an I/O control unit, said units in a particular group being coupled together for information transfer, said processing unit and I/O control unit being adapted to receive signals representing functional designations such that said units can be activated to execute particular programmed functions in accordance with their respective functional designations;

a plurality of sensing means, one for each processing group, each sensing means being coupled to each of said units in said respective group to sense the status of signals which represent malfunctions in any particular unit; and

a programmable control means coupled to said sensing means and responsive thereto to selectively supply different functional designation signals to said units of said processing group for operation thereof as a system;

each of said sensing means including a detection means coupled to said respective units to receive signals therefrom representing malfunctions and a signal means coupled to Said detection means and said programmable control means to signal said programmable control means of the receipt of a malfunction signal.

2. A multiprocessing system according to claim 1 wherein:

the programmable control unit includes a programmable read only memory to store signals indicating the manner in which units are to be designated for different functions.

3. A multiprocessing system according to claim 1 wherein:

the programmable control unit includes read/write memory to store signals indicating the manner in which units are to be designated for different functions.

4. A multiprocessing system comprising:

a plurality of processing groups, each group including at least a processing unit, a memory unit and an I/O control unit, the units of a group being coupled together for information transfer;

a plurality of redesignator means, one for each processing group, and coupled to the units of said respective processing group to sense the status of signals which represent a malfunction in any particular unit and to signal for redesignation of functions of said units in said respective groups; and

reconfiguration means coupled to each of said redesignator means to specify redesignation of functions of said units in the respective groups in response to a sensed malfunction in a unit of any one of said groups;

each of said redesignator means including a detection means coupled to said respective units to receive signals therefrom representing malfunctions and a signal means coupled to said detection means and said reconfiguration means to signal said reconfiguration means of the receipt of a malfunction signal.

5. A multiprocessing system according to claim 4 wherein:

each redesignator unit is coupled to each of the other redesignator units of the other processing groups for the transmission of signals representing malfunctions in units of other processing groups.

6. A multiprocessing system according to claim 5 wherein:

said detection means is coupled to said processing unit to sense the occurrence of a recursive interrupt operation in said processing unit.

7. A multiprocessing system according to claim 5 wherein:

said detection means is coupled to said I/O control unit to sense a specified number of successive unsuccessful data transfer operations.

8. A multiprocessing system according to claim 5 which includes:

an operator console coupled to said redesignator unit for keyboard call to signal for redesignation of functions of different like units in said group.