Computer monitoring system

• US 3,906,454 A
• Filed: 05/18/1973
• Issued: 09/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Lanham Martin
• Original Assignee: Robert Lanham Martin
• Inventors: Martin, Robert Lanham
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, James D.
• Application Number:
  US05/361,559
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 340/172.5 235/153AC,153AK
• US Class Current: 714/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/348 Circuit details, i.e. tracer hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting

Abstract

There is disclosed a computer monitoring system for detecting, filtering and storing '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'hardware events'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'software events'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'. Hardware events are counted or timed, while software events resulting from special store instructions are selectively stored in a monitor memory. Software events can be used to initiate or terminate hardware measurements. Both hardware and software events may be stored exhaustively or only the most recent of a fixed number of events can be stored. Storage takes place on a plurality of tape units for later analysis.

Claims

1. A computer monitor system comprising a software event selection circuit responsive to programmed event signals and preselected constant signals for selecting one of a plurality of received software event signals, a hardware event counting circuit responsive to hardware event signals for counting selected ones of said hardware event signals, and a counter control circuit responsive to said software event selection circuit for enabling, disabling, incrementing, or storing the output of said hardware event counting circuit, said software event selection circuit including a plurality of matching circuits for matching source identification signals, event identification signals and event value signals with respective preselected constant signals for each said programmed event signal.

2. The computer monitor system according to claim 1 wherein said hardware event counting circuit includes a plurality of counters, an input selection matrix, a plurality of constant signal registers, said matrix being responsive to counter selection constant signals in said registers and mode selection constant signals in said registers to connect selected event signals to selected counters in said counting circuit.

3. The computer monitor system according to claim 1 further including a data storage circuit, and means for storing in said storage circuit only selected software event signals and only selected hardware event count signals from said counting circuit.

4. The computer monitor according to claim 3 wherein said data storage circuit comprises a Magnetic core memory, and a plurality of magnetic tape units, and means for accumulating said selected software and hardware event count signals in fixed-size blocks in said magnetic core memory before transfer to said tape units.

5. The computer monitor according to claim 4 further including means for cyclically storing the most recent of said selected event signals in excess of the capacity of a preselected portion of said magnetic core memory in place of the earliest stored event signals in said magnetic core memory.

6. A computer monitoring system for selecting only a portion of a plurality of software event data signals reflecting the operation of said computer, said monitoring system comprising a plurality of matching signal registers for storing preselected constant signals to be used for comparisons with portions of said data signals, an equal plurality of comparison circuits for comparing said constant signals to said portions of said data signals, and a storage register for storing only those of said data signals for which all of said comparison circuits indicate preselected relationships between said constant signals and all of the respective portions of each of said data signals.

7. A computer monitoring system comprising a software event selection circuit responsive to programmed event signals and preselected constant signals for selecting one of a plurality of received software event signals, said selection circuit including a source identification signal matching circuit for comparing a source identification signal with a first preselected constant signal, an event identification signal matching circuit for comparing an event identification signal with a second preselected constant signal, and an event value signal matching circuit for comparing an event value signal with a third preselected constant signal.