Modularly structured ISDN communication system

• US 4,993,017 A
• Filed: 02/22/1989
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kroesa, Ehrard, Barkmeyer, Thomas, Bachinger, Gerhard, Siegmund, Wolfgang, Werres, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Application Number:
  US07/313,508
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/58.1, 370/58.2, 370/58.3, 370/94.1, 370/94.2, 370/94.3, 370/67, 370/66
• US Class Current: 370/360
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals

Abstract

A modularly structured ISDN communication system has a system processor that is administered by a multi-tasking real-time operating system. Since this operating system can only assign system-internal function programs to the system processor (on-line system), a software application module having a time-sharing operating system is provided, so that the same processor can be administered by both operating systems. In order to effect this, one task of the real-time operating system is fashioned as a sluice sub-system SUB in which an allocation switch from the addressing tables of the real-time operating system onto those of the time-sharing operating system occurs. An interrupt transition routine that leads back into the sluice sub-system SUB in which the allocation switch is in turn cancelled is present in the time-sharing operating system for a processing of interrupt requests. Messages can be forwarded from one operating system to the other by use of an intercommunication data segment, so that data from the administration of the one operating system can be transferred into that of the other operating system in a simple manner.

Claims

1. A modularly structured ISDN communication system, having at least one switching unit (SWU);

(I) to which equipment and networks are connectable via periphery modules; and

(II) that has a switching matrix array,

having a memory-programmed system processor (uPA);

(I) that has a real-time operating system;

(1) for controlling,

(A) the access to the system resources,

(B) the communication between program sub-systems (PSS;

tasks), and

(C) the reaction to stimuli (interrupt handling),

(2) having an information transport system (INF) eminent in the operating system,

(A) having program sub-system-associated input and output memories (EAS) operated mailbox-like for message to and from the program sub-systems (PSS),

having a system memory (MEA);

(I) with memory segments addressable via descriptors for storing;

(1) data files, and

(2) the program sub-systems, having a system table memory that contains system table descriptors referenced to the memory segments of the real-time operating system,

comprising;

an application module (ASM);

(I) having a time-sharing operating system;

(II) having a program sub-system (PSS) fashioned as a sluice sub-system (SUB);

(III) having a module table memory selectable alternatively to the system table memory that;

(1) contains module table descriptors referenced to memory segments of the time-sharing operating system under which at least,

(A) a (TS) time-sharing status segment descriptor referenced to a status segment (TS-TSS) of the time-sharing operating system intermediately stores system process data,

(2) contains a (TS) time-sharing code segment descriptor referenced to the code segment of an interrupt transition routine (RUB) of the time-sharing operating system,

(3) and that further contains communication descriptors referenced to intercommunication segments of the real-time operating system, these communication descriptors being interruptable identically to the system table descriptors that are contained in the system table memory and are referenced to the intercommunication segments and under which are situated at least,

(4) a code segment descriptor for the access onto the code segment of the sluice sub-system (SUB),

(5) a status segment descriptor for the access onto a status segment (RT-TSS) in the real-time operating system that is assigned to the sluice sub-system (SUB), and

(6) a data segment descriptor for the access onto an intercommunication data segment (IKD), whereby the intercommunication data segment (IKD),

(a) intermediately stores the input information required by each of the two operating systems for a transition from one operating system to the other operating system and further

(b) contains a data field (DF) for the acceptance of messages from one operating system that can be exchanged with program sub-systems (PSS, PSST) of the other operating system.

2. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein,

control instructions are provided in the sluice sub-system (SUB) such that:

for activation of the sluice sub-system (SUB) in the real-time operating system, an allocation switch of the system processor (uPA) from the system table memory onto the module table memory occurs, and, upon call-in of the TS status segment descriptor, a process switch into the interrupt transition routine (IUB) subsequently occurs, this being terminated thereupon;

control instructions are provided in the interrupt transition routine (IUB) such that;

upon activation of the interrupt transition routine (IUB) in the time-sharing operating system, a process switch into the sluice sub-system (SUB) occurs upon call-in of the communication status segment descriptor; and

further control instructions are provided in the sluice sub-system (SUB) such that;

an allocation switch of the system processor (uPA) from the module table memory to the system table memory occurs before the sluice sub-system (SUB) in the real-time operating system is deactivated.

3. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein the application module (ASM), like the switching unit (SWU) and further function modules, particularly an organizational data server unit (ADS), have access via a common system bus to central organizational and/or dependability equipment.

4. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1 wherein an alternatively selectable, further module table memory is provided in addition to a further system table memory that contains (RT) real-time interrupt descriptors for at least stimuli (e, f, g) associated with the real-time operating system, these (RT) real-time interrupt descriptors referring to interrupt routines pertaining to the real-time operating system, said alternatively selectable, further module table memory containing (TS) time-sharing interrupt descriptors for at least stimuli (x, y) associated with the time-sharing operating system, these (TS) time-sharing interrupt descriptors referring to interrupt routines pertaining to the time-sharing operating system;

wherein the further module table memory contains interrupt descriptors for stimuli (e, f, g) associated with the real-time operating system, these interrupt descriptors referring to the interrupt transition routine (IUB); and

wherein the further system table memory contains interrupt descriptors for stimuli (x, y) associated with the time-sharing operating system, these interrupt descriptors referring to an interrupt rescue routine (IRR) in the real-time operating system.

5. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 4, wherein the interrupt rescue routine (IRR) stores stimuli (x, y) associated with the time-sharing operating system in the intercommunication data segment (IKD).

6. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 5, wherein the stimuli (x, y) stored by the interrupt rescue routine (IRR) in the intercommunication data segment (IKD) are identified in the interrupt transition routine (IUB).

7. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein control instructions are provided in the sluice sub-system (SUB) such that an allocation switch between a further module system table memory occurs for every allocation switch between the module table memory and system table memory.

8. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein the program sub-system fashioned as sluice sub-system (SUB) in the real-time operating system is accorded a relatively low priority.

9. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein an idle program sub-system (idle task) of the real-time operating system is fashioned as sluice sub-system (SUB).

10. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein the data field (DF) contains messages that can be exchanged between the information transport system (INF) and the time-sharing operating system.

11. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein a transition from the time-sharing operating system into the real-time operating system is respectively initiated by a periodic stimulus pertaining to the real-time operating system, this stimulus leading to a read-out of the messages stored in the data field (DF) into the respective input and output memories (EAS) associated with the program sub-systems.

12. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein, in the course of a priority-suited, successive activation of all program sub-systems (PSS, PSST), the data respectively transferred from the data field (DF) into the corresponding input and output memories (EAS) are processed by the program sub-systems (PSS, PSST).

13. The modularly structured ISDN communication system according to claim 1, wherein the data field (DF) is fashioned as a dual port memory for messages of the program sub-systems (PSS) of, first, the real-time operating system and of the program sub-systems (PSST) of, second, the time-sharing operating system.