Monitoring and controlling system and method for data processing system

• US 5,237,677 A
• Filed: 11/06/1990
• Issued: 08/17/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Electronics Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Electronics Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nanba, Hideki, Kimura, Ikuo, Hirosawa, Toshio, Kurihara, Jun'ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Canney, Vincent P.
• Application Number:
  US07/613,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 395/575, 371/16.1, 371/16.5, 371/29.1
• US Class Current: 714/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2273 Test methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2736 using a dedicated service processor for test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

Fault monitoring/controlling apparatus and method for a data processing system comprises one or more computer systems, monitor and control apparatuses connected thereto for monitoring and controlling the associated computer systems and a single supervision/control system provided at a site remote from the computer systems. When abnormality taking place in the computer system is decided as a fault, report of the fault occurrence is automatically effectuated to the remotely located supervision/control system, which responds to the reception of the fault report and issues, if necessary, a command requesting additional supply of detailed fault information to the computer system suffering the fault. The additional fault information is comparatively collated with the fault information accumulated (precedents). When a reference precedent which coincides with the fault occurring currently is found to be present as the result of collation, a recovery procedure is generated on the basis of the precedent data to be subsequently transmitted to the computer system of concern. A plurality of computer systems can be monitored in a consolidated manner, wherein fault taking place in the computer systems can be removed rapidly through diagnosis and execution of appropriate procedure.

Claims

1. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system;

a remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus comprises;

first storage means for storing message data of said operation system of said computer system or command data inputted from said manipulating means;

second storage means for storing reference message data for detecting abnormal states;

comparison means for comparing message data of said operation system with contents of said second storage means;

fault decision means for deciding whether a fault has occurred on the basis of said comparison; and

report control means for automatically reporting the occurrence of the fault to said remotely located supervision and control system.

17. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 1, wherein said means for reporting includes sending control means for editing said fault information to be sent out when said means for reporting transmits said fault information to said remotely located supervision and control system.

21. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 17, wherein said sending control means includes extraction processing means for extracting message data from said operating system and command data from said manipulating means when the contents of said first storage means are edited.

25. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 17, wherein said sending control means includes control means for editing the contents of said first storage means when hardware information is edited and data reducing means for replacing a succession of similar data which appears when editing the contents of said main storage with data representing said data succession.

2. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system;

a remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus comprises;

means for displaying a message data received from said operation system and a service processor on a console unit;

means for sending a command data inputted from said console unit to said operation system and said service processor;

means for recording a history of said message and command data;

means for detecting an occurrence of a fault in said computer system by comparing said message data with a fault message previously stored;

means for storing a predetermined number of message data of the operation system and said service processor of said computer system; and

means for sending the contents of said storing means to said remotely located supervision and control system in response to a command issued by said supervision and control system.

18. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing according to claim 2, wherein said means for sending the contents of said storing means includes sending control means for editing fault information to be sent out when said means for sending transmits said fault information to said remotely located supervision and control system.

22. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 18, wherein said sending control means includes extraction processing means for extracting message data from said operating system and command data from said manipulating means when the contents of said storing means are edited.

26. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 18, wherein said sending control means includes control means for editing the contents of said storing means when hardware information is edited and data reducing means for replacing a succession of similar data which appears when editing the contents of said main storage with data representing said data succession.

3. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system;

a remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus comprises;

means for receiving hardware fault information indicating occurrence of a fault in said central processing unit of the computer system from a service processor and processing units in said computer system;

means for accumulating the hardware fault information to produce an accumulated history of hardware fault information;

means for detecting the occurrence of the hardware fault in said computer system; and

means for reporting the detected hardware fault to said remotely located supervision and control system.

8. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 3, wherein said means for receiving hardware fault information includes execution control means for executing an instruction for generating a fault occurrence signal when a predetermined monitor program operating on said monitor and control apparatus and designed to constantly inspect a state of said hardware detects an abnormality in the state of said hardware.

9. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 3, wherein said means for receiving hardware fault information includes execution control means for executing an instruction for generating a fault occurrence signal when a hardware monitoring mechanism operating on said monitor and control apparatus detects an abnormality in an operating state of said hardware.

19. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 3, wherein said means for reporting includes sending control means for editing said fault information to be sent out when said means for reporting transmits said fault information to said remotely located supervision and control system.

23. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 19, wherein said sending control means includes extraction processing means for extracting message data from said operating system and command data from said manipulating means when contents of a first storage means are edited.

27. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data procession system according to claim 19, wherein said sending control means includes control means for editing the contents of a predetermined storage means when hardware information is edited and data reducing means for replacing a succession of similar data which appears when editing the contents of said main storage with data representing said data succession.

4. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system;

a remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus comprises;

means for receiving hardware fault information indicating an occurrence of a fault in said central processing unit of said computer system;

means for storing said hardware fault information;

means for reading out, from a memorizing means, a hardware fault state of said central processing unit on the basis of a command issued from said remotely located supervision and control system; and

means for sending information read out to said remotely located supervision and control system.

10. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 4, wherein said hardware fault read-out means includes address control means for assigning addresses to individual processing units of said central processing unit and reception control means for receiving the hardware states held by the addressed individual processing units through a dedicated data line.

11. A fault monitoring and controlling system or a data processing system according to claim 4, wherein said hardware fault read-out means includes read control means for reading out data from a specific area of said main storage which specific area can not be accessed by said operating system.

12. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 4, wherein said hardware fault read-out means includes control means for sending a storage area address to said main storage for obtaining corresponding data.

13. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 11, wherein said hardware fault read-out means includes control means for sending a storage area address to said main storage for obtaining corresponding data.

14. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 4, further comprising storage control means for storing in predetermined storage means the hardware state information read out by said hardware fault read-out means.

15. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 11, further comprising storage control means for storing in predetermined storage means the hardware state information read out by said hardware fault read-out control means.

16. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 12, further comprising storage control means for storing in predetermined storage means the hardware state information read out by said hardware fault read-out control means.

20. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 4, wherein said means for sending includes sending control means for editing said fault information to be sent out when said means for sending transmits said fault information to said remotely located supervision and control system.

24. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 20, wherein said sending control means includes extraction processing means for extracting message data from said operating system and command data from said manipulating means when the contents of a first storage means are edited.

28. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 20, wherein said sending control means includes control means for editing the contents of a predetermined storage means when hardware information is edited and data reducing means for replacing a succession of similar data which appears when editing the contents of said main storage with data representing said data succession.

5. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system; and

a remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said remotely located supervision and control system comprises;

fault precedent storage means for storing precedent fault information to serve as a precedent when said remotely located supervision and control system receives fault occurrence information from said monitor and control apparatus;

collation means for collating said fault occurrence information with the contents of said fault precedent storage means;

recovery processing procedure generating means for generating a recovery processing procedure for remedying a fault when said collation performed by said collation means shows the presence of a precedent which coincides with the fault; and

sending means for sending the recovery processing procedure generated by said recovery processing procedure generating means to said monitor and control apparatus.

6. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 5, wherein said recovery processing procedure generated by said recovery processing procedure generating means includes sending means for causing said remotely located supervision and control system to send said recovery processing procedure when a maintenance person loads a command requesting reference to the recovery processing procedure into said manipulating means of said computer system, and display control means for displaying the received recovery processing procedure which will later be displayed on a console/display unit associated with the monitor and control apparatus which has received said recovery processing procedure.

7. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 6, wherein the manipulating means of said computer system and a console/display unit of said remotely located supervision and control system are in data communication with each other.

29. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 5, wherein said fault precedent storage means stores therein phenomenon and causes of fault occurrence and a remedying record of the fault.

30. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 5, further including control means for storing the fault for which no corresponding precedent is found as a result of collation performed by said collating means as a new fault record to serve as a precedent in said fault precedent storage means.

31. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 5, wherein when a corresponding precedent can not be found as a result of collation performed by said collating means, control means is provided for displaying an absence of the corresponding precedent on a console/display unit when a maintenance person inputs a command requesting reference to the recovery processing procedure through the manipulating means of said computer system, and wherein processing means is provided for displaying the contents of first storage means and predetermined storage means on said console/display unit.

32. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 30, further including control means for storing the fault for which no corresponding precedent is found as a result of collation performed by said collating means and for which a cause, phenomenon and recovery procedure are later found in said fault precedent storage means by associating the cause of the fault and the recovery procedure with the phenomenon of said fault.

33. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system according to claim 5, further including processing means for displaying the fault information obtained from first storage means and predetermined storage means on a display output unit of said remotely located supervision and control system when no corresponding precedent is found as a result of the collation performed by said collation means.

34. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system; and

a remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling from a remote site said computer system;

wherein when a software or hardware fault takes place in said computer system and when fault information of the occurrence of the software or hardware fault is received by said remotely located supervision and control system, said fault information is collated with a content of a fault precedent storage means incorporated in said remotely located supervision and control system, and when a precedent coinciding with said fault is present, recovery processing procedure for removing the fault from said computer system is generated and transferred to said monitor and control apparatus provided in association with said computer system suffering from the fault, said monitor and control apparatus receiving said recovery processing procedure, restarting said computer system in accordance with said recovery processing procedure, and displaying said recovery processing procedure on a console unit of said monitor and control apparatus.

35. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system which comprises:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system;

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer systems; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus performs;

a first storage step for storing a predetermined number of message data of the operation system of the computer system or command data inputted through said manipulating means;

a second storage step for storing message data for detecting abnormal states;

a comparison step for comparing said message data of said operation system with the contents of a second storage means;

a fault decision step for deciding occurrence of a fault based upon the result of said comparison; and

a report control step for reporting automatically the occurrence of the fault to said remotely located supervision and control system.

36. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system which comprises:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer systems; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervision and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus performs;

a first storage step for storing a predetermined number of message data of the operation system of the computer system or command data inputted for said manipulating means; and

a send control step for sending contents of a first storage means to said remotely located supervision and control system in response to a command issued by said supervision and control system.

37. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system which comprises:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus performs;

a control step for receiving a signal indicating occurrence of a fault in hardware of said central processing unit of the computer system; and

a report control step for reporting automatically the occurrence of the fault to said remotely located supervision and control system.

42. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 37, wherein a control means performs an execution control step for executing an instruction for generating said fault occurrence signal when a predetermined monitor program operating on said monitor and control apparatus and designed to constantly inspect the state of said hardware for abnormalities in the state of said hardware.

43. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 37, wherein a control means performs an execution control for executing an instruction for generating said fault occurrence signal when a hardware monitoring mechanism operating on said monitor and control apparatus detects an abnormality in an operating state of hardware.

38. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system which comprises:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for sad computer system; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein each of said monitor and control apparatus performs;

a control step for reading out fault state of hardware in said central processing unit based upon a command issued from said remotely located supervision and control system; and

a send control step for sending out information read out to said remotely located supervision and control system.

44. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 38, wherein said hardware fault read-out step includes an address control step for assigning addresses to individual processing units of said central processing unit and a reception control step for receiving hardware states held by the addressed individual processing units through a dedicated data line.

45. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 38, wherein said hardware fault read-out step includes a read control step which is capable of reading out data from a specific area of said main storage which can not be accessed by said operating system.

46. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 44, wherein said hardware fault read-out control step includes a control step for sending storage area address to said main storage for thereby obtaining corresponding data.

47. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 45, further comprising a storage control step for storing in predetermined storage means a hardware state information read out through said hardware fault read-out control step.

48. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 38, wherein said sending control step includes an edition and sending control step for editing fault information to be sent out when said fault information is transmitted to said remotely located supervision and control system at said send control step.

49. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 47, wherein said sending control step includes a control step for editing the contents of said predetermined storage means when hardware information is edited and a data reducing step for replacing a succession of similar data which appears when editing the contents of said main storage with data representing said data succession.

39. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer system; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein said single remotely located supervision and control system performs;

a fault precedent storing step for storing fault information as a record to serve as a precedent when said remotely located supervision and control system receives fault occurrence information from said monitor and control apparatus;

a collating step for collating said fault occurrence information with the contents of a fault precedent storage means; and

a recovery processing procedure generating step for generating a recovery processing procedure for remedying the fault when said collation performed by a collation means shows the presence of a precedent which coincides with the fault as informed.

40. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 39, wherein said recovery processing procedure generated by said recovery processing procedure generating means includes a sending step for causing said remotely located supervision and control system to send out said recover processing procedure when a maintenance person loads a command requesting for reference to the recovery processing procedure into said manipulating means of said computer system, and a display control step for displaying the received recovery processing procedure on a console/display unit associated with the monitor and control apparatus which has received said recovery processing procedure.

41. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 40, wherein a console/display unit of said computer system and a console/display unit of said remotely located supervision and control system are in data communication with each other.

50. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 39, wherein at said fault precedent storing step, phenomenon and causes of fault occurrence and remedying record of the fault are stored.

51. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 39, further including a control step for storing the fault for which no corresponding precedent is found as a result of collation performed at said collating step as a new fault record to serve as a precedent in said fault precedent storage means.

52. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 39, wherein when the corresponding precedent can not be found as a result of collation performed at said collating step, a control step is provided for displaying an absence of the corresponding precedent on a console/display unit when a maintenance person inputs a command requesting reference to the recovery processing procedure through a console/display unit of said computer system, and wherein a processing step is provided for displaying the contents of first storage means and predetermined storage means on said console/display unit.

53. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 39, further including a control step for storing the fault for which no corresponding precedent is found as a result of collation performed at said collating step and for which a cause, phenomenon and recovery procedure are later found in said fault precedent storage means by associating the cause of the fault and the recovery procedure with the phenomenon of said fault.

54. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system according to claim 39, further including a processing step for displaying the fault information obtained from first storage means and predetermined storage means on a display output unit of said remotely located supervision and control system when no corresponding precedent is found as a result of the collation performed at said collation step.

55. A fault monitoring and controlling method for a data processing system which comprises:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer systems; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling from a remote site said computer system;

wherein when a fault takes place in said computer system and when fault information of the occurrence of the fault is received by said remotely located supervision and control system, said fault information is collated with contents of a fault precedent storage means incorporated in said remotely located supervision and control system, and when a precedent coinciding with said fault is present, recovery processing procedure for removing the fault from said computer system is generated and transferred to said monitor and control apparatus provided in association with said computer system suffering from the fault, said monitor and control apparatus receiving said recovery processing procedure for restarting said computer system in accordance with said recovery processing procedure.

56. A fault monitoring and controlling system for a data processing system, comprising:

a computer system including a main storage, a central processing unit and a manipulating means equipped with functions for operation and maintenance of said central processing unit and an operation system,

a monitor and control apparatus connected to said computer system for performing a fault monitoring and controlling operation for said computer systems; and

a single remotely located supervision and control system for providing information to said monitor and control apparatus for supervising and controlling said computer system;

wherein each of said monitor and control apparatus comprises;

first storage means for storing a predetermined number of message data of the operation system of the computer system or command data inputted from said manipulating means;

second storage means for storing message data for detecting abnormal states;

comparison means for comparing message data of said operation system with the contents of said second storage means;

fault decision means for deciding whether a fault has occurred on the basis of said comparison; and

report control means for automatically reporting the occurrence of the fault to said remotely located supervision and control system; and

wherein said remotely located supervision and control system comprises;

fault precedent storage means for storing precedent fault information to serve as a precedent when said remotely located supervision and control system receives fault occurrence information from said monitor and control apparatus;

collation means for collating said fault occurrence information with the contents of said fault precedent storage means; and

recovery processing procedure generating means for generating a recovery processing procedure for remedying a fault when said collation performed by said collation means shows the presence of a precedent which coincides with the fault.

57. A monitoring and controlling system comprising:

a first computer system including a service processor;

a monitor and control apparatus for monitoring and controlling the operation of said first computer system;

wherein said monitor and control apparatus includes;

first means for receiving a message data from an operating system and said service processor and displaying the message data on a console unit;

second means for sending a command data inputted from said console unit to said operating system and said service processor;

memory means for storing a plurality of said message data received by said first means and a plurality of command data inputted from said console unit;

third means for detecting an occurrence of a software fault in said first computer system by comparing said received message data with predetermined fault message data;

fourth means for receiving hardware fault signals from said first computer system and gathering hardware fault information related to the received hardware fault signals from said first computer system;

fifth means responsive to detection of the software fault by said third means, for informing a second computer system at a remotely located monitoring center of the generation of the software fault; and

sixth means for sending said plurality of message data and said plurality of command data from said memory means to said second computer system and responsive to receipt of the hardware fault signal by said fourth means for informing said computer system of the occurrence of a hardware fault within the first computer system and for sending the hardware fault information gathered by said fourth means to said second computer system.