Innate bus monitoring system for computer system manager

• US 5,402,431 A
• Filed: 11/23/1993
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mangold, Richard P., Kunz, Richard A., Sharma, Dinesh K., Fulton, Paul R., Hernandez, Thomas J., Saadeh, Said S., Barron, James E., Stupek, Richard A., Farrand, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BACKENSTOSE, JONATHAN
• Application Number:
  US08/157,335
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 364/530, 364/253, 364/DIG. 2, 364/265, 364/266, 395/650, 395/700, 395/575, 371/66, 371/67.1
• US Class Current: 714/47.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3027 where the computing system component is a bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3471 Address tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/349 for interfaces, buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

A system for innately monitoring a computer system. All address and data signals transferred over the system bus. Certain ones of the address signals are selected as related to the operating conditions of the computer system. A data filter selects data signals which correspond to the selected address signals and the selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of the computer system are then stored, either in a register if the selected address and data signals are composed of dynamic information requiring frequent status updates or in a first-in, first-out memory, when the selected address and data signals are composed of less dynamic information.

Claims

1. For a computer network having a computer system having a plurality of components interconnected by a system bus for transferring information between said components, a system for innately monitoring said computer system, comprising:

means for receiving all address and data signals transferred over said system bus;

means for selecting address signals related to operating conditions of said computer system by selecting said address signals which match preselected address signals;

means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in a first class or a second class based upon said selected address signals;

a data filter for selecting data signals which correspond to said selected address signals;

first storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said first class;

second storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said second class; and

means for selectively directing said signals to said first storage means or said second storage means based upon said classification of said data signals as either in said first class or said second class.

2. An innate monitoring system according to claim 1 wherein said first storage means further comprises:

a register file for storing said address and data signals classified in said first class; and

said second storage means further comprises;

a first-in, first-out memory for storing said address and data signals classified in said second class.

3. An innate monitoring system according to claim 2 and further comprising:

an address buffer for receiving all of said address signals transferred over said system bus; and

a data buffer for receiving all of said data signals transferred over said system bus.

4. An innate monitoring system according to claim 3 wherein said means for selecting address signals related to operating conditions of said computer system further comprises an address pre-filter having a series of address vectors stored therein, said address prefilter comparing said address signals transferred over said system bus to said address vectors and propagating said address vectors which match said address signals to said data filter, said data filter receiving said received data signals from said data buffer and identifying said received data signals which correspond to said propagated address vectors.

5. An innate monitoring system according to claim 4 and further comprising a state machine connected to said data filter, said state machine receiving selected bits of said received data signals relating to operating conditions and having control outputs connected to said register file and said first-in, first-out memory, respectively, said state machine controlling the selective propagation of said received data signals related to operating conditions to either said register file or said first-in, first-out memory based upon the contents of said selected bits of said received data signals.

9. An innate monitoring system according to claim 2 wherein said means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in said first or second classes further comprises means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in said first or second classes based upon the contents of selected bits of said selected address signals.

6. An innate monitoring system for a computer system having a plurality of components interconnected by a system bus which transfers information between said components, comprising:

an address buffer connected to said system bus, said address buffer receiving all address signals transferred along said system bus;

a data buffer connected to said system bus, said data buffer receiving all data signals transferred along said system bus;

an address pre-filter connected to said address buffer and having pre-selected address signals stored therein, said address pre-filter receiving said address signals stored in said address buffer and comparing said address signals received from said address buffer to said pre-selected address signals, said received address signals which match said pre-selected address signals being classified as related to events of interest which have occurred within said computer system;

a data filter connected to said data buffer and said address pre-filter, said data filter receiving data signals stored in said data buffer and said address signals matched by said address pre-filter, said data filter selecting data signals which correspond to said matched address signals, said data signals corresponding to said matched address signals being classified as related to events of interest which have occurred within said computer system;

a state machine connected to said data filter, said state machine receiving selected bits of said received data signals classified as related to events of interest which have occurred within said computer system, said state machine further classifying said selected address and data signals as either in a first class or a second class based upon the contents of said selected bits of said data signals;

a register file connected to said data filter, said register file storing said received address and data signals classified by said state machine in said first class; and

a first-in, first-out memory connected to said data filter, said first-in, first-out memory storing said received address and data signals classified by said state machine in said second class;

said state machine further comprising first and second control outputs connected to said register file and said first-in, first-out memory, respectively, said control outputs controlling the selective propagation of said address and data signals classified in said first and second classes to said register file and said first-in, first-out memory, respectively.

7. A computer network, comprising:

a file server having a computer system board with a system bus installed therein;

at least one computer station;

a network connecting said at least one computer station to said file server;

a network operating system for controlling information transfers between said file server and said at least one computer station via said network, said network operating system including a network manager for managing information transfers along said network; and

a system manager for managing said computer system board, said system manager managing said computer system board by monitoring signals transferred along said system bus of said computer system board, said system manager including an innate bus monitoring system and a computer processor;

said innate bus monitoring system comprising means for receiving all data and address signals transferred along said system bus, means for selecting address signals related to operating conditions of said computer system by selecting said address signals which match preselected address signals, means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in a first class or a second class based upon the contents of said data signals, a data filter for selecting data signals which correspond to said selected address signals, first storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said first class, second storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said second class and means for selectively directing said signals to said first storage means or said second storage means based upon said classification of said data signals as either in said first class or said second class.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a file server having a system board with a system bus installed therein;

a system manager for managing said system board, said system manager managing said computer system board by monitoring signals transferred along said system bus of said system board;

said system manager including a computer processor and an innate bus monitoring system, said innate bus monitoring system comprising means for receiving all data and address signals transferred along said system bus, means for selecting address signals related to operating conditions of said computer system by selecting said address signals which match preselected address signals, means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in a first class or a second class based upon the contents of said data signals, a data filter for selecting data signals which correspond to said selected address signals, first storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said first class, second storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said second class and means for selectively directing said signals to said first storage means or said second storage means based upon said classification of said data signals as either in said first class or said second class.