System for localizing field replaceable unit failures employing automated isolation procedures and weighted fault probability encoding
First Claim
1. In a system having a plurality of elements including Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) each having one or more Replaceable Components FRCs), said system having means for producing, responsive to a failure, a plurality of error data, a machine implemented process for isolating and reporting an element failure in said system, said process comprising the steps of:
- initially, detecting an element failure, followed by;
(a) in response to said element failure producing a plurality of Fault Symptom Code error data structures (FSCs) each describing a fault symptom with associated probability data and one or more Failure Candidate (FC) identifiers, said FC identifiers including FRU identifiers (FIDs) each listing one or more FRUs and RC identifiers (CIDs) each listing one or more RCs, selected ones of said FC identifiers each further including isolation procedure data for isolating one of a plurality of said FRUs or RCs;
(b) combining, for each said FID in said FSC plurality, said associated probability data with the number of times that said each FID is specified in said FSC plurality to produce a Weighted Failure Probability (WFP) for said each FID; and
(c) selecting and reporting the FRU having the maximum said WFP value as a faulty FRU.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the automated isolation and report of a Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) and/or a Replaceable Component (RC) responsive to a stream of Fault Symptom Code (FSCs) produced in response to a system fault. The process is entirely automated and can be stored in microcode to allow immediate updating of FSC to FRU/RC correspondences responsive to system design revisions. Selected FRU/RC isolation procedures are included in the FRUs/RCs for automatic execution as part of the isolation process. Failure probability data, including probability distribution data, are included in each FRU/RC to support an alternative weighted failure probability (WFP) isolation scheme to isolate a faulty FRU/RC even when the automated isolation procedures do not provide an unambiguous result.
58 Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a system having a plurality of elements including Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) each having one or more Replaceable Components FRCs), said system having means for producing, responsive to a failure, a plurality of error data, a machine implemented process for isolating and reporting an element failure in said system, said process comprising the steps of:
initially, detecting an element failure, followed by; (a) in response to said element failure producing a plurality of Fault Symptom Code error data structures (FSCs) each describing a fault symptom with associated probability data and one or more Failure Candidate (FC) identifiers, said FC identifiers including FRU identifiers (FIDs) each listing one or more FRUs and RC identifiers (CIDs) each listing one or more RCs, selected ones of said FC identifiers each further including isolation procedure data for isolating one of a plurality of said FRUs or RCs; (b) combining, for each said FID in said FSC plurality, said associated probability data with the number of times that said each FID is specified in said FSC plurality to produce a Weighted Failure Probability (WFP) for said each FID; and (c) selecting and reporting the FRU having the maximum said WFP value as a faulty FRU. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A fault reporting system for isolating and reporting a faulty element in a system having a plurality of elements including Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) each having one or more Replaceable Components (RCs), said fault reporting system comprising:
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error output means coupled to said faulty element for producing a plurality of error data structures including one or more Fault Symptom Codes (FSCs) each describing a fault symptom with associated probability data and one or more Failure Candidate (FC) identifiers, said FC identifiers including FRU identifiers (FIDs) each listing one or more FRUs and RC identifiers (CIDs) each listing one or more RCs, selected ones of said FC identifiers each further including isolation procedure data for isolating one of a plurality of said FRUs or RCs; first combining means coupled to said error output means for combining said associated probability data with the number of times that said each FRU is specified in said FSC plurality to produce a Weighted Failure Probability (WFP) for said each FID; and FRU output means coupled to said combining means and said error output means for selecting and reporting said FRU having the maximum said WFP value as a faulty FRU. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification