Communication system capable of exchanging software and restarting with all information preserved

• US 5,987,511 A
• Filed: 05/15/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wasel, Josef, Elixmann, Martin, Hauptmann, Steffen, Gunther, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patru, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/649,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.32, 395/200.5, 395/200.51, 395/200.52, 395/712, 709/202, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

A communication system with a control circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes an operating system for exchanging messages and user software, and a device for exchanging software. For a software component to be exchanged in a few milliseconds, a newly loaded software component, corresponding to a successor component, obtains states and messages from a service port of a stopped software component that is to be replaced, corresponding to a predecessor component. The successor component is restarted with the transferred states and messages.

Claims

1. A communication system with a control circuit, the circuit comprising:

an operating system and user software; and

means for exchanging software, wherein said operating system exchanges messages and wherein a newly loaded software component, corresponding to a successor component, receives all states and messages from a service port of a stopped software component to be replaced, corresponding to a predecessor component, and restarts with all of said copied states and messages, wherein an exchangeable software component comprises a thread, and wherein the thread comprises a first part for taking over and suitably converting the states and messages of the service port of an old software component and a second part for collecting the states of a process and the messages of the service port and wherein, in an event that there is a change of structure in the successor component relative to the predecessor component, the successor component carries out a state transformation.

2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an exchange manager loads and starts a software component.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a maintenance device supplies a new software component via a transmission medium to an exchange manager.

4. A computer system comprising:

a computer which includes an operating system and user software; and

means for exchanging software, wherein the operating system exchanges messages and wherein a newly loaded software component, corresponding to a successor component, receives all states and messages from a service port of a stopped software component to be replaced, corresponding to a predecessor component, and restarts with all of said copied states and message, wherein an exchangeable software component comprises a thread, and wherein the thread comprises a first part for taking over and suitably converting the states and messages of the service sort of an old software component and a second part for collecting the states of a process and the messages of the service port and wherein, in an event that there is a change of structure in the successor component relative to the predecessor component, the successor component carries out a state transformation.