Fault notification system and process using local area network

• US 6,038,689 A
• Filed: 08/21/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Thomas J., Huppert, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Revak, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US08/915,771
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 395/185.01, 395/184.01, 395/183.19, 395/183.12, 395/133.07, 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/200.67, 340/825.16, 714/47, 714/48, 714/26, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 714/48
• 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 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0778 Dumping, i.e. gathering error/state information after a fault for later diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions

Abstract

A fault notification system detects the non-operational state of the computer, or other type of network device, and transmits network messages from the device to a monitoring system or control console in the case of a detected non-operational state. The network messages are constructed by the network device when it is operational, preferably by the operating system before any problem is detected. This message is then stored in some non-volatile storage medium, such as the BIOS memory in one embodiment. As a result, very limited operating system functionality must be replicated in the device BIOS. Only the actual transmitted message must be stored and the commands necessary to have the message sent. In some embodiments, an auxiliary processor is used to detect improper operation, preferably via a dedicated, secondary bus. It loads the relevant messages into the transport buffer for transmission to the monitoring system even where the computer'"'"'s CPU may not be operational.

Claims

1. A fault notification process for a network device connected to a monitoring system via a computer network, the notification process comprising:

constructing a network message prior to detection of a non-operational state of the network device, the network message signaling the non-operational state of the network device;

storing the network message;

detecting the non-operational state of the network device; and

transmitting the network message to the monitoring system in response to the non-operational state of the network device.

2. The notification process described in claim 1, wherein constructing the network message comprises including in the message an identification of the network device.

3. The notification process described in claim 1, wherein constructing the network message comprises including in the message a vendor code of the network device.

4. The notification process described in claim 1, wherein constructing the network message comprises including in the message a failure mode of the network device.

5. The notification process described in claim 1, wherein the network device is a client computer.

6. The notification process described in claim 1, wherein the network device is a network communications device.

7. The notification process described in claim 1, further comprising continuously transmitting the network message until reset.

8. The notification process described in claim 7, further comprising transmitting the network message with a duty cycle of several minutes.

9. The notification process described in claim 1, further comprising storing the network message in basic input/output system memory.

10. The notification process described in claim 9, further comprising the basic input/output system instructing a central processor to load the network message into a transmission system for transport to the monitoring system when an operating system fails to properly boot.

11. The notification process described in claim 1, further comprising forming the network message with an auxiliary processor that loads the network message into a transmission system of the network device.

12. A fault notification process as in claim 1 wherein the network message is constructed based on a computer network protocol.

13. A fault notification process for a network device connected to a monitoring system via a computer network, the notification process comprising:

constructing a network message, when the network device is operational, signaling a non-operational state of the network device;

storing the network message;

detecting and providing notification of the non-operational state of the network device by sending the network message a predetermined time after detecting power-up of the network device unless instructed otherwise by an operating system and/or basic input/output system.

14. The notification process described in claim 13, further comprising forming a new network message and sending the new message in response to a central processing unit detecting failures during a self-test sequence.

15. A fault notification process for a network device connected to a monitoring system via a computer network, the notification process comprising:

constructing a network message, with an auxiliary processor when the network device is operational, the message signaling a non-operational state of the network device;

storing the network message;

detecting the non-operational state of the network device;

the auxiliary processor transmitting the network message to a transmission system via a low speed bus; and

the transmission system transmitting the network message to the monitoring system.

16. The notification process described in claim 15, further comprising the auxiliary processor sending the network message a predetermined time after detecting power-up of the network device unless instructed otherwise by an operating system.

17. A fault notification system for a network device, comprising:

an operating system executing on a central processor of the network device that constructs a network message prior to detection of a non-operational state of the operating system, the network message signaling the non-operational state of the operating system;

a non-volatile memory that holds the network message; and

a transmission system that sends the network message to a monitoring system in response to the non-operational state of the operating system.

18. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the message identifies the network device.

19. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the message identifies a vendor of the network device.

20. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the message identifies a failure mode of the network device.

21. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the network device is a client computer.

22. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the network device is a network communications device.

23. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the transmission system continuously transmits the network message until reset.

24. The fault notification system described in claim 23, wherein a duty cycle of transmissions of the network message is several minutes.

25. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a basic input/output system memory.

26. The fault notification system described in claim 17, further comprising a basic input/output system that instructs the central processor to load the network message into the transmission system for transport to the monitoring system when the operating system fails to properly boot.

27. The fault notification system described in claim 17, wherein the non-volatile memory is accessible by the transmission system.

28. The fault notification system described in claim 27, wherein the transmission system comprises a network interface card.

29. The fault notification system described in claim 17, further comprising an auxiliary processor that loads the network message into the transmission system.

30. The fault notification system described in claim 29, wherein the auxiliary processor monitors the operation of the central processor.

31. The fault notification system described in claim 29, wherein the auxiliary processor is powered by an auxiliary power supply.

32. The fault notification system described in claim 29, wherein the auxiliary processor monitors an operating temperature of the network device and voltage generated by a power supply.

33. A fault notification process as in claim 17 wherein the network message is constructed based on a computer network protocol.

38. The fault notification system described in claim 32, wherein the bus is an integrated interconnect-type bus.

34. A fault notification system for a network device, comprising:

an operating system executing on a central processor of the network device that constructs a network message signaling a non-operational state of the operating system;

a non-volatile memory that holds the network message; and

a transmission system that accesses the non-volatile memory and sends the network message a predetermined time after detecting power-up of the network device unless instructed otherwise by the operating system.

35. A fault notification system for a network device comprising:

an operating system executing on a central processor of the network device that constructs a network message signaling a non-operational state of the operating system;

a non-volatile memory that holds the network message;

a timing system that is enabled in response to power-up of the network device; and

a transmission system that accesses the non-volatile memory and loads the network message into a transport buffer in response to power-up and sends the message if the timing system times-out unless disabled by the operating system.

36. A fault notification system comprising:

an operating system executing on a central processor of the network device that constructs a network message signaling a non-operational state of the operating system;

a non-volatile memory that holds the network message; and

a transmission system that accesses the non-volatile memory and sends the network message to a monitoring system in response to the non-operational state of the operating system;

wherein the central processing unit forms a new network message and the transmission system sends the new message in response to the central processing unit detecting failures during a self-test sequence.

37. A fault notification system for a network device, comprising:

an operating system executing on a central processor of the network device that constructs a network message signaling a non-operational state of the operating system;

a non-volatile memory that holds the network message;

a transmission system that sends the network message to a monitoring system in response to the non-operational state of the operating system; and

auxiliary processor that transmits the network message to a transport buffer of the transmission system via a dedicated bus to load the message in the transmission system.

39. A fault notification system for a network device, comprising:

an operating system executing on a central processor of the network device that constructs a network message signaling a non-operational state of the operating system;

a non-volatile memory that holds the network message;

a transmission system that sends the network message to a monitoring system in response to the non-operational state of the operating system; and

an auxiliary processor that loads the network message into the transmission system, the auxiliary processor triggering the sending of the network message a predetermined time after detecting power-up of the network device unless instructed otherwise by the operating system.

40. A fault notification system for a network device including a central processing unit, peripheral devices, and a main bus connecting the central processing unit to the peripheral devices, the system comprising:

a secondary bus;

an auxiliary processor that detects a fault condition of the device via the secondary bus and constructs a network message declaring the fault condition; and

a transmission system that receives the network message in a transport buffer via the secondary bus and sends the message to a monitoring system.

41. The fault notification system described in claim 40, wherein the auxiliary processor monitors the operation of the central processing unit.

42. The fault notification system described in claim 40, wherein the auxiliary processor is powered by an auxiliary power supply.

43. The fault notification system described in claim 40, wherein the auxiliary processor monitors an operating temperature of the network device and voltage generated by a power supply.

44. A fault notification system for a network device including a central processing unit, peripheral devices, and a main bus connecting the central processing unit to the peripheral devices, the system comprising:

an integrated interconnect-type bus in direct communication with the central processing unit;

an auxiliary processor that detects a fault condition of the device via the integrated interconnect-type bus and constructs a network message declaring the fault condition; and

a transmission system that sends the network message to a monitoring system.

45. A fault notification system for a network device including a central processing unit, peripheral devices, and a main bus connecting the central processing unit to the peripheral devices, the system comprising:

a secondary bus;

an auxiliary processor that detects a fault condition of the device via the secondary bus and constructs a network message declaring the fault condition; and

a transmission system that sends the network message to a monitoring system;

wherein the auxiliary processor sends the network message a predetermined time after detecting power-up of the network device unless instructed otherwise by an operating system executing on the central processing unit.