System for mapping environmental resources to memory for program access

• US 6,122,758 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Nguyen, Ken, Johnson, Karl S., Amdahl, Carlton G., Wallach, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US08/942,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/42, 714/47, 714/48-57, 364/130, 364/131, 364/148.01, 702/57, 702/58, 702/59, 702/60, 702/63, 702/64, 702/65, 702/104, 702/130, 702/132, 713/340
• US Class Current: 714/47.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A network of microcontrollers for monitoring and diagnosing the environmental conditions of a computer is disclosed. The network of microcontrollers provides a management system by which computer users can accurately gauge the health of their computer. The network of microcontrollers provides users the ability to detect system fan speeds, internal temperatures and voltage levels. The invention is designed to not only be resilient to faults, but also allows for the system maintenance, modification, and growth--without downtime. Additionally, the present invention allows users to replace failed components, and add new functionality, such as new network interfaces, disk interface cards and storage, without impacting existing users. One of the primary roles of the present invention is to manage the environment without outside involvement. This self-management allows the system to continue to operate even though components have failed.

Claims

1. A system for mapping environmental resources to network addressable memory, comprising:

a computer including a memory;

a plurality of sensors capable of sensing conditions of the computer; and

a microcontroller network, comprising a plurality of interconnected microcontrollers, connected to the sensors and the computer, wherein the computer communicates requests to the sensors by a mapping operation from a global memory address to specific network addresses on the microcontroller network.

2. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising an actuator, connected to the microcontroller network, capable of controlling power to a device, wherein the computer communicates requests to the actuator by mapping operation from a global memory address to a specific network address on the microcontroller network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is a temperature sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is a voltage detector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors senses the presence of a canister containing adapter slots.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcontrollers are interconnected by an I² C bus.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the global memory address is contained in a management information block (MIB) object.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers includes an identifier for a cooling system.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers includes an identifier for a system log.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers includes an identifier for a canister system.

16. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers includes an identifier for a watchdog timer system.

17. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers includes an identifier for a flash memory.

18. The system of claim 4, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers is connected by an I² C bus.

19. The system of claim 4, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers is configured to read and write messages to and from a system log.

8. An environmental monitoring and diagnostic computer system comprising:

a sensor;

a distributed network of microcontrollers connected to the sensor, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers is dedicated to provide environmental management functionality;

a central processor; and

an interface, wherein access to the distributed network of microcontrollers is available through network addressable memory operations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers includes at least one microcontroller controlling the power to a canister containing adapter slots.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers includes at least one microcontroller controlling the speed of at least one system fan.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers includes at least one microcontroller controlling communications with an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus.

12. An environmental monitoring and diagnostic computer system comprising:

a plurality of sensors;

a distributed network of microcontrollers connected to the sensors, wherein the distributed network of microcontrollers is dedicated to provide environmental management functionality;

a central processor; and

a program storage device containing a plurality of unique identifiers for each sensor function provided by the network of microcontrollers.