System for reading system log

• US 6,138,250 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Karl S., Nouri, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US08/942,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.54, 395/200.55, 709/224, 709/225, 714/31
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• 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 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3065 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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: H04L 12/12 : Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A fault tolerant computer system for downloading the contents of a server system log through either a local or remote client machine without intervention of the server operating system software. The remote machine accesses the server by use of a dial-in modem connection, while the local machine accesses the server by a local serial connection. The system log may be stored in a non-volatile RAM which is powered by a remote interface if the server power is off. The downloaded information is displayed in a graphical user interface window to enable diagnosis and recovery of the server.

Claims

1. A system for reading a system log for a computer, the system comprising:

a first computer;

a microcontroller capable of providing to the first computer a read system log signal;

a remote interface connected to the microcontroller; and

a second computer connected to the first computer via the remote interface and communicating a read system log command to the microcontroller.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first computer additionally comprises a log memory.

3. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the log memory is connected to the microcontroller.

4. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the microcontroller provides the read system log signal to the log memory.

5. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the remote interface includes an external port for connection to the second computer.

6. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the second computer is at the same location as the first computer.

7. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the second computer is at a location remote to the first computer.

8. The system defined in claim 7, additionally comprising a pair of modems, wherein a first modem connects to the first computer and a second modem connects to the second computer.

9. The system defined in claim 8, wherein each modem further connects to the public switched telephone network.

10. The system defined in claim 8, wherein each modem further connects to a cable network.

11. The system defined in claim 8, wherein each modem facilitates connection to a satellite.

12. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the remote interface includes a remote interface microcontroller that connects via a bus to the microcontroller.

13. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the remote interface is responsive to a command sent from the second computer to read the log memory.

14. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the first computer stores event information.

15. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the second computer displays the event information.

16. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the event information is stored in a system log.

17. The system defined in claim 16, wherein the system log is stored in the log memory.

18. The system defined in claim 16, wherein the system log is stored in a non-volatile, random access memory (NVRAM).

19. The system defined in claim 18, wherein the NVRAM is accessed by a microcontroller.

20. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the remote interface includes a power source independent of a power source for the first computer.

21. The system defined in claim 20, wherein the independent power source facilitates reading of the log memory when the first computer power source is inoperable or operating below a threshold power level.

22. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the first computer additionally comprises a real-time clock.

23. The system defined in claim 22, wherein the real-time clock is connected to the microcontroller.

24. The system defined in claim 22, wherein the real-time clock provides a time stamp that is stored in the log memory.

31. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the second computer receives response data through the remote interface based on the results of the read system log command.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the remote interface includes a remote interface memory for storing the response data.

33. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the remote interface is connected to and proximately located to the first computer.

34. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the remote interface comprises a circuit having a remote interface microcontroller and a remote interface memory, wherein the remote interface memory is connected to the remote interface microcontroller.

25. A system for reading a system log on a computer, the system comprising:

a log memory;

a microcontroller connected to the log memory;

a first computer storing event information in the log memory;

a remote interface connected to the microcontroller; and

a second computer connected to the first computer via the remote interface and communicating a read system log command to the microcontroller.

26. The system defined in claim 25, wherein the remote interface is connected to and proximately located to the first computer.

27. The system defined in claim 25, wherein the remote interface includes a power source independent of a power source for the first computer.

28. The system defined in claim 27, wherein the independent power source facilitates reading of the log memory when the first computer power source is inoperable or operating below a threshold power level.

29. The system defined in claim 25, wherein the second computer receives response data through the remote interface based on the results of the command.

30. The system defined in claim 29, wherein the remote interface comprises a circuit having a remote interface microcontroller and a remote interface memory, wherein the remote interface memory is connected to the remote interface microcontroller and stores the response data.

35. A microcontroller network for diagnosing and managing the conditions of a computer, the microcontroller network comprising:

a microcontroller bus; and

a plurality of microcontrollers that are interconnected by the microcontroller bus and wherein the microcontrollers manage the conditions of the computer, and wherein a selected one of the microcontrollers maintains a system log in a non-volatile random access memory.

36. A microcontroller network for diagnosing and managing the conditions of a computer, the microcontroller network comprising:

a memory;

a microcontroller bus; and

a plurality of microcontrollers that are interconnected by the microcontroller bus, wherein a one of the microcontrollers is connected to the memory and stores information indicative of the conditions of the computer in the memory.

37. The microcontroller network of claim 36, wherein the one microcontroller maintains a system log in the memory.

38. The microcontroller network of claim 36, wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile random access memory.