Data processing system diagnostics
First Claim
1. A data processing system comprising:
- a non-volatile memory having code stored therein for performing diagnostics testing on portions of said data processing system;
diagnostic test indicator means settable by a signal from a controlling computer system remote from said data processing system, said signal requesting that diagnostics testing is to be performed on said data processing system; and
means, operable during power-on of said data processing system, to check a status of said indicator means and on a determination that diagnostics testing is to be performed, to cause the execution of said diagnostics testing code from said non-volatile memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method provides remote diagnostics testing of a data processing system. Diagnostics testing code is stored in a non-volatile memory in the system. A diagnostic test indicator (e.g., in the form of flag in a CMOS RAM) is settable by a signal from a controlling computer system remote from the data processing system. The signal requests that diagnostics testing is to be performed on the data processing system. When the data processing system is rebooted, the CMOS flag is checked and if found to be set, the diagnostics code is invoked and diagnostic testing is performed. When the diagnostics testing is complete and results have been logged in the non-volatile storage, the code causes the flag to be reset and the data processing system to be rebooted. The results are transferred, on request, to the remote controlling computer system for analysis.
61 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A data processing system comprising:
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a non-volatile memory having code stored therein for performing diagnostics testing on portions of said data processing system;
diagnostic test indicator means settable by a signal from a controlling computer system remote from said data processing system, said signal requesting that diagnostics testing is to be performed on said data processing system; and
means, operable during power-on of said data processing system, to check a status of said indicator means and on a determination that diagnostics testing is to be performed, to cause the execution of said diagnostics testing code from said non-volatile memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of performing remotely-initiated diagnostic testing of a data processing system, the data processing system including non-volatile memory for storing diagnostics testing code operable to perform diagnostics testing on the data processing system, the method comprising steps of:
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in response to a command from a remote computer system requesting performance of diagnostics testing, setting diagnostic indicator means in the data processing system;
on power-on of the data processing system, checking a status of the indicator means; and
on a determination that the indicator means is set, executing the diagnostics testing code.
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12. A data processing system comprising:
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a non-volatile memory having code stored therein for performing diagnostics testing on portions of said data processing system;
remote controller means for setting a diagnostic test indicator on said data processing system,; and
means to check during power-on, the status of said diagnostic test indicator and on a determination that diagnostics test indicator has been set, to cause the execution of said diagnostics testing code from said non-volatile memory, wherein said non-volatile memory further comprising means for storing results generated during execution of said diagnostics testing code. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification