Computer management system

• US 6,199,180 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yuichi, Furukawa, Hiroshi, Sakurai, Shigeru, Murai, Masami, Tobita, Tsunehiro, Miyagawa, Yuji, Karasaki, Teiji, Washimi, Hiroaki, Ote, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Ly V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/475,057
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 714/31, 714/46, 714/47, 714/25, 714/39, 714/14, 714/22, 709/223, 709/224, 364/280.3, 713/300, 713/320, 713/340
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• 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 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• 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 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2205 using arrangements specific to the hardware being tested
• 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 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A computer management system includes an agent connected to a computer to be managed for executing instructions on the computer to be managed, a service processor board having a processor independent from the computer to be managed for monitoring fault in the computer to be managed and controlling power of the computer to be managed, a manager for executing instructions on a management computer and conducting controls such as fault monitoring and power control through the agent over a network including a public line, and a service processor manager directly connected to the service processor for conducting remote power-on and receiving and diagnosing critical fault. The service processor and the service processor manager are provided with switching circuits for switching an asynchronous interface for remotely connecting to the computer to be managed and an asynchronous interface for directly connecting to a local processor of the service processor.

Claims

1. A computer program stored in a tangible medium which, when executed, carries out a method of managing a fault in a computer system including a managed computer to be managed, a managing computer for managing said managed computer and a network for connecting said managing computer and said managed computer, said method comprising:

performing a processing on the managed computer for monitoring and recognizing a fault occurring within the managed computer based on a signal from a sensor which is provided in said managed computer in order to monitor a fault of the managed computer,

performing a processing on the managed computer for generating a fault event in order to inform said managed computer of a fault in response to the recognition of occurrence of the fault;

sending the fault event caused in said managed computer thereto and recording the sent fault event as a fault log; and

sending said fault event to said managing computer via the network.

2. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein portions of said computer program executed on said managed computer causes said fault event sent from said managed computer to be displayed on a display screen of said managing computer as a fault warning;

and a fault log recorded in said managed computer to be acquired therefrom and said fault log to be displayed on said managing computer display screen.

3. A computer program according to claim 2, wherein said managing computer in said computer managing system comprises a remote managing computer connected to said managed computer via a public communication line.

4. A computer program stored in a tangible medium which, when executed, carries out a power control method in a computer system including a managed computer to be managed, a managing computer for managing said managed computer and a network for connecting said managing computer and said managed computer, said method comprising:

performing a processing on the managing computer for sending information regarding power on-off of the managed computer inputted to said managing computer;

performing a processing on the managed computer based on the information regarding power on-off of the managed computer received from said managing computer;

controlling a power unit into power-on when said information indicates power on; and

sending a request for power-off to said managed computer when said information indicates power-off to control the power unit into power off after termination of a system operating on said managed computer.

5. A computer program according to claim 4, wherein portions of said program executed on said managed computer carries out the steps of:

acquiring a request for power-off from said managing computer, and sending said power-off request to a managing unit within said managed computer which controls the managed computer in accordance with an instruction from said managing computer;

sending said power-off request to a service processor board after completion of a system termination processing by issuing, through said managing unit which receives said power-off request, a system termination request to an operation system running on said managed computer; and

controlling the power unit into power-off through said service processor board which receives the power-off request.

6. A computer program according to claim 5, wherein said managing computer in said computer managing system comprises a remote managing computer connected to said managed computer via a public communication line.