Management shutdown and reset of embedded systems

• US 6,230,181 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pandey, Chandra S., D'Souza, Christian A., Dempsey, Michael P., Mitchell, Craig G., Salzman, Scot W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BANANKHAH, MAJID A
• Application Number:
  US08/963,402
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/101, 709/102, 709/103, 709/104, 709/105, 709/106, 709/108
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown

Abstract

A system for shutting down and resetting an embedded system having a general purpose computing platform. A shutdown management driver generates a management reset according to a predetermined set of shutdown conditions. The shutdown and reset manager receive the management reset signal and initiate a shutdown of the operating system. When the operating system has shutdown, the second receipt of the management reset signal initiates a hardware reset.

Claims

1. A system for shutting down an embedded system having a general purpose computing platform comprising:

a storage system, the general purpose computing platform being operable to execute a plurality of general purpose applications stored in the storage system, said general purpose applications being operable to provide a user with computing functions during execution;

an operating system operable to provide resources for an embedded application and general purpose computing, the embedded application operable to create and maintain a plurality of temporary data files, the storage system being operable to store the plurality of temporary data files and to close the temporary data files during an orderly shutdown of the operating system;

the embedded application operable to perform selected real-time functions using the temporary data files, the embedded application comprising hardware and software components for monitoring at least one shutdown condition and a shutdown management driver operable to generate a management reset in response to at least one shutdown condition; and

a shutdown and reset manager for sensing said management reset, said shutdown and reset manager being operable to initiate the orderly shutdown of the operating system in response to the reset signal and to complete the orderly shutdown when the storage system has closed the temporary data files, thereby preventing the destruction of the temporary data files.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said shutdown management driver further generates a second management reset;

and

said shutdown and reset manager generates a hardware reset in response to the second management reset.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a display device for displaying a shutdown status message.

23. The embedded system of claim 1 wherein the embedded application uses the storage system for memory resources, the embedded application being operable to shutdown when the shutdown and reset manager completes the orderly shutdown.

24. The embedded system of claim 23 wherein the embedded application is stored in memory on a card connected to a bus system on the computing system, the card comprising an embedded processor for performing the embedded application.

25. The embedded system of claim 24 wherein the card comprising the embedded application further includes a reset button to generate a second reset signal when a user presses the reset button, the second reset signal operable to generate a hardware reset, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the embedded system.

4. An embedded system comprising:

a general purpose computing platform comprising a processor and a storage system, the general purpose computing platform being operable to execute a plurality of general purpose applications stored in the storage system, said general purpose applications being operable to provide a user with computing functions during execution;

an operating system executing in the general purpose computing platform, the operating system operable to provide computing resources to the general-purpose applications, the storage system being operable to store a plurality of temporary data files and to close the temporary data files during an orderly shutdown of the operating system;

an embedded application to perform selected real-time functions, the embedded application operable to create and maintain the plurality of temporary data files the embedded application comprising hardware and software components for monitoring at least one shutdown condition and a shutdown management driver operable to generate at least one reset signal in response to the shutdown condition; and

a shutdown and reset manager in the general purpose computing platform, the shutdown and reset manager operable to receive the reset signal and to initiate the orderly shutdown of the operating system in response to the reset signal and to complete the orderly shutdown when the storage system has closed the temporary data files.

5. The embedded system of claim 4 wherein:

the embedded application comprises a plurality of cards connected to the general purpose computing platform by a bus system; and

wherein each said card includes the hardware and software components for monitoring the at least one shutdown condition.

6. The embedded system of claim 5 wherein:

the embedded application further comprises a management card having the shutdown and reset management driver, the management card connected to the plurality of cards by the bus system to receive the at least one shutdown condition and to input the at least one shutdown condition to the shutdown and reset management driver.

7. The embedded system of claim 6 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes an over temperature condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

8. The embedded system of claim 7 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over temperature condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the embedded system.

9. The embedded system of claim 6 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes an over voltage condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

10. The embedded system of claim 9 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over voltage condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the embedded system.

11. The embedded system of claim 6 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes a loss of power good condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

12. The embedded system of claim 11 wherein the shutdown management driver generates a second management reset signal when a power good condition is sensed by the shutdown management driver.

13. The embedded system of claim 6 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes a system lockup condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

14. The embedded system of claim 13 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the system lockup condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the embedded system.

15. The embedded system of claim 6 wherein the hardware and software components includes a watchdog timer and the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the watchdog timer on the plurality of cards includes a watch dog timer timeout.

16. The embedded system of claim 6 further comprising a chassis to support the plurality of cards of the embedded application wherein the management card further comprises hardware and software components for monitoring at least one shutdown condition for the chassis.

17. The embedded system of claim 16 wherein the at least one shutdown condition for the chassis includes an over temperature condition in the chassis.

18. The embedded system of claim 17 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over temperature condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the embedded system.

19. The embedded system of claim 17 wherein the at least one shutdown condition for the chassis includes an over voltage condition in the chassis.

20. The embedded system of claim 19 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over voltage condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the embedded system.

21. The embedded system of claim 12 wherein the hardware and software components includes a chassis watchdog timer and the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the chassis watchdog timer on the plurality of cards includes a watch dog timer timeout.

22. The embedded system of claim 4 further comprising:

a display device for displaying a shutdown status message.

45. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the telephone line interface and network access application uses the storage system for memory resources, the telephone line interface and network access application being operable to shutdown when the shutdown and reset manager completes the orderly shutdown.

46. The improvement of claim 45 wherein the telephone line interface and network access application is stored in memory on a card connected to the high-speed bus on the network access server, the card comprising an embedded processor for performing the telephone line interface and network access application.

47. The improvement of claim 46 wherein the card comprising the telephone line interface and network access application further includes a reset button to generate a second reset signal when a user presses the reset button, the second reset signal operable to generate a hardware reset, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the network access server.

26. An improvement to a network access server for providing network communications control, the network access server comprising:

a general purpose computing platform comprising a processor and a storage system, the general purpose computing platform being operable to execute a plurality of general purpose applications stored in the storage system, said general purpose applications being operable to provide a user with computing functions during execution;

an operating system executing in the general purpose computing platform, the operating system operable to provide computing resources to the general-purpose applications;

a telephone line interface and network access application comprising at least one telephone line interface connected to a computer network interface by a high-speed bus, the telephone line interface and network access application operable to perform network access functions and to create and maintain a plurality of temporary data files and to store the plurality of temporary data files in the storage system,

the improvement comprising;

the telephone line interface and network access application comprising hardware and software components for monitoring at least one shutdown condition and a shutdown management driver operable to generate at least one reset signal in response to the shutdown condition; and

a shutdown and reset manager in the general purpose computing platform, the shutdown and reset manager operable to receive the reset signal and to initiate an orderly shutdown of the operating system in response to the reset signal, the storage system being operable to store a plurality of temporary data files and to close the temporary data files during the orderly shutdown of the operating system.

27. The improvement of claim 26 wherein:

the telephone line interface and network access application comprises a plurality of cards connected to the general purpose computing platform by the high-speed bus; and

wherein each said card includes the hardware and software components for monitoring the at least one shutdown condition.

28. The improvement of claim 27 wherein:

the telephone line interface and network access application further comprises a management card having the shutdown and reset management driver, the management card connected to the plurality of cards by the high-speed bus to receive the at least one shutdown condition and to input the at least one shutdown condition to the shutdown and reset management driver.

29. The improvement of claim 28 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes an over temperature condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

30. The improvement of claim 29 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over temperature condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the network access server.

31. The improvement of claim 28 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes an over voltage condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

32. The improvement of claim 31 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over voltage condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the network access server.

33. The improvement of claim 28 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes a loss of power good condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

34. The improvement of claim 33 wherein the shutdown management driver generates a second management reset signal when a power good condition is sensed by the shutdown management driver.

35. The improvement of claim 28 wherein the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the hardware and software components on the plurality of cards includes a system lockup condition on a selected one of the plurality of cards.

36. The improvement of claim 35 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the system lockup condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the network access server.

37. The improvement of claim 28 wherein the hardware and software components includes a watchdog timer and the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the watchdog timer on the plurality of cards includes a watch dog timer timeout.

38. The improvement of claim 28 further comprising a chassis to support the plurality of cards of the telephone line interface and network access application wherein the management card further comprises hardware and software components for monitoring at least one shutdown condition for the chassis.

39. The improvement of claim 38 wherein the at least one shutdown condition for the chassis includes an over temperature condition in the chassis.

40. The improvement of claim 39 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over temperature condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the network access server.

41. The improvement of claim 39 wherein the at least one shutdown condition for the chassis includes an over voltage condition in the chassis.

42. The improvement of claim 41 wherein the shutdown and reset manager is operable to generate a hardware reset when the shutdown management driver generates the reset signal in response to the over voltage condition, said hardware reset being operable to re-initialize the network access server.

43. The improvement of claim 28 wherein the hardware and software components includes a chassis watchdog timer and the at least one shutdown condition monitored by the chassis watchdog timer on the plurality of cards includes a watch dog timer timeout.

44. The improvement of claim 27 further comprising:

a display device for displaying a shutdown status message.

48. The improvement of claim 27 wherein the operating system is the WINDOWS operating system from Microsoft.

49. A method for shutting down an embedded system having a general-purpose computing platform, an operating system, a storage system and an embedded application, the method comprising the steps of:

the embedded application opening and maintaining a plurality of temporary data files;

detecting a shutdown condition and generating a reset signal in response to the shutdown condition;

receiving the reset signal at a shutdown and reset manager in the general purpose computing platform;

the shutdown and reset manager initiating an orderly shutdown of the operating system in response to the reset signal by a method comprising the step of saving any open temporary files; and

completing the shutdown of the operating system after the open temporary files have been saved.