Method for automatically reporting a system failure in a server

• US 6,243,838 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• 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, Nguyen, Ken, Liu, Ji-hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): BADERMAN, SCOTT T
• Application Number:
  US08/942,168
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 714/57, 714/48, 714/723, 714/43, 709/224
• US Class Current: 714/57
• 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 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2268 Logging of test results
• 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 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps

Abstract

A method of reporting a system failure in a server system, which includes the following acts: detecting a system failure condition; transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to a system recorder; storing the failure information into a system log; sending an event signal to a system interface; and reporting an occurrence of an event to a central processing unit of the server system.

Claims

1. A method of reporting a system failure in a server system, comprising:

detecting a system failure condition;

transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to an independently functional system recorder;

storing the failure information related to the failure condition in a system log;

reporting an occurrence of an event; and

accessing the system log to read the failure information from the system log.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein

the act of reporting an occurrence of an event comprises reporting the occurrence of the event to a central processing unit of the server system.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising notifying an operator of the system failure.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the act of notifying an operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the central processing unit.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining when the failure condition occurred and storing a representation of when the failure condition occurred in the system log.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the central processing unit comprises:

sending an event signal to a system interface, coupled to the central processing unit;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the system interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

sending an interrupt signal to the central processing unit after the bit is set, wherein, upon receiving the interrupt signal the central processing unit reads a status register within the system interface to ascertain that the event signal has been received by the system interface.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising reading the bit vector to ascertain a type of event.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the central processing unit comprises:

sending an event signal to a system interface, coupled to the central processing unit;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the system interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

setting a status of a status register within the system interface to indicate the occurrence of the event, wherein the central processing unit monitors the status register within the system interface at specified periodic intervals.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising reading the bit vector to ascertain a type of event.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising reporting the occurrence of the event to a local computer connected to server system via a remote interface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the local computer comprises:

sending an event signal to the remote interface;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the remote interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

notifying the local computer that the event signal has been received by the remote interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the act of notifying the local computer comprises transmitting a ready-to-read signal to the local computer, wherein, upon receiving the ready-to-read signal, the local computer interrogates the remote interface to ascertain that the bit in the bit vector has been set.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising notifying a local operator, who is using the local computer, of the system failure.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the act of notifying the local operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the local computer.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising accessing the system log through the local computer to read the failure information.

16. The method of claim 2 further comprising reporting the occurrence of the event to a remote computer connected to the server system via a remote interface, wherein the remote computer is connected to the remote interface via a modem-to-modem connection.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the remote computer comprises:

sending an event signal to the remote interface;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the remote interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

notifying the remote computer that the event signal has been received by the remote interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the act of notifying the remote computer comprises:

automatically calling a phone number corresponding to a modem coupled to the remote computer, wherein, upon receiving the call, the remote computer interrogates the remote interface to ascertain that the bit in the bit vector has been set.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

verifying that the remote computer is authorized to access the server system via the remote interface; and

verifying that a communication link has been established between the remote computer and the remote interface.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising notifying a remote operator, who is using the remote computer, of the system failure.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the act of notifying the remote operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the remote computer.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising accessing the system log through the remote computer to read the failure information.

23. A method of reporting a system failure in a server system, comprising:

detecting a system failure condition;

transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to an independently functional system recorder;

assigning a time value to the failure information;

storing the failure information and its time value in a system log;

reporting an occurrence of an event to a central processing unit coupled to the server system;

accessing the system log to read the failure information from the system log; and

communicating failure information from the system log to an operator.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event comprises:

sending an event signal to a system interface, coupled to the central processing unit;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the system interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

sending an interrupt signal to the central processing unit after the bit is set, wherein, upon receiving the interrupt signal the central processing unit reads a status register within the system interface to ascertain that the event signal has been received by the system interface.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising reading the bit vector.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the central processing unit comprises:

sending an event signal to a system interface, coupled to the central processing unit;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the system interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

setting a status of a status register within the system interface to indicate the occurrence of the event, wherein the central processing unit monitors the status register within the system interface at specified periodic intervals.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising reading the bit vector.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the specified type of failure is selected from a group consisting of:

a central processing unit failure, a power supply failure, a fan failure, a canister failure, and a temperature failure.

29. A method of reporting a system failure in a server system, comprising:

detecting a system failure condition;

transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to an independently functional system recorder;

assigning a time value to the failure information;

storing the failure information and its time value in a system log;

reporting an occurrence of an event to a local computer coupled to the server system via a remote interface;

accessing the system log to read the failure information from the system log; and

communicating failure information from the system log to an operator.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the local computer comprises:

sending an event signal to the remote interface;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the remote interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

notifying the local computer that the event signal has been received by the remote interface.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the act of notifying the local computer comprises transmitting a ready-to-read signal to the local computer, wherein, upon receiving the ready-to-read signal, the local computer interrogates the remote interface to ascertain that the bit in the bit vector has been set.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising notifying a local operator, who is using the local computer, of the system failure.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the act of notifying the local operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the local computer.

34. A method of reporting a system failure in a server system, comprising:

detecting a system failure condition;

transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to an independently functional system recorder;

assigning a time value to the failure information;

storing the failure information and its time value in a system log;

reporting an occurrence of an event to a remote computer coupled to the server system via a remote interface, wherein the remote computer is connected to the remote interface via a modem connection;

accessing the system log to read the failure information from the system log; and

communicating failure information from the system log to an operator.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the event to the remote computer comprises:

sending an event signal to the remote interface;

setting a bit in a bit vector within the remote interface, wherein the setting of the bit corresponds to a specified type of system failure; and

notifying the remote computer that the event signal has been received by the remote interface.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the act of notifying the remote computer comprises:

automatically calling a phone number corresponding to a modem coupled to the remote computer, wherein, upon receiving the call, the remote computer interrogates the remote interface to ascertain that the bit in the bit vector has been set.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

verifying that the remote computer is authorized to access the server system via the remote interface; and

verifying that a communication link has been established between the remote computer and the remote interface.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising notifying a remote operator, who is using the remote computer, of the system failure.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the act of notifying the remote operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the remote computer.

40. A method of reporting a system failure in a server system, comprising:

detecting a system failure condition;

transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to an independently functional system recorder;

storing the failure information in a system log; and

executing a central processing unit operation in response to detecting a system failure condition, wherein the central processing unit operation comprises accessing the system log to read the failure information stored therein.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the central processing unit operation comprises notifying an operator of the system failure.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the act of notifying an operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the central processing unit.