Apparatus and method for high reliability PC platform telecommunications systems

• US 6,298,449 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Carter, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US09/127,121
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/2, 713/340, 714/6, 714/40, 714/14, 714/22, 714/2, 709/222, 711/173, 361/86
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations

Abstract

An integrated reliability enhancement device for providing high reliability operation of a personal computer is preferably embodied in an add-in card for insertion into a bus slot of the personal computer. The add-in card includes monitoring circuitry for detecting an array of events associated with operational failure of the computer including failure of a cooling fan, out-of-range temperature fluctuations within the computer housing, out-of-range deviations in power supply input voltage, out-of-range deviations in power supply output voltage, and out-of-range deviations in line current consumption by the computer. Upon detection of one of the events, data associated with the failure is written into an add-in card memory which is accessed periodically by application software of the host computer. The application software can be configured to respond to detection of the event by executing any combination of notification procedures, which include writing event data into a host computer error log memory, displaying a message on a host computer monitor, transmitting a simple network protocol SNMP message via a local area network, enabling a relay contact alarm output on the add-in card, and transmitting a message from a service modem on the add-in card. A plain-old-telephone service (POTS) line interface on the add-in card enables a remote user to access event data from the add-in card memory and to enable a remote reboot control to reboot the host computer. A power supply control automatically enables a secondary power supply in response to detection of a primary power supply failure by the monitoring circuitry.

Claims

1. A system for enabling continued operation of a host computer powered by a first host computer power supply, said system comprising:

an integrated reliability enhancement device connected for cooperative interaction with said host computer so as to maintain said host computer in an operational state, said integrated reliability enhancement device comprising;

(a) monitoring circuitry configured for recognizing a plurality of conditions associated with potential operational malfunctions of said host computer;

(b) redundant power supply control, responsive to said monitoring circuitry, configured to enable a second host computer power supply in response to detection by said monitoring circuitry of a failure of a first host computer power supply, said second host computer power supply being connected to supply power to said host computer;

(c) a remote reboot control configured to initiate rebooting of said host computer in response to a remotely generated reboot request when said second host computer power supply being connected to supply power to said host computer;

(d) means, responsive to said monitoring circuitry, for providing notification to a remote device upon detection by said monitoring circuitry of one of said conditions associated with said potential operational malfunctions of said host computer; and

(e) memory having stored data representative of a history of said potential operational malfunctions, said memory being an internal and dedicated member of said integrated reliability enhancement device and being configured to provide said data to said host computer in response to a data request, said means for providing notification being responsive to command signals from said host computer to provide said notification to said remote device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said integrated reliability enhancement device is a printed circuit board having on-board electrical circuitry and wherein said means for providing remote notification includes a communications network interface, said memory being on-board memory and being responsive to a data request received via said interface to provide said potential malfunction data to said communications network interface for transmission over a communications network.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising application software associated with said host computer for monitoring said memory for a presence of said malfunction data, said application software having a plurality of selectively enabled alarm modes wherein said alarm modes include (1) remote notification to a communication device of said potential malfunction, (2) entry of at least a portion of said malfunction data into a host computer error log, and (3) display of a message on a local data presentation device associated with said host computer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for providing remote notification includes means for accessing a service modem and an external alarm control, said enhancement device being an add-in card having an edge connector for connection to a bus slot of said host computer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said integrated reliability enhancement device further comprises a communications network interface, said remote reboot control being configured to receive said remotely generated reboot request via both a local area network (LAN) card of said host computer and said communications network interface on said integrated reliability enhancement device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said integrated reliability enhancement device further comprises:

memory having stored voice information;

an interface configured for connection to a station port of a private branch exchange (PBX) via a main switch of said PBX; and

a processor responsive to test signals received from a remotely located communication device via said main switch to access said voice information from said memory for transmission to said remotely located communication device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said monitoring circuitry includes (1) fan fault detection circuitry configured to detect an operational malfunction of a cooling fan in said host computer, (2) temperature detection circuitry adapted for detecting a temperature in excess of a predetermined threshold temperature, (3) line voltage deviation detection circuitry configured to detect a deviation from a predetermined range in line voltage supplied to said host computer, (4) line current deviation detection circuitry configured to detect a deviation from a predetermined range of line current consumption by said host computer, and (5) power supply output voltage deviation detection circuitry configured to detect a deviation in power supply output voltage associated with a power failure.

8. A method for enabling continued operation of a host computer in a fault condition utilizing an integrated reliability enhancement device comprising the steps of:

utilizing monitoring circuitry of said integrated reliability enhancement device to monitor said host computer for predetermined events associated with host computer malfunctions;

storing event data representative of an occurrence of one of said predetermined events in local memory dedicated to said integrated reliability enhancement device, said local memory being an internal member of said integrated reliability enhancement device;

providing said event data to said host computer in response to a request generated by host computer application software;

utilizing a redundant power supply controller of said integrated reliability enhancement device to enable a second power supply which enables said host computer as a response to detecting said failure of said first external power supply; and

performing remote notification of said occurrence of said event;

monitoring a communications port on said integrated reliability enhancement device for a remotely generated reboot request to reboot said host computer, said monitoring step including monitoring a first external power supply for a failure which disable said host computer; and

initiating a rebooting procedure from said integrated reliability enhancement device in response to said remotely generated request if said reboot request is received.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of initiating said rebooting procedure includes receiving said reboot request command via one of a LAN card of said host computer and a communications network interface on said integrated reliability enhancement device.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

receiving said event data at said host computer;

entering at least a portion of said event data into an error log file in said host computer in response to receiving said event data; and

transmitting a notification of said event occurrence from said host computer to a remotely located communication device.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of receiving a request for said event data from a remotely located communication device via a telecommunications network interface on said integrated reliability enhancement device, said step of performing said remote notification including transmitting said event data to said remotely located communication device via said communications network interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of transmitting said event data includes providing an option to said remotely located communication device to transmit said reboot request.

13. A system for enabling continued operation of a host computer in a fault condition, said host computer being connected to receive power from first and second power supplies, said system comprising:

a circuit card connected to a bus slot of said host computer, said circuit card including;

first circuitry for detecting events associated with host computer failures;

an event register operatively associated with said first circuitry for storing event data representative of a history of a potential operational malfunctions of said host computer, said event register being an internal and dedicated member of said circuit card and being configured to provide said event data to host computer in response to a data request;

a communications interface in communication with said event register and with a communications network for transmitting notification of said event data via said communications network;

an alarm control responsive to detecting at least one of said events to activate an alarm; and

a power supply control associated with said first and second power supplies and configured to automatically enable said second power supply in response to detection by said first circuitry that said host computer is disabled by a failure of said first power supply; and

a remote reboot control configured to initiate rebooting of said host computer in response to a remotely generated reboot request when said second host computer power supply being connected to supply power to said host computer.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said event register is configured to provide said event data to said host computer in response to a data request, said alarm control being configured to activate said alarm in response to a command received from said host computer.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising reboot control circuitry configured to receive reboot command signals via said communications interface.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising host computer application software having multiple alarm modes responsive to detection of said events associated with said host computer failures, said alarm modes including (1) remote notification over a data network, (2) event data entry into a host computer error log, and (3) message display on a local data presentation device.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said communications interface is configured for connection to a station port of a private branch exchange (PBX), said event register including voice data and being responsive to test signals received from a remotely located communication device via said PBX to provide said voice information to said communications interface for transmission to said remotely located communication device.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said first circuitry is configured to monitor for a host computer cooling fan failure, a deviation of host computer internal temperature from a predetermined range, and a host computer power supply failure.