System for operating a plurality of apparatuses based on accumulated operating times thereof to equalize the respective operating times of the apparatuses

• US 7,277,933 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kochi, Kazutaka, Iizuka, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/772,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,435 Days
• Field of Search: 709 22-224, 709/248, 714/1
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

An administrative server automatically manages the operating time of each of plural terminal equipments and promotes rotation between those having respective, longer and shorter operating times to thereby reduce the occurrence of trouble and improve operating efficiency. Respective operating times of a plurality of terminal equipments are measured and equalized at the expiry of a predetermined operation period tf. Rotation candidate terminal equipments are determined, based on their respective, accumulated operating times before the expiry of the predetermined operation period tx, and terminal equipments rotation messages are sent to the so determined rotation candidate terminal equipments. After an exchange of one of the rotation candidate terminal equipments with another, both are re-connected and the data associated with the one of the rotation candidate terminal equipments is downloaded onto the another rotation candidate terminal equipment. After the rotation is completed, operation of the respective terminal equipments resumes concurrently.

Claims

1. A system operating a plurality of information apparatuses, comprising:

a measuring unit measuring operating time of each of a plurality of information apparatuses;

a determining unit determining rotation candidates, among said plurality of information apparatuses, based on accumulated operating times of said respective information apparatuses with a view to equalizing the accumulated operating times of said respective information apparatuses and sending information apparatuses rotation messages to said rotation candidates;

a backup unit backup processing data stored in said rotation candidate information apparatuses in accordance with said rotation messages; and

a downloading unit for downloading said data associated with one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses on another of said rotation candidate information apparatuses after the rotation between said one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses and said another of said rotation candidate information apparatuses one has been completed.

2. The system operating a plurality of information apparatuses as set forth in claim 1, wherein said measuring unit measures the operating time of each of said information apparatuses which have replied to operating time confirming messages, sent thereto by said measuring unit, and holds a respective, accumulated operating time for each of said information apparatuses.

3. The system operating a plurality of information apparatuses as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit displaying said rotation messages on said respective rotation candidate information apparatuses; and

a backup unit performing a backup process by transferring, in accordance with said displayed rotation message, said data stored in said one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses from said, one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses to another location.

4. An administrative unit for managing a plurality of information apparatuses comprising:

a memory having backup areas where stored data, stored in said respective information apparatuses, can be stored separately for each of said information apparatuses;

an operating time measuring unit measuring respective, accumulated operating times for said plurality of information apparatuses; and

a control unit determining rotation candidates, among said plurality of information apparatuses, with a view to equalizing the respective, accumulated operating times of said plurality of information apparatuses, directing said rotation candidate information apparatuses to perform a backup process of said stored data and further directing said respective information apparatuses to resume the operation thereof after the rotation of said rotation candidate information apparatuses has been completed.

5. An administrative unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein said operating time measuring unit confirms the receipt of replies to messages sent to said respective information apparatuses and then starts to measure the operating times of said respective information apparatuses.

6. An administrative unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein said control unit sends information apparatuses rotation messages to said rotation candidate information apparatuses, when said rotation candidate information apparatuses are determined, and directs said rotation candidate information apparatuses to display said messages.

7. An information apparatus adapted to be connected to an administrative unit, comprising:

a memory storing whole data relevant to operating environments associated with said information apparatus;

a display unit displaying an information apparatus rotation message from said administrative unit;

an input unit operating said information apparatus in accordance with a direction of said displayed rotation message; and

a controller unit executing a backup process of said data stored in said memory on said administrative unit by performing a rotation operation in accordance with a direction of said message.

8. The information apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein after having executed said backup process of said data stored in said memory on said administrative unit, said controller unit downloads whole contents, relevant to operating environments associated with another information apparatus which is backed up in said administrative unit on said memory.

9. The information apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said control unit sends a reply message, indicating that said information apparatus is in operation, when said control means receives an operation confirming message.

10. An information apparatuses control method, comprising:

during a predetermined operation period for a plurality of information apparatuses, determining rotation candidate information apparatuses among said plurality of information apparatuses based on accumulated operating times of said respective information apparatuses with a view to equalizing the accumulated operating times of said respective information apparatuses;

performing a backup process of data associated with said rotation candidate information apparatuses; and

performing a download process of said data associated with one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses on another of said rotation candidate information apparatuses after the rotation between said one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses and said another of said rotation candidate information apparatuses has been completed.

11. A information apparatus control method, comprising:

when receiving replies from a plurality of information apparatus to operation confirming messages sent thereto, measuring operating time of each of said information apparatus from which said replies have been received and holding accumulated operating times of said respective information apparatuses;

determining rotation candidate information apparatuses among said plurality of information apparatuses based on the accumulated operating times with a view to equalizing the accumulated operating times of said respective information apparatuses;

sending information apparatuses rotation messages to said rotation candidate information apparatuses;

backup processing stored data of said rotation candidate information apparatuses in accordance with said messages;

downloading said data associated with one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses on another of said rotation candidate information apparatuses after the rotation between said one of said rotation candidate information apparatuses and said another of said rotation candidate information apparatuses has been completed; and

resuming the operation of said respective information apparatuses after the rotation among all said rotation candidate information apparatuses has been completed.

12. A information apparatus control method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

when information apparatuses rotation messages are sent to said rotation candidate information apparatuses, displaying said rotation messages on said rotation candidate information apparatuses; and

performing in accordance with said displayed message a backup process by transferring said stored data of said rotation candidate information apparatuses from said rotation candidate information apparatuses to another location.