Multiprocessor application interface requiring no utilization of a multiprocessor operating system

• US 7,574,696 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Vigor, Alain, Brassac, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US10/917,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-127, 713/1, 713/2, 711/147, 712/28, 712/32, 712/245, 714/25
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems

Abstract

A test monitor for a multiprocessor machine including a plurality of processors each configured to execute a test by interpreting a script language for writing tests, in which one of the processors executes a kernel part comprising instructions for conducting and monitoring the executed tests according to the scripts, and an application program interface provided using a library of functions for interfacing with firmware of the multiprocessor machine. The test monitor includes a method for executing instruction sequences simultaneously in several processors of a multiprocessor machine.

Claims

1. A test monitor for a multiprocessor machine, comprising:

a plurality of test execution processors each configured to execute a test by interpreting a script language for writing tests defining a test script,

a test monitor processor that executes a kernel part comprising instructions that configure said monitor processor for conducting and monitoring the executed tests according to test scripts, said test monitor processor determining which one of said test execution processors executes a corresponding test script to control execution of said executed tests, and

an application program interface provided using a library of functions for interfacing said test monitor processor with firmware of the multiprocessor machine,

wherein said library of functions comprises;

a function for constructing a table that calls firmware processor identification functions;

a function for allocating an execution context to a test execution processor;

a function for storing a starting point for a test execution processor;

a function for starting each said test execution processor independently from the other test execution processors; and

resource lock functions.

2. The test monitor of claim 1, wherein said test execution processors are configured to execute said tests in parallel under the control of said test monitor processor.

3. The test monitor of claim 2, wherein a single processor operating system is booted in said test monitor processor.

4. The test monitor of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of private storage areas, each said private storage area being associated with a corresponding test execution processor.

5. A. multiprocessor test method comprising:

loading, by a first processor, a test monitoring instruction sequence into a storage area associated with said first processor;

loading, by said first processor in accordance with said test monitoring instructions sequence, one or more test execution instruction sequences into storage areas each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of second processors, each said test execution instruction sequence comprising instructions for conducting a multiprocessor test according to a test script;

interfacing said first processor with firmware of a multiprocessor machine using an Application Program Interface (API) that includes a library of functions; and

initiating execution of said one or more test execution instruction sequences by one or more corresponding said second processors under control of said first processor according to a kernel part,

wherein said library of functions comprises;

a function for constructing a table that calls firmware processor identification functions;

a function for allocating an execution context to a test execution processor;

a function for storing a starting point for a test execution processor;

a function for starting each said test execution processor independently from the other test execution processors; and

resource lock functions.

6. The multiprocessor test method of claim 5, further comprising:

loading, by said first processor, one or more resource locks into said storage area.

7. The multiprocessor test method of claim 5, wherein said test monitoring instruction sequence executed by said first processor is a single processor operating system.

8. The multiprocessor test method of claim 5, further comprising:

indexing, by said first processor, each said second processor using firmware functions of a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), the firmware functions being associated with configuration tables of a multiprocessor machine; and

constructing, by said first processor, an application table that includes a plurality of rows each accessible using an identifier associated with one of said second processors of the multiprocessor machine.

9. The multiprocessor test method of claim 8, wherein at least two of said rows contain an identical address to cause each said second processor associated with each said at least two rows to execute the same test execution instruction sequence.

10. The multiprocessor test method of claim 8, further comprising:

allocating, by said first processor, a private storage area to each said second processor by storing, in a corresponding row of said application table, a starting address and a private storage area size.

11. The multiprocessor test method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing, by said first processor, a starting address for the test monitoring instruction sequence in a firmware bootstrap table.

12. The multiprocessor test method of claim 5, wherein said initializing further comprises:

sending an interrupt, by said first processor, to one or more of said second processors to be tested.

13. The multiprocessor test method of claim 5, wherein the test monitoring instruction sequence is implemented using assembly language instructions that include processor instructions that serve to initialize the processor registers;

and

wherein the test code execution instruction sequences are implemented in the C programming language.

14. A machine readable medium upon which is encoded a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a multiprocessor test method in accordance with the instructions, comprising:

loading, by a first processor, a test monitoring instruction sequence into a storage area associated with said first processor;

loading, by said first processor in accordance with said test monitoring instructions sequence, one or more test execution instruction sequences into storage areas each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of second processors, each said test execution instruction sequence comprising instructions for conducting a multiprocessor test according to a test script;

interfacing said first processor with firmware of a multiprocessor machine using an Application Program Interface (API) that includes a library of functions;

initiating execution of said one or more test execution instruction sequences by one or more corresponding said second processors under control of said first processor according to a kernel part;

indexing, by said first processor, each said second processor using firmware functions of a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), the firmware functions being associated with configuration tables of a multiprocessor machine; and

constructing, by said first processor, an application table that includes a plurality of rows each accessible using an identifier associated with one of said second processors of the multiprocessor machine,

wherein at least two of said rows contain an identical address to cause each said second processor associated with each said at least two rows to execute the same test execution instruction sequence.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

loading, by said first processor, one or more resource locks into said storage area.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein said test monitoring instruction sequence executed by said first processor is a single processor operating system.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

allocating, by said first processor, a private storage area to each said second processor by storing, in a corresponding row of said application table, a starting address and a private storage area size; and

storing, by said first processor, a starting address for the test monitoring instruction sequence in a firmware bootstrap table;

wherein said initializing further comprises sending an interrupt, by said first processor, to one or more of said second processors to be tested.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the test monitoring instruction sequence is implemented using assembly language instructions that include processor instructions that serve to initialize the processor registers;

and

wherein the test code execution instruction sequences are implemented in the C programming language.