Remote access diagnostic mechanism for communication devices

• US 8,543,866 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Beverly, Harlan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leibovich, Yair
• Application Number:
  US12/174,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/26, 714/31, 714/37, 714/38.14
• US Class Current: 714/38.14
• 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 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A method for diagnosing and correcting errors at a data processing system is disclosed includes detecting at a first device of the system, such as a network interface device, an error at a second device of the system, such as a data processor. In response to detecting the error, the first device communicates a help request via a network. In response to the help request, the first device receives diagnostic and error correction routines from a remote system. The first device executes the routines and provides information to the remote system to diagnose and correct errors at the second device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a first data processing device, an error at a first data processing system of a network;

in response to detecting the error at the first data processing system,

enabling one or more operations for authenticating a second data processing system of the network at the first data processing device;

automatically transmitting a help request from the first data processing device via the network to the second data processing system;

receiving, from the second data processing system, authentication information at the first data processing device in response to transmitting the help request to the second data processing system;

authenticating the second data processing system at the first data processing device based on the authentication information received from the second data processing system;

receiving a diagnostic request from the second data processing system in response to authenticating the second data processing system;

executing a diagnostic routine at the first data processing device to determine diagnostic information associated with the first data processing system in response to receiving the diagnostic request;

transmitting the diagnostic information associated with the first data processing system to the second data processing system;

receiving an error correction routine from the second data processing system in response to said authenticating the second data processing system and in response to said transmitting the diagnostic information;

executing the error correction routine at the first data processing device to resolve the error at the first data processing system; and

disabling the one or more operations for authenticating the second data processing system at the first data processing device in response to detecting that the error at the first data processing system is resolved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the diagnostic request comprises receiving the diagnostic routine in the diagnostic request from the second data processing system via the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing the diagnostic routine comprises:

storing the diagnostic routine at a memory portion of the first data processing system, the memory portion associated with an interrupt service routine of the first data processing system;

communicating an interrupt to the first data processing system;

executing the diagnostic routine at the first data processing system in response to receiving the interrupt.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising placing the first data processing system in a loop state while storing the diagnostic routine at the memory portion.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

performing a memory diagnostic on the memory portion prior to storing the diagnostic routine to determine whether the memory portion is operational for storage of the diagnostic routine; and

notifying the second data processing system regarding whether the memory portion is operational for storage of the diagnostic routine in response to said performing the memory diagnostic,

wherein said receiving the diagnostic request from the second data processing system is in response to authenticating the second data processing system and determining that the memory portion is operational for storage of the diagnostic routine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing the diagnostic routine comprises communicating a first request from the first data processing device to a device driver at the first data processing system, the first request comprising a request for the device driver to execute the diagnostic routine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing the diagnostic routine further comprises communicating the diagnostic routine to the device driver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data processing device comprises a network interface card.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first data processing system comprises a data processor, and wherein the error indicates the data processor is unable to execute the diagnostic routine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data processing device comprises a first virtual device, and the first data processing system comprises a second virtual device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting the error comprises:

communicating a message to the first data processing system; and

determining the error in response to determining a response to the message has not been received within a defined period of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein if the error is detected at a data processor of the first data processing system, said detecting at the first data processing device the error at the first data processing system comprises one of:

detecting that a power level associated with the data processor is below a threshold power level;

or

receiving, at the first data processing device and from the data processor, one or more error notifications indicating the error at the data processor.

13. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a first data processing device, an error at a first data processing system;

in response to detecting the error,

storing, from the first data processing device via a network, a diagnostic routine at a memory portion of the first data processing system, the memory portion associated with an interrupt service routine of the first data processing system;

providing a first interrupt to the first data processing system; and

executing the diagnostic routine at the first data processing system in response to receiving the first interrupt;

storing, from the first data processing device, an error correction routine at the memory portion of the first data processing system;

providing a second interrupt to the first data processing system; and

executing the error correction routine at the first data processing system in response to receiving the second interrupt.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

executing a memory diagnostic on the memory portion prior to storing the diagnostic routine.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

placing the first data processing system in a loop configuration while storing the diagnostic routine.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the diagnostic routine via a network in response to determining the error.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first data processing device comprises a network interface device, and wherein the first data processing system comprises a data processor.

18. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a first data processing device of a first data processing system, an error at the first data processing system;

in response to detecting the error,

enabling one or more operations for authenticating a device driver of the first data processing system at the first data processing device in response to detecting the error at the first data processing system, wherein the device driver is configured to control the first data processing device;

automatically transmitting a help request from the first data processing device to the device driver;

receiving authentication information at the first data processing device in response to said transmitting the help request to the device driver;

authenticating the device driver at the first data processing device based on the authentication information received from the device driver;

communicating, from the first data processing device, a diagnostic request to the device driver of the first data processing system, wherein the diagnostic request comprises an indication of a diagnostic routine;

executing, by the device driver of the first data processing system, the diagnostic routine of the device driver to determine diagnostic information, in response to said receiving the diagnostic request;

communicating, from the first data processing device, an error correction request to the device driver, wherein the error correction request comprises an indication of an error correction routine based, at least in part, on the diagnostic information associated with the first data processing system determined in response to said executing the diagnostic routine of the device driver;

executing, by the device driver of the first data processing system, the error correction routine of the device driver to resolve the error at the first data processing system, in response to receiving the error correction request; and

disabling the one or more operations for authenticating the device driver at the first data processing device in response to detecting that the error at the first data processing system is resolved.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein communicating the diagnostic request comprises providing the diagnostic routine to the device driver.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein communicating the error correction request comprises one of:

receiving the error correction routine from a second data processing device;

storing the error correction routine in a memory portion associated with the device driver; and

communicating the error correction request to the device driver to notify the device driver to execute the error correction routine stored in the memory portion associated with the device driver;

or

indicating, in the error correction request, a first of a plurality of error correction routines associated with the device driver that is to be executed.

21. A device, comprising:

a first processor device;

a network interface comprising a processor, wherein the network interface is coupled to the first processor device, wherein the network interface is configured to;

detect an error at the first processor device;

enable one or more operations for authenticating a remote device at the network interface in response to detecting the error at the first processor device;

automatically send a help request to the remote device via a network in response to detecting an error at the first processor device;

receive, from the remote device, authentication information in response to sending the help request to the remote device;

authenticate the remote device based on the authentication information received from the remote device;

receive a diagnostic routine from the remote device in response to authenticating the remote device;

execute the diagnostic routine to determine diagnostic information associated with the first processor device in response to receiving the diagnostic routine;

transmit the diagnostic information associated with the first processor device to the remote device;

receive an error correction routine from the remote device in response to transmitting the diagnostic information associated with the first processor device to the remote device;

execute the error correction routine to resolve the error at the first processor device; and

disable the one or more operations for authenticating the remote system at the network interface in response to detecting that the error at the first processor device is resolved.

22. A method comprising:

detecting, at a first data processing device, an error at a first system of a network;

in response to detecting the error at the first system,

automatically transmitting a help request from the first data processing device via a network to a second data processing system of the network;

receiving, from the second data processing system, authentication information at the first data processing device in response to transmitting the help request to the second data processing system;

authenticating the second data processing system at the first data processing device based on the authentication information received from the second data processing system;

performing a memory diagnostic on a memory portion of the first system to determine whether the memory portion is operational for storage of a diagnostic routine;

notifying the second data processing system regarding whether the memory portion is operational for storage of the diagnostic routine in response to said performing the memory diagnostic on the memory portion;

receiving the diagnostic routine from the second data processing system in response to said authenticating the second data processing system and in response to determining that the memory portion is operational for storage of the diagnostic routine;

executing the diagnostic routine at the first data processing device to determine diagnostic information associated with the first system in response to said receiving the diagnostic routine, wherein said executing the diagnostic routine comprises,

storing the diagnostic routine at a memory portion of the first system, the memory portion associated with an interrupt service routine of the first system,

communicating an interrupt to the first data processing device, and

executing the diagnostic routine at the first data processing device in response to receiving the interrupt;

transmitting the diagnostic information associated with the first system to the second data processing system;

receiving an error correction routine from the second data processing system in response to said authenticating the second data processing system and in response to said transmitting the diagnostic information; and

executing the error correction routine at the first data processing device to resolve the error at the first system.

23. A method comprising:

detecting, at a first data processing device, an error at a first system of a network, wherein said detecting at the first data processing device the error at the first system comprises one of detecting that a power level associated with a data processor of the first system is below a threshold power level or receiving one or more error notifications from the data processor indicating the error at the data processor;

in response to detecting the error at the first system,

automatically transmitting a help request from the first data processing device via the network to a second data processing system of the network;

receiving, from the second data processing system, authentication information at the first data processing device in response to transmitting the help request to the second data processing system;

authenticating the second data processing system at the first data processing device based on the authentication information received from the second data processing system;

receiving a diagnostic routine from the second data processing system in response to said authenticating the second data processing system;

executing a diagnostic routine at the first data processing device to determine diagnostic information associated with the first system in response to receiving the diagnostic routine;

transmitting the diagnostic information associated with the first system to the second data processing system;

receiving an error correction routine from the second data processing system in response to said authenticating the second data processing system and in response to said transmitting the diagnostic information; and

executing the error correction routine at the first data processing device to resolve the error at the first system.

24. A non-transitory machine-readable storage media having stored therein instructions, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

detecting, at a first data processing device, an error at a first data processing system of a network;

in response to detecting the error at the first data processing system,

enabling one or more operations for authenticating a second data processing system of the network at the first data processing device;

automatically transmitting a help request from the first data processing device via the network to the second data processing system;

receiving, from the second data processing system, authentication information at the first data processing device in response to transmitting the help request to the second data processing system;

authenticating the second data processing system at the first data processing device based on the authentication information received from the second data processing system;

receiving a diagnostic request from the second data processing system in response to authenticating the second data processing system;

executing a diagnostic routine at the first data processing device to determine diagnostic information associated with the first data processing system in response to receiving the diagnostic request;

transmitting the diagnostic information associated with the first data processing system to the second data processing system;

receiving an error correction routine from the second data processing system in response to said authenticating the second data processing system and in response to said transmitting the diagnostic information;

executing the error correction routine at the first data processing device to resolve the error at the first data processing system; and

disabling the one or more operations for authenticating the second data processing system at the first data processing device in response to detecting that the error at the first data processing system is resolved.