System for automatically reporting a system failure in a server
DCFirst Claim
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1. A system for reporting a failure condition in a server system, comprising:
- a controller which monitors the server system for system failures, and generates an event signal and failure information if a system failure is detected;
a system interface, coupled to the controller, which receives the event signal and failure information;
a central processing unit, coupled to the system interface, wherein, upon receiving the event signal, the system interface reports an occurrence of an event to the central processing unit; and
a system log which receives failure information communicated from the system interface and stores said failure information.
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Abstract
A system for reporting a failure condition in a server system which includes: a controller which monitors the server system for system failures, and generates an event signal and failure information if a system failure is detected; a system interface, coupled to the controller, which receives the event signal; a central processing unit, coupled to the system interface, wherein, upon receiving the event signal, the system interface reports an occurrence of an event to the central processing unit; and a system log which stores the failure information.
386 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A system for reporting a failure condition in a server system, comprising:
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a controller which monitors the server system for system failures, and generates an event signal and failure information if a system failure is detected;
a system interface, coupled to the controller, which receives the event signal and failure information;
a central processing unit, coupled to the system interface, wherein, upon receiving the event signal, the system interface reports an occurrence of an event to the central processing unit; and
a system log which receives failure information communicated from the system interface and stores said failure information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A failure reporting system for a server system, comprising:
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a controller which monitors the server system for system failures and generates an event signal and failure information if a system failure is detected;
a system recorder, coupled to the controller, which receives failure information and assigns a time value to the failure information;
a system log which stores failure information received from the system recorder; and
a system interface, coupled to the controller, which receives and stores the event signal, and reports an occurrence of an event to a central processing unit which is coupled to the system interface, wherein the central processing unit executes a software program which allows a system operator to access the system log to read failure information stored therein. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A failure reporting system for a server system, comprising:
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a controller which monitors the server system for system failures and generates an event signal and failure information if a system failure is detected;
a system recorder, coupled to the controller, which receives the failure information and assigns a date and time to the failure information;
a system log which stores the failure information;
a system interface, coupled to the controller, which receives and stores the event signal and reports an occurrence of an event to a central processing unit, coupled to the system interface, wherein the central processing unit executes a software program which allows a system operator to access the system log to read failure information stored therein;
a remote interface, coupled to the controller, which receives the event signal and reports the occurrence of an event to a computer external to the server system; and
a switch, coupled to the remote interface, which switches connectivity to the remote interface between a first computer and a second computer, wherein the first computer is a local computer, coupled to the switch via a local communications line, and the second computer is a remote computer, coupled to the switch via a modem connection.
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20. A failure reporting system in a server system, comprising:
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means for detecting a system failure condition;
means for transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to a system recorder;
means for storing the failure information; and
means for reporting an occurrence of an event to a central processing unit of the server system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
means for sending an event signal to a system interface, coupled to the central processing unit;
means for 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
means for 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.
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26. The system of claim 25 further comprising means for reading the bit vector to ascertain the type of system failure.
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27. The method of claim 20 wherein the means for reporting the occurrence of the event to the central processing unit comprises:
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means for sending an event signal to a system interface, coupled to the central processing unit;
means for 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 means for 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.
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28. The system of claim 27 further comprising means for reading the bit vector to ascertain the type of system failure.
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29. A system for reporting a failure condition in a server system, comprising:
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means for detecting the failure condition;
means for generating and transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to a system recorder;
means for assigning a time value to the failure information;
means for storing the failure information and its time value into a system log;
means for reporting an occurrence of an event to a local computer coupled to the server system via a remote interface;
means for accessing the system log; and
means for reading the failure information. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
means for sending an event signal to the remote interface;
means for 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
means for notifying the local computer that the event signal has been received by the remote interface.
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31. The system of claim 30 wherein the means for notifying the local computer comprises means for 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.
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32. The system of claim 31 further comprising means for notifying a local operator, who is using the local computer, of the system failure.
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33. The system of claim 32 wherein the means for notifying the local operator comprises means for displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the local computer.
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34. A system for reporting a failure condition in a server system, comprising:
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means for detecting the failure condition;
means for generating and transmitting failure information related to the failure condition across a control bus from a first microcontroller to a system recorder microcontroller;
means for assigning a time value to the failure information;
means for storing the failure information and its time value into a system log;
means for 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;
means for accessing the system log via the system recorder microcontroller; and
means for reading the failure information. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
means for sending an event signal to the remote interface;
means for 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
means for notifying the remote computer that the event signal has been received by the remote interface.
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36. The system of claim 35 wherein the means for notifying the remote computer comprises:
means for automatically calling a modem 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.
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37. The system of claim 36 further comprising:
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means for verifying that the remote computer is authorized to access the server system via the remote interface; and
means for verifying that a communication link has been established between the remote computer and the remote interface.
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38. The system of claim 34 further comprising means for notifying a remote operator, who is using the remote computer, of the system failure.
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39. The system of claim 38 wherein the means for notifying the remote operator comprises means for displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the remote computer.
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40. A program storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method, wherein the method comprises:
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detecting a system failure condition;
transmitting failure information related to the failure condition to a system recorder;
storing the failure information in a system log; and
reporting an occurrence of the failure condition to a central processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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.
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46. The device of claim 45 wherein the method further comprises reading the bit vector to ascertain a type of event.
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47. The device of claim 40 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the failure condition to the central processing unit comprises:
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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.
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48. The device of claim 47 wherein the method further comprises reading the bit vector to ascertain a type of event.
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49. The device of claim 40 wherein the method further comprises reporting the occurrence of the failure condition to a local computer connected to server system via a remote interface.
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50. The device of claim 49 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the failure condition to the local computer comprises:
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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.
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51. The device of claim 50 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.
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52. The device of claim 51 wherein the method further comprises notifying a local operator, who is using the local computer, of the system failure.
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53. The device of claim 52 wherein the act of notifying the local operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the local computer.
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54. The device of claim 52 wherein the method further comprises accessing the system log through the local computer to read the failure information.
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55. The device of claim 40 wherein the method further comprises reporting the occurrence of the failure condition 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.
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56. The device of claim 55 wherein the act of reporting the occurrence of the failure condition to the remote computer comprises:
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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.
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57. The device of claim 56 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.
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58. The device of claim 57 wherein the method further comprises:
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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.
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59. The device of claim 57 wherein the method further comprises notifying a remote operator, who is using the remote computer, of the system failure.
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60. The device of claim 59 wherein the act of notifying the remote operator comprises displaying a message on a monitor coupled to the remote computer.
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61. The device of claim 59 wherein the method further comprises accessing the system log through the remote computer to read the failure information.
Specification