JP2000059414A - Concentrator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely and easily specify which node has transmitted a primitive sequence which is the cause for link-down on the occurrence of a loop-down. SOLUTION: A loop control section 2 that conducts inter-node connection control by a loop topology is provided for plural nodes 11, 12, 13, a primitive sequence recording control section 4 always monitors input signals from the nodes 11, 12, 13 and stores in a memory 5 ID information of the nodes 11, 12, 13 that transmit a primitive sequence together with kinds of the primitive sequence and time information, when the control section 4 detects the primitive sequence.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a concentrator for specifying which of a plurality of nodes connected in a loop has looped down.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FC-AL is an American National Standards Institute ANSI.
(American NationalStandard
ds Institute) Fiber Channel-Physical Interface FC-PH (x3.230-1994)
And Fiber Channel-arbitrate loop FC-
Fiber Channel (Fiber) as a high-speed data interface standardized by AL (x3.272)
Channel) loop topology. This loop topology can be originally configured by directly connecting nodes to each other. However, in general, a network system is generally configured via a concentrator in order to facilitate system expansion and the like. FIG. 2 shows a conventional network system configuration in which a plurality of nodes 11, 12, and 13 are connected via the concentrator 1. As shown in this configuration, in the conventional concentrator 1, only the loop control unit 2 for providing a loop topology to the connected nodes 11, 12, and 13 exists.

[0003]

However, it is difficult to monitor the logical connection between the nodes 11, 12, and 13 connected by the loop in the conventional inter-node connection technology based on the loop topology. As a result of transmitting a primitive sequence that causes a logical connection to go down due to a malfunction, even if the entire loop goes down, there is a problem that it is not easy to identify the malfunctioning node and its cause.

[0004] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and when a loop-down occurs, which node transmitted the primitive sequence causing the loop-down, transmits the loop-down time and the primitive sequence. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a concentrator that can be specified reliably and easily from the ID information of the specified node.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, a concentrator according to the first aspect of the present invention has a loop control unit for controlling connection between nodes in a plurality of nodes by a loop topology, and a primitive sequence recording control unit. The input signal from each of the nodes is constantly monitored, and when a primitive sequence is detected, along with the time information at the time of detection, the type of the primitive sequence and the I of the node that transmitted the primitive sequence are transmitted.
The D information is recorded in a memory.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the concentrator, the primitive sequence recording control unit comprises:
It is connected to each loop wiring between the plurality of nodes.

A concentrator according to a third aspect of the present invention is configured to measure a time when the primitive sequence is detected by a clock.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a concentrator according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a concentrator, which includes nodes 11,
A loop control unit 2 for providing a loop topology to each other is provided. Here, the case where the number of nodes is set to three is shown, but the number of nodes may be set to three or more. Reference numeral 3 denotes a clock provided in the concentrator 1, which functions to give time information to a log as communication record (history information) as described below. Reference numeral 5 denotes a memory for storing the log.

Reference numeral 4 denotes each of the nodes 11, 12, 13
Are connected to each loop wiring, and each node 11,
It is a primitive sequence recording control unit that receives input signals from 12 and 13 and constantly monitors primitive sequences. When the primitive sequence recording control unit detects the primitive sequence causing the loop-down, the time information obtained from the clock 3 at the time of the detection and the I / O of the node that transmitted the primitive sequence are detected.
It functions to record the D information together with the type of the primitive sequence in the memory 5.

Next, the operation will be described. Now, the loop controller 2 is connected to the node 1 connected to the concentrator 1.
To make 1,12,13 a loop topology,
A loop circuit is formed as shown by the dotted line in the figure. In this case, if any one of the nodes 11, 12, and 13 malfunctions and any of them transmits a primitive sequence that causes a logical connection to go down, the entire loop circuit goes down. At this time, the clock 3 outputs time information that is unique within a prescribed range during operation, and the primitive sequence recording control unit 4 constantly monitors an input signal from each node to detect the reception of the primitive sequence. At the same time, three types of information, that is, the type of the primitive sequence, the ID information of the transmission source node, and the time at which it was received are recorded in the memory 5. As a result, the malfunctioning node and the cause can be easily specified. From these three pieces of information, the node 1
Which of 1, 12, and 13 is malfunctioning can be specified promptly.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of nodes have a loop control unit for performing inter-node connection control based on a loop topology, and a primitive sequence recording control unit receives input from each of the nodes. The signal is constantly monitored, and when a primitive sequence is detected, the type of the primitive sequence and the ID information of the node that transmitted the primitive sequence are recorded in the memory together with the time information at the time of the detection. At the time of occurrence, which node transmitted the primitive sequence causing the loop-down can be reliably and easily identified from the time at the time of the loop-down and the ID information of the node that transmitted the primitive sequence, and a failure may occur. Action to restore normal operation of the failed node Effect that can take on.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a concentrator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional concentrator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Concentrator 2 Loop control part 3 Clock 4 Primitive sequence recording control part 5 Memory 11,12,13 node

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A loop control unit for performing inter-node connection control on a plurality of nodes by a loop topology, and constantly monitoring an input signal from each of the nodes to detect a primitive sequence together with time information at the time of detection. And a primitive sequence recording control unit for recording the type of the primitive sequence and the ID information of the node that transmitted the primitive sequence in a memory. 2. The concentrator according to claim 1, wherein said primitive sequence recording control unit is connected to each loop wiring between said plurality of nodes. 3. The concentrator according to claim 1, further comprising a clock for measuring a time when the primitive sequence is detected.