JPH02135528A - Method for selecting activation os in multi-os - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To arbitrarily select an activation OS by storing the activation OS selection information to select one of plural OSs into a non-destructive storing means and executing an initial program loading IPL from an OS storing means based on the activation OS selection information with a program control means at the time of activating a device. CONSTITUTION:An activation OS selector in a multi-operating system OS is composed of a processor 1, a memory 2 including a RAM and a ROM, a battery backup memory 3, a floppy disk device 4, an FD interface circuit 5, etc. The activation OS selection information selected at the time of activating is before hand stored in the battery backup memory 3, and at the time of activating the device, the initial program loading is executed from an OS storing means 3 based on the activation OS selection information. In such a way, at the time of activating the device, the activation OS to execute IPL can be arbitrarily selected by the activation OS selection information from a non-destructive storing means.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a method for selecting a multi-operating system (hereinafter referred to as an OS) in a personal computer, in particular, a method for selecting a multi-operating system (hereinafter referred to as an OS) in a personal computer, etc. The present invention relates to a method for selecting a boot OS using a non-destructive storage means that is not destroyed.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, for example, control of initial program loading (hereinafter referred to as IPL) in a personal computer, etc. is performed by loading a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as R
It is common to load the data into a memory such as AM. Therefore, the OS at system startup was determined and fixed.

In recent years, the same device has been equipped with, for example, a customer OS and a maintenance OS.
Nowadays, multiple OSs such as S are used, but one way to select the OS at system startup is, for example, to store multiple OSs in separate storage media, and then to select the desired OS at system startup. The only option was to replace it and perform an IPL. Conventionally, even if a plurality of OSs were stored on the same storage medium, they could only be started at a fixed (fixed) O5 when the power was turned on.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a conventional multi-OS program. In step Sl in the same figure, the OS at startup by power-on or reset is loaded from the OS storage medium into the memory by executing an IPL program. In the next step S2, a program on the activated OS is executed, and when the program is finished, the process moves to step S3. Step S
In step S3, it is determined whether it is an OS switching command, and if it is not an OS switching command, the process returns to step S2 and repeats this operation. In addition, in the case of an OS switching command, step S
Return to step 1 and switch to another OS specified by the switch command.
By executing the IPL program, it is loaded from the OS storage medium into the memory, and the same operation is repeated thereafter.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional boot OS selection method as described above, multiple OS
Even if S is prepared, the OS at startup is always fixed,
The boot OS may not be selected or the OS storage medium may be replaced.
There was only one way to choose.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows a user to arbitrarily select a boot OS without replacing the storage medium.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A boot OS selection method in a multi-OS according to the present invention includes: a program control unit that reads a stored program and controls the execution of the program; and an OS storage unit that stores a plurality of OSs. , a non-destructive storage means in which the stored information is not destroyed even if the normal power supply is cut off, boot OS selection information for selecting one of the plurality of OSs at startup in advance; The program controller is stored in the non-destructive storage means, and when the device is started up, the program control means performs initial program loading (IPL) from the OS storage means based on boot OS selection information read from the non-destructive storage means. .

[Function] In the present invention, in a device that stores a plurality of OSs in an OS storage means, a non-destructive storage means that does not destroy stored information even if the normal power supply is cut off, such as a battery backup memory or the like, is used. Startup OS selection information to be selected at startup is stored in advance in a nonvolatile memory or the like, and an initial program is loaded from the OS storage means based on the startup OS selection information when the device is started up. Therefore, the boot OS is not fixed, and by changing the boot OS selection information, any boot OS σ can be set.
S can be loaded as an initial program.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a boot OS selection device in a multi-OS according to the present invention, where 1 is a processor, 2 is a RAM
3 is a memory including read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM), and 3 is battery backup memory (hereinafter referred to as BBM).
), 4 is a floppy disk (hereinafter referred to as FD)
5 is an FD interface circuit (the interface is hereinafter referred to as 1F), 6 is a keyboard, and 7 is a keyboard I.
F circuit, 8 is a printer, 9 is a printer IF circuit, 10 is a display, and 11 is a display IF circuit.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for selecting a boot OS in a multi-OS system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a boot OS table in the BBM according to the present invention.

3 and 4 will now be explained with reference to FIG. 1. In step SIO of Fig. 3, the power is turned on (POW O
N) Or perform a reset and move on to step 11. In step 811, the boot OS flag is searched from the boot OS information table in the BBMB shown in FIG. Figure 4 is this B
This is a diagram illustrating a boot OS table in the BMB, and in the figure, for each OS, flag information, boot OS name information, disk storage device information, and address information of the storage device are supported by n pieces. are stored in the 88M3 in table format. This table is a type of utility that can be commonly maintained by each OS. That is, when it becomes necessary for processor 1 to change the OS in order to process a new task, processor 1 writes new information to a selected address in normal memory 2. The flag information of the OS can be changed by selecting the address of the OS information table and writing new flag information to this table address. Additionally, this table is backed up by a battery, and the stored information is preserved even if the normal power supply (generally, power supplied from an AC power source) is cut off. Further, flag information "1" indicates that the corresponding boot OS should be loaded by a load instruction, and "0" indicates that the corresponding boot OS should not be loaded by a load instruction.Next to step Sll Then, the process moves to step S12. In step S12, it is checked whether any of the flag information of the boot OS has 1".

If any of the flag information is “1”, step S14
If all the flag information is 0 and there is no 1, the process moves to step S13.In step S13, the first
Display 1 via the display IF circuit 11 shown in the figure.
A boot OS setting screen in a table format as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display screen of 0, and the operator is prompted to select the boot OS. In other words, by selecting the number assigned to each booted OS in the Ovation 1 and inputting this number from the keyboard 6, the processor 1 sets the flag of the selected OS to "
1" and proceed to the next step SL4.

In step SL4, information about the storage device and its address stored in the 88M3 and storing the boot OS whose flag information is "1" or the boot OS selected by the operator and whose flag is set to "1" is read; Step S15
Move to. In step S15, the corresponding OS is loaded into the memory from the designated address of the storage device read in step S14. After step S15, the process moves to step Si6. In step 31B, the corresponding task is processed, and after the processing is completed, the process moves to step S17. In step S17, it is determined whether the work has ended, and if it has ended, the process jumps to step S20, and if it has not ended, the process moves to step SI8. In step S18, the operator uses the OS to perform the next task.
Determine if it is necessary to change the OS from the keyboard 6.
Enter the data with or without changes, and
determines whether there is a change in the OS based on this input data, and if there is no change, the process returns to step 816, and if there is a change, the process moves to step S19. In step S19, an OS switching command interrupt is performed as follows. That is, in order to process a new task, processor 1 accesses the boot OS information table in the BBMB, changes the used OS flag from "1" to "0", and also processes the new task. Execute an interrupt command to change the required OS flag from "0" to "1".

Then, the process jumps to step SL4. Step S14
Then, the storage device storing the boot OS specified by the flag and its address information are read, and the operations from step S15 onwards are repeated. In step S20, the power is turned off (P
OW 0FF) and end the work.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the boot OS table shown in FIG. 4 is stored in the 88M3 shown in FIG. For example, a non-volatile memory or the like may be used. In other words, non-destructive storage means (Non D
structiveMemory).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, when the device is started up, the IPL
Since the boot OS to be used can be arbitrarily selected using the boot OS selection information from the non-destructive storage means, there is no longer a need for the service personnel of the device manufacturer to carry a maintenance program with them. In addition, for example, in devices for financial institutions, multiple OSs may be stored and managed in separate storage media for system development, branch use, and maintenance, and storage media may be exchanged when the device is started up. Since this is not necessary and multiple OSs can be stored on one storage medium, the maintainability of the device is significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an OS selection device in a multi-OS according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a conventional multi-OS program, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a boot OS selection method in a multi-OS according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the activation oS table in the BBM according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a processor, 2 is a memory, and 3 is a BBM.
, 4 is the FD device, 5 is the FDIF circuit, 6 is the keyboard,
7 is a keyboard IF circuit, 8 is a printer, 9 is a printer IF circuit, IO is a display, 11 is a display 1141
It is one circuit. 3: Battery Backup Memo January SSM) λ Toihi Sun Moon Iitoru Mano V! Startup O5 to roS
Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] Program control means for reading stored programs and controlling the execution of the programs; OS storage means for storing a plurality of operating systems (OS); In the apparatus, boot OS selection information for selecting one of the plurality of OSs at startup is stored in advance in the non-destructive storage means, and the information stored in the plurality of OSs is stored in the non-destructive storage means. A startup OS selection method in a multi-OS system, characterized in that, at startup, the program control means loads an initial program from the OS storage means based on startup OS selection information read from the non-destructive storage means.