JPH0786792B2 - Information processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for speeding up initialization and startup in a system including a plurality of modules connected to a common bus.

(Prior Art) An information processing device includes an arithmetic unit, a storage unit, an interface unit, and various other functional blocks.
Management of all the operations of each of these blocks by one processor makes the load on the processor extremely large. Therefore, for example, each block is modularized, and its initialization processing etc. is independently performed by a certain initialization instruction. I'm trying to run it.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of such a conventional device.

This device has a configuration in which a plurality of modules 2 (here, for example, four modules # 1 to # 4) are connected to a common bus 1. The common bus 1 is provided with control means 3 for controlling initialization and startup of each module 2. This control means 3 controls the operation of the entire system, in addition to the case of a so-called central processing unit (CPU),
It may be a dedicated system control module that controls the bus right of the common bus 1 and controls the initialization and startup thereof.

In such a device, when the control means 3 sends an initialization instruction to each module 2 through the common bus 1,
Each module 2 starts its initialization operation. In the initialization operation, for example, in the case of a random access memory, in addition to the operation of clearing all the stored data contents to 0, self-diagnosis of whether or not a normal storage operation is performed at all addresses, etc. Done. Then, each module 2 outputs an initialization completion report to the control means 3 through the bus line 1. The control means 3 confirms that all modules 2 have completed initialization, and then
A system start-up operation such as initial program loading (IPL) is executed.

FIG. 3 shows a timing chart from the initialization operation to the startup processing of such a conventional device.

As shown in the figure, in modules # 1 to # 4, the time required for the initialization operation varies, and in the example of the figure,
The initialization operation of the module # 4 is relatively long as compared with the other modules # 1 to # 3. The control means waits for the completion of the initialization of all the modules to execute the start-up processing, so as shown in the timing chart of the figure,
After the completion of the initialization operation of the module # 4, which requires the longest time for the initialization operation, the startup process is started for the first time.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the case where the above-described processing is performed, if a module that has a long initialization operation is included in the modules that configure the system, this causes the system startup to be completed. The problem is that the time is extended.
In addition, for example, when one of the modules constituting the system has some trouble and the initialization operation is not completed, the system cannot be started up.

Therefore, conventionally, a reasonable time from the control means sending an initialization operation start instruction to the arrival of initialization completion reports from all modules is set by a timer, and when the timer counts up, The system was started up by excluding the modules whose initialization operation was not completed.

But in this case, the excluded module is
Even if the initialization can be completed after that, the system cannot be incorporated into the system anymore during the operation of the system, and the system performance is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and does not increase the startup time of the entire system even when there is a module whose initialization operation is slow, and the initialization is completed after the system startup. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device capable of incorporating a module into a system.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the control means for executing the startup process of the system including a plurality of modules connected to the common bus, and the initialization operation of each module are completed. A first display means for displaying whether or not it is determined, and a determination means for determining, based on the display on the first display means, that the minimum module initialization operation necessary for the startup processing has been completed. According to the judgment of the judgment means, it has start-up means for starting execution of the start-up processing, and executes start-up processing of a system including a plurality of modules connected to a common bus, and further by interrupt processing. The control means for incorporating the module into the system, the first display means for displaying whether or not the initialization operation of each module is completed, and the start-up processing are necessary. The completion of the minimum required module initialization
Determining means based on the display of the display means, starting means for starting execution of the startup processing according to the determination of the determination means, and the module initialized after a delay after the startup processing is started. And a notification means for notifying the control means of the content displayed by the second display means. According to the notification of the notification means, the module is incorporated into the system by interrupt processing. It was done.

(Operation) The above device stores the result in the first display means when there is an initialization completion report from these modules after instructing the plurality of modules to start the initialization operation. . Then, when the minimum number of module initialization operations necessary for the startup processing are completed, the startup processing is executed without waiting for the completion of the initialization operations of the other modules. In this case, a module that is not indispensable for the system startup process and whose initialization operation takes a long time is excluded from the system at the startup stage. Then, when such a module issues an initialization operation completion report after executing the startup processing, this is displayed on the second display means. Then, when the report is made, the notification means notifies the control means of the completion of the initialization, and the module whose initialization has been delayed at that stage is incorporated into the system.

(Examples) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention.

In the illustrated apparatus, a common bus 11 has a plurality of modules 12
(For example, four modules # 1 to # 4) are connected. And, in addition to this, the common bus 11 has a control means 13,
A first display means 14, a system controller 15, a second
Is connected to the display means 16.

The system controller 15 includes a determining means 17 and a starting means 18
And notification means 19.

The modules # 1 to # 4 are composed of functional blocks constituting various information processing devices such as a magnetic disk device, a random access memory or an interface. Further, the control means 13 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor for controlling the overall operation of this device, and the control means 13 executes the system startup processing. The start-up processing means, for example, initial program loading.

Each of the first display means 14 and the second display means 16 is composed of a register or the like for switching the display according to an initialization completion report indicating that the initialization operation of the four modules 12 is completed. Has been done. Specifically, each module is composed of 1 bit, and a register having a total of 4 bits. For example, in this embodiment, when the initialization completion report is sent from the corresponding module, the contents of the register are switched from 0 to 1.

The determination means 17 is a circuit for monitoring the contents of the first display means 14 and notifying the activation means 18 of the completion of the minimum module initialization operation necessary for the startup processing in the control means 13. is there. This is, for example, the first display means 14
It may be composed of a program for reading the contents of the above, comparing the result with a certain code table, and notifying the result when the above condition is satisfied.
It may be composed of a comparison circuit or the like which receives the contents of the display means 14, compares them with the contents of the register storing a constant, and outputs the comparison result.

The starting means 18 controls the control means 13 according to the judgment of the judging means 17.
Is a circuit for issuing an instruction to start execution of the startup processing at a predetermined timing. This circuit is composed of, for example, an interrupt processing circuit that interrupts the control unit 13 when a constant determination signal indicating that the startup process is possible is input from the determination unit 17. The configuration of this circuit is
This is the same as the known interrupt processing circuit, and its details are omitted.

The notification means 19 is composed of an interrupt processing circuit which monitors the contents of the second display means 16 and interrupts the control means 13 in the same manner as the activation means 18.

It should be noted that the first display means 14 operates after the system controller 15 issues an instruction to start the initialization operation to the module 12.
It is used to hold the initialization completion report of each module until the control means 13 receives the predetermined initialization completion report and starts the startup process. On the other hand, the second display means 16
Used to display a completion report for a module that was initialized late after the startup process was started.

The notification means 19 constantly monitors the contents of the second display means 16 and, when an initialization completion report is received from any module, notifies the control means 13 by interrupt processing. It is a circuit that operates.

That is, in the present invention, in the above device, when the predetermined modules complete the initialization operation, the modules can communicate with each other on the common bus 11, and the control means 13 completes the initialization operation. Is installed in the system and the startup process is executed. And
When there is a module that has completed the initializing operation after a predetermined calculation processing is started, the status is notified by the interrupt processing of the notification means 19, and the control means 13 at that stage.
Installs the module that has completed the initialization operation with a delay and continues the arithmetic processing and the like.

Next, the operation of the device of the present invention will be described more specifically.

FIG. 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of the operation of the device of the present invention. This sequence chart shows the operation of the apparatus after the power is turned on or the operator or the like gives an instruction to initialize the system.

First, the system controller issues an initialization instruction to each of the modules # 1 to # 4 (step). Upon receiving this initialization instruction, each module starts the initialization operation, but as shown in the figure, the initialization completion report is sequentially output to the system controller for each of the modules # 1 to # 3 (steps ,, ). In this case, as shown in the figure, the corresponding register of the first display means 14 is rewritten from 0 to 1 by each initialization completion report.

That is, when the modules # 1 to # 3 have finished the initialization completion report, the content of the first display device 14 becomes “1110”. During this period, the determination means 17 (FIG. 1) is monitoring the contents of the first display means 14. In this system, for example, if the modules # 1 to # 3 are the minimum modules necessary for the system startup processing, after the contents of the first display means 14 are rewritten in step, The determination means 17 determines that all the reports necessary for the startup processing have been completed (step). As a result, the activation means 18 (FIG. 1) issues an instruction to execute the startup processing to the control means 13 (FIG. 1) (step).
In response to this, the control means 13 executes a startup process such as initial program loading (step). At this stage, modules # 1, # 2 and # 3 are installed in the system.

On the other hand, the second display means 16 is set in a state of clearing the contents of its register to 0 and waiting for an initialization completion report which is initialized with a delay when the start-up processing by the control means 13 is started ( Step). In this example, only module # 4 requires, for example, a long initialization operation and is not integrated into the system at this stage. After that, when the module # 4 issues the initialization completion report, the corresponding register of the second display device 16 is changed from 0 to 1.
Is switched to.

The notification means 19 (FIG. 1) recognizes this and notifies the control means 13 of its state by the interrupt processing (step). Once the report is made, the second display device 16 is cleared to 0 and put in the report waiting state. The control means 13 recognizes from this notification that the module # 4 has completed initialization,
Incorporate module # 4 into the system (step). If the system is composed of more modules and there is a plurality of modules that are slow in initialization, the operations from step to step are repeated by the number corresponding to that module. Also, notification means
Before execution of the interrupt processing by 19, the initialization completion report may be output from the two or more modules to the second display means 16. In this case, the notification means notifies the control means at once that two or more modules have completed initialization.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, the first display means 14 and the second display means 16 have been described as examples in which they are configured by separate registers, but since they are used at different times, they may be configured as one unit. There is no problem. Further, the judging means 17, the starting means 18, the notifying means 19 and the like shown in FIG. 1 may be configured by separate hardware, or are incorporated in the program of the system controller. But it doesn't matter.

The common bus 11 may be a bus line for parallel data transmission such as a so-called data bus or control bus, or a communication cable such as a coaxial cable.

In the above embodiment, the system controller 15 controls the initialization operation in order to reduce the load on the control means 13, but the control means 13 may control all the operations. It doesn't matter. Thus, for example, the first
The first display means 14, the second display means 16 and the like in the figure may be incorporated in the system controller 15,
Further, it may be incorporated in the control means 13.

(Effects of the Invention) In the information processing apparatus of the present invention described above, even if there is a module whose initialization is slow, the startup time of the entire system does not become long due to the existence of the module. . Further, a module whose initialization has been completed with a delay can be incorporated into the system at any time, and the system can be effectively and functionally operated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional information processing apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a timing chart explaining the operation of the conventional apparatus. FIG. 4 is a sequence chart explaining the operation of the information processing apparatus of the present invention. 11 ... Common bus, 12 ... Module, 13 ... Control means, 14 ... First display means, 15 ... System controller, 16 ... Second display means, 17 ... Judgment means, 18 ... Activation means, 19 ... Notification means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Control means for executing startup processing of a system including a plurality of modules connected to a common bus, and further incorporating the modules into the system by interrupt processing, and whether or not initialization operation of each module is completed. A first display unit for displaying whether or not, and a determination unit for determining, based on the display of the first display unit, that the minimum module initialization operation necessary for the start-up processing is completed, Starting means for starting execution of the startup processing according to the determination of the determination means, second display means for displaying the module initialized after a delay after the startup processing is started, and the second display Means for notifying the control means of the contents displayed by the means, and incorporating the module into the system by interrupt processing in accordance with the notification of the notifying means. The information processing apparatus characterized by.