JP2530731B2 - Communication line test equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to communication used in a network in which a plurality of systems (computer systems or terminal devices) are connected by communication lines and which performs transmission / reception confirmation response according to a predetermined transmission control procedure. Regarding line test equipment.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in the case of a failure of a communication line in this type of network, the communication control processing unit accommodating the failed communication line is temporarily stopped, the test program provided in the host system is started, and the failure point is detected. We are conducting confirmation and isolation.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In this way, in the conventional communication line test device, when trying to isolate a failure point when a communication line failure occurs, the communication control processing device accommodating the failure communication line must be stopped, As a result, there is a problem that the transmission / reception confirmation response message cannot be transmitted / received even in a communication line in which no failure has occurred.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, a host system and a plurality of partner systems are respectively connected by a plurality of communication lines, and the host system and the partner system are used in a network for transmitting and receiving confirmation response according to a predetermined transmission control procedure. A backup line accommodated in the host system,
Operation that has connection means arranged at a plurality of predetermined positions on the communication line to connect the communication line and the backup line, and manages the operation state of the communication line provided in the host system When the message for the transmission / reception confirmation response becomes untransmittable / untransmittable while the status management table and the host system and the partner system are online, the communication line in the untransmittable / receiveable state is detected as a failed communication line and the failed communication is performed. Updating means for setting status information on the operating status management table corresponding to a line to a failure status; and status information on the operating status management table corresponding to the failed communication line as a test status when a line test is activated. Test data is transmitted by sequentially connecting the fault communication line and the protection line at each of a plurality of predetermined positions by connecting means. A test means for checking whether or not the test data can be received via the faulty communication line and the protection line and registering the test result in the operation state management table; and a display means for displaying the test result. A communication line test apparatus having the above is obtained.

〔Example〕

 The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.

First, a network to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

The host system (self system) 1 has a communication control device 1a.
A state management table 1b, which will be described later, is provided, and line terminators (DCE) 31 to 3n are connected to the communication control device 1a via operation lines 21 to 2n, respectively. These D
The CEs 31 to 3n are connected to partner systems (for example, computer systems) 51 to 5n via DCEs 41 to 4n, respectively, to form a network. Further, a test line (standby line: loopback line) 6 is connected to the communication control device 1a as shown in the figure.

The status management table 1b stores status information indicating the status of a line (communication line) or the like corresponding to each partner system. When a communication line failure occurs during online operation (for example, a failure occurs in the communication line with the partner system 5n), the local system 1 closes the communication line (message transmission / reception impossible status: failure status), and the status management table Update (block) the applicable status information in 1b. This status management table 1b is displayed on a console (not shown),
By referring to the status information of the status management table 1b, the failure operation line and the test line 6 are connected as described below, and when the operator starts the line test, the own system 1 causes the failure operation of the status management table 1b. Update the status information corresponding to the line to "under line test" and start the line test.

In this line test, the own system 1 sends the test data to the faulty operation line, and when this test data is received via the test line, if it is confirmed that the test data is received normally, a predetermined transmission control procedure is performed. Returns a positive response based on.

The transmission and reception described above are continuously repeated to collect the failure history and store it in the state management table 1b. Then, the test record can be viewed by outputting the state management table 1b to a console such as a console.

Now, with reference to FIG. 2, the line test according to the present invention will be described more specifically in the network using the basic procedure.

The system A includes a host computer 8, a communication control processor (URP) 9, line terminators (DCE) 101, 102 and 103, a first terminal board (IDF) 11 and a second terminal board (MDF) 12. This URP9 is the circuit terminating equipment (DCE) 101, 102 and 10
Connected to 3. Then, these DCEs 101, 102 and 103
Is connected to the first terminal board (IDF) 11, and the IDF 11 is connected to the second terminal board (MDF) 12. The IDF11 and MDF12 are connected to the DCEs 101, 102 and 103, and as shown in the figure, the DCE 103 has a backup test line (folded line) LN.
30 is supported. Also, the MDF12 has a communication line LN
Systems B and C are connected via 10 and LN20, and DCEs 101 and 102 correspond to communication lines LN10 and LN20, respectively.

Next, referring to FIGS. 3A to 3D, during online operation, as shown in FIG.
And the systems B and C transmit and receive a message for confirming the transmission and reception of data based on a predetermined transmission control procedure. Here, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the communication line LN
When a failure occurs in 20 and transmission / reception confirmation response message transmission / reception between system A and system C is disabled, that is, when system A detects a message transmission / reception disabled state with system C, as described above. The status information for the system C in the status management table 1b is updated from "in operation" to "closed (failed)". Then, the information of this status management table is displayed on the console.

When performing a line test of the communication line LN20, a failure point is assumed in advance (for example, a failure between the system C and MDF12, a failure between the system C and IDF11, a failure between the system C and DCE101, and a system C to URP9
Up to each other), communication line LN20 at each assumed failure point
And the communication line LN30 are connected by a connecting device (not shown), and the line test is started by operator input. This causes system A to send test data as described above. For example, as shown in Fig. 3 (c), first, MDF1
In 2, the communication circuit LN20 and the test line LN30 are connected,
Send test data from system A. In this case, since the system A cannot receive the test data normally, it is registered in the state management table 1b as a message transmission / reception failure. After that, the communication line LN20 and the test line LN30 are connected at different assumed failure points and a line test is conducted. And
As shown in Fig. 3 (d), in URP9, communication line LN2
When 0 is connected to the test line LN30 and the test data is transmitted from the system A, the test data is normally received by the system A and is registered in the state management table as a message transmission / reception success. These pieces of fault history information are displayed on the console so that the location of the fault can be confirmed. In other words, change the line test process back to
It is possible to isolate the faulty part by carrying out.

By the way, the above-mentioned test data is sent at a rate of one message per minute, and the number of successful or failed transmissions is stored in the state management table. Then, it is edited and displayed when the console is output. For example, if you send the message 10 times, the test results will be output to the console.

In the basic procedure, each system has a station address (SA) to identify the system,
Before sending a message, the SA is first sent to the partner system, and the partner system checks this SA to recognize the sender system. On the other hand, during the line test, the system A
When receiving data, it checks whether it is received from the test line (return) line, and if it is a return line, SA
Is not checked. This makes it possible to carry out a line test on all working lines with a single loopback line.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the loopback line and the faulty operation line are connected and the line test is performed via these loopback line and operation line, the online operation of other operation lines is affected. There is an effect that it is possible to isolate a faulty part without giving a fault.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a network in which the communication line test apparatus according to the present invention is used, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a network using the basic procedure in which the communication line test apparatus according to the present invention is used. 3 (a) to (d) are diagrams for explaining the operation of an embodiment of the communication line test apparatus according to the present invention. 1 ... Host system (self system), 8 ... Host computer, 9 ... Communication control processor.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A network in which a host system and a plurality of counterpart systems are connected by a plurality of communication lines, respectively, and which is used for a transmission / reception confirmation response between the host system and the counterpart system according to a predetermined transmission control procedure. The backup system includes a backup line accommodated in the host system, and connection means arranged at a plurality of predetermined positions on the communication line for connecting the communication line and the backup line. An operation state management table for managing the operation state of the communication line, and a communication line in the transmission / reception disabled state when the message for the transmission / reception confirmation response becomes in the transmission / reception disabled state while the host system and the partner system are online. Is detected as a faulty communication line and the state on the operation state management table corresponding to the faulty communication line is detected. Information for making a failure state, and when the line test is activated, for each of the plurality of positions determined in advance by the connecting means, using the state information on the operating state management table corresponding to the faulty communication line as a test state. Then, the failure communication line and the protection line are sequentially connected to each other to transmit test data, and it is confirmed whether the test data can be received through the failure communication line and the protection line, and the test result is operated. A communication line test apparatus comprising: a test means registered in the state management table; and a display means for displaying the test result.