JPS6239785B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for saving and restoring test programs in a computer system having a central processing unit and a service processor.

When testing a central processing unit, a commonly used method is to load a test program prepared in advance into the central processing unit and run it to search for failures. However, pre-prepared test programs are intended for functional testing, and it is nearly impossible to prepare a program that takes all failure cases into consideration. However, in reality, various obstacles occur. Therefore, in the prior art, when operating a computer for the purpose of fault investigation, a method has been used in which a test program is manually assembled and tested in machine language in the computer.

The above method is temporary, and if you reset the computer or turn off the power, the test program you have painstakingly created will be lost. Therefore, in order to test the same thing, it is necessary to manually restore the program in machine language into the computer.

As mentioned above, even though temporary test programs are only used temporarily, they actually force the operator to perform the same restore operation many times, which is not an efficient method. I can't say that.

The present invention is based on the above considerations, and includes:
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for saving and restoring a test program, which makes it possible to save a temporary test program assembled in a computer to a non-volatile memory and restore the test program to the computer as necessary. The purpose is Therefore, the test program save and restore method of the present invention includes a service processor having a central processing unit and an external storage device, and the service processor reads the internal state of the central processing unit and changes the internal state. In a computer system that can now be stopped and started, the service processor is equipped with a saving means and a restoring means, and the file name or identification number given to the test program and the reading of the main memory can be read out. When the address information specifying the area to be read, the register specifying information specifying the register to be read, and the execution start address of the test program are input, and a save instruction indicating that the contents of the main memory should be saved is input. , the saving means of the service processor is activated, and under the control of the saving means, an area of the external storage device is acquired, and in the acquired area,
The input address information, register specific information, program execution start address, etc. are written, and the data in the specified area of the main memory and the data in the specified register are written to the acquisition area, and the acquisition area is The file name or identification number that has been input is managed, and when a file name or identification number is input and a restoration instruction is input to command restoration, the restoration means of the service processor is activated and the restoration is performed. Under the control of the means, the corresponding file is searched from the external storage device, the test program in the file is loaded into the area of the main memory of the central processing unit specified by the address information in the file, and the file is The register data in the file is set in the register specified by the register specifying information in the file, and the program execution start address in the file is set in the instruction address register. Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

The figure shows an example of a computer system to which the present invention is applied, in which 1 is a central processing unit, 2 is a service processor, 3-0 and 3-1 are channels, 4 is a console interface, 5 is a is a system power control unit, 6 is a console processor, 7 is a storage device, 8 is a power supply interface,
9 is a magnetic disk device, 10 is a control panel, 11 is a modem, 12-0 and 12-1 are displays, 13-0 and 13-1 are keyboards,
Reference numeral 14 indicates a display control device.

The service processor 2 is a processor independent of the central processing unit 1, and is connected to the central processing unit 1 through a channel interface and a computer console interface. The service processor 2 includes a console processor 6, a storage device 7, a power supply interface 8, a control panel 10, a modem 11, displays 12-0 and 12-1, and a keyboard 13.
-0 and 13-1, etc. The service processor 2 can monitor, operate, and control the system all at once, and has control functions such as display, change, start, stop, and reset. Display is a function that reads the contents of various registers and main memory on the central processing unit side and displays them on the display 12-1, and change is a function that changes the contents of various registers and main memory of the central processing unit. Stopping is a function that causes the central processing unit to be stopped, activation is a function that causes the central processing unit to be activated, and reset is a function that clears the internal state of the central processing unit.

As mentioned earlier, for the purpose of fault investigation, etc., a machine language test program is assembled in the main memory (not shown) of the central processing unit 1 using the service processor 2, and this test program is executed. In some cases, failure investigations may be conducted. Since the main memory is composed of volatile RAM, the test program in the main memory is lost when the power is turned off. The purpose of the present invention is to enable a test program assembled in main memory to be used repeatedly.
The test program is evacuated to the magnetic disk device 9 of the processor 2, and when necessary, the test program is read from the magnetic disk device 9, loaded into the main memory of the central processing unit 1, and the loaded test program can be executed. It is.

When saving the test program assembled in the main memory of the central processing unit 1 to the magnetic disk device 9 of the service processor 2, the following operations are performed. Using the keyboard 13-1, the operator specifies the name or identification number given to the test program, the start and end addresses that specify the area of main memory to be read, and the register to be read. Enter the register identification number, the execution start address of the test program, etc., and then enter the SAVE command to instruct that the contents of the main memory should be saved. When execution of this save command is started, the service processor 2 secures an area in the magnetic disk device 9 to store the test program. Then, write the input read area start address, read area end address, register identification number, program execution start address, etc. to this area, and then write the data in the specified area of main memory and the data in the specified register. is read out via the console interface and written into the area of the magnetic disk device 9. A program for executing the save command exists in the storage device 7.

If you wish to restore the test program stored in the magnetic disk device 9 to the main memory of the central processing unit 1, enter the file name or identification number assigned to the test program from the keyboard 13-1. , enter the RESTORE command to instruct what should be restored. When execution of this restore command is started, the service processor 2 searches for the corresponding file from the magnetic disk device 9, reads it, and performs a test by referring to the area start address and area end address written in the file.・Load the program into the main memory of the central processing unit 1, set the register data in the register of the central processing unit 1 by referring to the register identification number written in the file, and check the register data written in the file. Set the current program execution start address in the instruction address register. A program for executing the restore command exists in the storage device 7. After the above restoration process is completed, the operator presses a start key (not shown) to activate the central processing unit 1 and start executing the test program.

As is clear from the above explanation, any test program created in the central processing unit can be given an arbitrary name or identification number and saved in the service processor, and can be saved at any time. Since the saved test program can be loaded into the central processing unit and executed when needed, the central processing unit can be tested efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a diagram showing an example of a computer system to which the present invention is applied. 1... Central processing unit, 2... Service processor, 3-0 and 3-1... Channel, 4... Console interface, 5... System power supply, 6... Console processor, 7... Storage device, 8...Power interface, 9...Magnetic disk device, 10...Control panel, 1
1...Modem, 12-0 and 12-1...Display, 13-0 and 13-1...Keyboard, 1
4...Display control device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A service processor having a central processing unit and an external storage device, wherein the service processor is capable of reading the internal state of the central processing unit, changing the internal state, stopping and starting the central processing unit. In a modern computer system, the service processor is equipped with a saving means and a restoring means, and the file name or identification number given to the test program, address information specifying the area to be read from the main memory, When the register specifying information specifying the register to be read and the execution start address of the test program are input, and when the save instruction is input to instruct that the contents of the main memory should be saved, the save means of the service processor is activated, an area of the external storage device is acquired under the control of the saving means, and the acquired area is
The input address information, register specific information, program execution start address, etc. are written, and the data in the specified area of the main memory and the data in the specified register are written to the acquisition area, and the acquisition area is The file name or identification number that has been input is managed, and when a file name or identification number is input and a restoration instruction is input to command restoration, the restoration means of the service processor is activated and the restoration is performed. Under the control of the means, the corresponding file is searched from the external storage device, the test program in the file is loaded into the area of the main memory of the central processing unit specified by the address information in the file, and the file is Saving and restoring a test program characterized in that register data in the file is set in a register specified by register specifying information in the file, and a program execution start address in the file is set in an instruction address register. method.