Patent · US Expired

High availability processor based systems

US6697973B1 · kind B1 · utility

26Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 30, 2000
Grant dateFeb 24, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 27, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/1441
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A microprocessor based system, such as a Personal Computer (PC), server, router, word processor or like devices, includes circuit arrangement that monitors the processor for a heartbeat pulse. If the heartbeat pulse is not sensed within a specified time interval the circuit arrangement issues a Soft Reset signal (Unmasked Interrupt) that causes the microprocessor to execute a program that logs the current state of selected entities within the system and a Hard Reset Pulse that resets the system hardware. The log can be used to identify the cause of a problem, whereas the Hard Reset causes the system to reboot and continue normal operation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.