Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for locating a faulty device in a computer system

US7096387B2 · kind B2 · utility

44Cited by
26References
47Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 8, 2002
Grant dateAug 22, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 15, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/079
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A computer system compnses a processor (2), memory (4) and a plurality of devices (6, 8, 12), the processor (2) and the memory (4) being operable to effect the operation of a fault response processor (AFR), and a device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) for each of the devices. The fault response processor (AFR) is operable to generate a model which represents the processor (2), the memory (4) and the devices (6, 8, 12) of the computer system and the inter-connection of the processor (2), memory (4) and the devices (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL). The device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) for each of the devices (6, 8, 12) is arranged, consequent upon a change of operational status of the device, to generate fault report data indicating whether the change of status was caused internally within the device or externally by another connected device. The devices of the computer system may be formed as a plurality of Field Replaceable Units (FRU). The fault response processor (AFR) is operable, consequent upon receipt of the fault reports from the device drivers (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) to estimate the location of a FRU containing a fa…

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