Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-03-20
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C455S420000, C370S441000, C370S342000, C370S335000, C713S100000, C709S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205581
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to software upgrading in an operational system and more particularly relates to a method of replacement of an application block corresponding to a target processor in a multiprocessor personal communication services (PCS) system without interrupting system operational integrity.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In a communication system, software which operates the system, often referred to as application blocks, needs to be updated to achieve enhanced operation. In order to maintain the integrity of the communication system, the application blocks to be updated need to be replaced with a new version without disturbing the normal operation of a processor containing the application block. Generally, the replacement of an application block proceeds in a manner where the target application block to be replaced is placed on a patch directory in a BSM and an upper processor and a target processor containing the target application block are reloaded in turn. This process is, however, ineffective because calls are often discontinued during replacement.
Several solutions have been proposed in the prior art for changing and updating software.
FIG. 1
illustrates a typical hierarchal ranking structure of multiple processors of a PCS system. At the top of the ranking structure, is a base station manager (BSM)
300
. Under the BSM, are a plurality of base station controllers (BSC)
100
,
200
. Each BSC includes a plurality of common signaling management processors (CMP)
110
and a plurality of call control processors (CCP)
120
. The CCP
120
has a plurality of BTS control processors (BCP)
130
, a plurality of selector interface processors (SIP)
140
, a plurality of common signaling processors (CSP)
150
and a plurality of alarm control processors (ACP)
160
. The BCP
130
further includes a plurality of transceiver interface processors (TIP)
170
, a plurality of channel interface processors (CIP)
180
and a plurality of BTS test processors (BTP)
190
. The SIP
140
has a plurality of selector and vocoder processors (SVP)
195
.
In order to identify the target processor, a replace-loading-block (RPL-LDNG-BLK) command contains information about a target processor's type. Referring to the
FIG. 1
, the RPL-LDNG-BLK command is generally executed in turn on each level of the ranking structure.
For example, when a target application block corresponds to a CCP
120
, a CSLX (CCP subsystem loader execution) receives a RPL-LDNG-BLK command and decides on replacing its own application block in response to analyzing information of the RPL-LDNG-BLK. Such a replacement is executed as follows.
Because an application block is executed from dynamic memory which is allocated by an operating system (OS) and the CSLX manages the identification of processors, the CSLX is capable to terminating execution of a target application block and freeing the memory containing the target application block using an OS primitive. The CSLX frees the corresponding memory and requests the BSM
300
to reload only the target application block. A section of dynamic memory is allocated and the target application block is loaded. The CSLX executes the application block using an OS primitive in response to successful loading.
When a target application block corresponds to a lower processors of the CCP
120
, i.e. a processor beneath the CCP
120
in the hierarchal structure of
FIG. 1
, the replacement is executed as follows. As above, the CSLX frees the previously loaded memory in response to an RPL-LDNG-BLK command and requests loading of a target application block. The BSM loads the target application block to the CCP and the same command is sent to the lower processor. The lower processor is restarted in response to the RPL-LDNG-BLK command containing the same identification of the lower processor, i.e., when the lower processor is a target processor and application blocks corresponding to the lower processor are reloaded from the CCP
120
to the lower processor. When a processor under the lower processor is a target processor, the lower processor frees the previously loaded memory and requests loading of a target application block and is restarted to enable reloading.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,703 discloses a method for updating software in an operating computer system. The method of the '703 patent incudes the steps of: down-loading new software; copying data from the old software to be processed by the new software; testing the new software by processing the copied data; and either replacing the old software with the new software in response to its successfully processing or deleting the new data software in response to the new software failing to successfully process the data. Changing software in this manner takes place without disrupting system operation. However, the methods disclosed do not address problems encountered while changing software application programs remotely, such as restoring the old software application program in the event of abnormal loading resulting from communication errors.
As illustrated above, the prior art contains shortcomings associated with dynamic replacement of software, such as failure to restore the existing application block in the event of downloading failure. For example, a CSLX in a CCP
120
terminates the existing version of a target application block in response to a RPL-LDNG-BLK command indicating that the CCP
120
is a target processor in order to free dynamic memory. Then, while reloading of the target application block is requested, such an operation may fail for a variety of reasons. In this case, the CSLX fails to load in spite of continuous attempts to load and cannot restart the processor because the existing application block is already removed from memory and is not restored. This is the case with lower processors of the CCP
120
. Because the existing application block is removed prior to loading of the target application block to the target processor, it is not possible to restore the existing application block in the event that new version of the target application block software is not properly loaded.
As described above, a crucial problem is that the existing application block is removed from the memory prior to normal execution of a replacement command and is not restored in spite of failing to properly load the new version.
Attempts have made to solve the problems associated with replacing application block software. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to effect replacement of a target application block currently being executed in a target processor without disrupting the proper operation of the processor, even when the replacement is unsuccessful.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for replace-block loading in a personal communication services (PCS) system employing a code division multiple access (CDMA) in order to replace a target application block corresponding to a target processor during continuous operation of all the processors in a base station controller (BSC) without disrupting the target processor, the method comprises the steps of: creating a loading table and allocating a buffer for application blocks corresponding to all the processors in the BSC and a buffer for the target application block to be replaced corresponding to the target processor; down-loading an application block corresponding to a call control processor (CCP) from a base station manager (BSM); loading an application block corresponding to all lower-level processors of the CCP, the application block being stored in a buffer of the CCP; receiving a replace-loading-block (RPL-LDNG-BLK) command from the BSM; confirming a type of the target processor; loading the target application block corresponding to the target processor, in response to the target processor being confirmed as one of a selector and vocoder processor (SVP), a call interface processor (CIP), a transceiver interface processor (TIP) and a BTS test processor (BTP); loading the
Dam Tuan Q.
Dilworth & Barrese LLP
Powell Mark R.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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