Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Interrupt processing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-13
2003-09-16
Ray, Gopal C. (Department: 2181)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Interrupt processing
C713S310000, C714S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06622192
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of shutting down a server, more particularly, to a method of shutting down the server safely. The present invention uses a pre-setup auto-shutdown application to execute the normal shutdown steps automatically. When the signal, which is transmitted from the power button being pushed down, is detected from the present invention driver, the operating system (OS) will be called to execute the auto-shutdown application automatically to make the server shutdown in the normal steps and to maintain safety of the OS.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computers have become indispensable tools in the present day and age. No matter if its leisure time or work, the computer plays the important role to conform the needs of the users. The computer is also the best tool to save data or information. They can be used to classify data or information systematically by using a controlled program to retrench the waste of labor and power and to increase the efficiency of the work. The computer further reduces the time spent in searching for the users needed information by quickly using the programs to the efficiency, which is paid much attention in our present society.
The OS is a translation interface between the user and the computer to make them talk with each other. In a word, the OS is an interface between the user and the computer. When the user issues commands to the computer, these commands are received by a special system program and is translated to the actions, which can be executed by the hardware. Then the hardware will execute the commands. At last, the OS must show the executable results, which are received from the hardware, on the monitor to make the user understand. The special system program is an OS.
Different operating systems have different operating modes. Before the user wants to shut down the power of the server, the user must first close the applications, which are executing within the OS. Then the user must execute the correct shutdown steps to close the OS safely. At last, the user is free to use the power button to turn off the power of the server. If the power of the server is suddenly turned off while the OS is executing the OS is forcibly shut down and it will not proceed with the correct shutdown steps. The applications in the OS will result in disorder and the data in the server will be lost. The next time the user turns on the power of the server to start up the OS, the OS will not operate in a normal state and will cause trouble for the user.
There are a lot of different kinds of the operating systems and different kinds of servers are chosen following the needs of different enterprises. The different operating systems must be collocated to the suitable servers to bring efficiency into full play of the operating systems. The usual servers, that use the Windows operating system, at present support a server power controlling program, which is the advanced configuration & power interface (ACPI). The ACPI can connect the users with the OS by using the Windows interface to transmit the users' command. When the user pushes down the power button of the server, the OS should show the actions in suspend or shutdown by using the ACPI. When the user pushes down the power button of the server and keeps pushing the power button for four seconds, the chipset hardware circuit of the server will stop the power of the server forcedly to shut down the server. When the user breaks down the actions of the OS provisionally, the data, which is in the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and the register, will be saved to make the server restore the former actions quickly in the condition that the server must be restored. This condition is called the suspend situation. Therefore, when the users want to shut down the server by using the power switch, the operating system, which comprises the ACPI, will not cause damages in the operating system and the hardware of the server because of the power switch being pushed suddenly.
In order to the thoughts of the products, the Linux operating system, which is used at present, does not comprise the APCI in the supporting scope. In this kind of OS, which does not support the ACPI, the users will not shut down the server by pushing down the power button directly in safety. The users must stop the applications, which are executing in the OS, at first. Then the users must type a shutdown command to shut down the server in safety. This shutdown command is “shutdown -h now”. When the Linux Os receives this command, it can execute the normal shutdown steps. If the user pushes down the power button of the server directly, the power of the server will be cut off instantly and will cause an abnormal shutdown condition of the server. This abnormal shutdown condition will easily damage the files of the OS and will cause the server to recheck the hard discs when the server is restarted the next time which will extend the start up time when restarting the server. This abnormal shutdown condition will also damage the data structure of the OS and the OS can not be entered when the server is restarted the next time. This abnormal shutdown condition will further damage the partial hardware of the server and loose the data, which was saved in the server.
Following the different needs of the business, some servers, which use the Linux OS, don't support the ACPI and don't connect with the keyboards and monitors. Therefore, this kind of server can't provide the users the OS command to shut down the server following the normal steps by the keyboard. This kind of server also prevents the user from monitoring the situation of OS from the monitor. If the user want to replace the devices of the server or to service the server, the user must push down the power button of the server or connect the keyboard and the monitor to the server to shut down the server. This condition will increase the chance in damaging the OS and will decrease the work efficiency of the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the background of the above-mentioned invention, the traditional shutting down method can't shut down the server safely and can't preserve the completeness of the OS, which is used in the server. The main objective of the invention is to shut down the server safely by using a normal shutdown application, which is pre-installed in the OS, to shut down the server when the driver, which is provided by the present invention, detects the signal, which is transmitted from the power button of the server to be pushed down, and calls on the OS to execute the normal shutdown application automatically.
The second objective of this invention is to preserve the safety of the OS by using a normal shutdown application, which is pre-installed in the OS, to shut down the server when the driver, which is provided by the present invention, detects the signal, which is transmitted from the power button of the server to be pushed down, and calls the OS to execute the normal shutdown application automatically.
The third objective of this invention is to preserve the safety of the data, which was saved in the server, by using a normal shutdown application, which is pre-installed in the OS, to shut down the server when the driver, which is provided by the present invention, detects the signal, which is transmitted from the power button of the server to be pushed down, and calls on the OS to execute the normal shutdown application automatically.
The fourth objective of this invention is to increase the efficiency of the server by using a normal shutdown application, which is pre-installed in the OS, to shut down the server when the driver, which is provided by the present invention, detects the signal, which is transmitted from the power button of the server to be pushed down, and calls on the OS to execute the normal shutdown application automatically.
The further objective of this invention is to extend the life of the server by using a normal shutdown application, which is
Chou Runner
Hong Yuh-Jine
Inventec C'orporation
Ray Gopal C.
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