Diagnostic and managing distributed processor system

摘要

A network of microcontrollers for monitoring and diagnosing the environmental conditions of a computer is disclosed. The network of microcontrollers provides a management system by which computer users can accurately gauge the health of their computer. The network of microcontrollers provides users the ability to detect system fan speeds, internal temperatures and voltage levels. The invention is designed to not only be resilient to faults, but also allows for the system maintenance, modification, and growth—without downtime. Additionally, the present invention allows users to replace failed components, and add new functionality, such as new network interfaces, disk interface cards and storage, without impacting existing users. One of the primary roles of the present invention is to manage the environment without outside involvement. This self-management allows the system to continue to operate even though components have failed.

主权项

1. A computer monitor and diagnostic system, comprising:
a computer system, having a computing device and a computer bus operatively coupled to the computing device; a plurality of sensors, located within the computer, capable of sensing conditions within the computer; a microcontroller network having a microcontroller bus, the microcontroller network located within the computer system, the microcontroller network comprising a plurality of interconnected microcontrollers located on the microcontroller bus, at least a portion of the microcontrollers coupled to respective sensors, wherein the microcontroller network processes requests for conditions from the computing device and responsively provides sensed conditions to the computing device; and a system interface resident between the computer bus and the microcontroller bus, the system interface configured to facilitate the requests for conditions and the provision of the sensed conditions.