1. A storage system, comprising:
a storage apparatus, which performs a communication over a communication network with a maintenance terminal;
a first information processing terminal which performs necessary setting tasks, maintenance tasks, or management tasks on each portion of said storage apparatus and which monitors the states of each portion of said storage apparatus, and upon recognizing the occurrence of an event in said storage apparatus, notifies said maintenance terminal of the occurrence of the event;
a second information processing terminal which monitors a state of said first information processing terminal;
a plurality of hubs on communication paths between said first information processing terminal and said second information processing terminal; and
a management table in each of said first information processing terminal and said second information processing terminal, which stores information indicating the results of communication tests performed with the other of said first information processing terminal and said second information processing terminal via a communication path;
wherein each of said first information processing terminal and said second information processing terminal references information recorded in its management table, and based on said information, judges whether the state of the other information processing terminal is anomalous;
wherein upon either of said first information processing terminal or said second information processing terminal judging the state of the other information processing terminal as anomalous, said judging terminal halts operation of said anomalous terminal, and said judging terminal performs tasks previously performed by said anomalous terminal;
wherein each of said first and second information processing terminals has pattern information stored in said management tables;
wherein said pattern information is obtained as a result of communication tests with the other of first and second information processing terminals;
wherein said pattern information is used to detect the presence of a malfunction in the other information processing terminal, and the malfunction location;
wherein said second information processing terminal monitors the states of said plurality of hubs;
wherein each of said first information processing terminal and said second information processing terminal references information recorded in its management table, and based on said information, judges whether the state of a hub is anomalous; and
wherein upon either of said first information processing terminal or said second information processing terminal judging the state of a hub as anomalous, said information processing terminal turns off the anomalous hub, and turns on another hub.
2. A storage system, comprising:
a storage apparatus, which performs a communication over a communication network with a maintenance terminal;
a first information processing terminal comprising said maintenance terminal, which performs necessary setting tasks, maintenance tasks, or management tasks on each portion of said storage apparatus;
a plurality of second information processing terminals, which monitor the states of each portion of said storage apparatus, and upon recognizing the occurrence of an event in said storage apparatus, notify said maintenance terminal of the occurrence of the event; and
a plurality of hubs on communication paths between said second information processing terminals;
wherein said second information processing terminals comprise at least two information processing terminals, one of which is an information processing terminal in an operating state, and another of which is an information processing terminal in a standby state;
wherein each of said second information processing terminals comprises a state monitoring portion which monitors a state of another second information processing terminal through mutual communication;
wherein each of said state monitoring portions has a management table in which is recorded information indicating the results of communication tests performed with the another second information processing terminal;
wherein each of said state monitoring portions references information recorded in said management table to judge whether the state of the another second information processing terminal is anomalous;
wherein upon judging as anomalous the state of said second information processing terminal in the operating state, the state monitoring portion of said second information processing terminal in the standby state causes operation of said second information processing terminal in the operating state to be halted, and causes operation of said second information processing terminal in the standby state;
wherein each of said second information processing terminals has pattern information stored in said management tables,
wherein said pattern information is obtained as a result of communication tests with the other second information processing terminal;
wherein said pattern information is used to detect the presence of a malfunction in another second information processing terminal, and the malfunction location;
wherein said second information processing terminals monitor the states of said plurality of hubs;
wherein each of said second information processing terminals reference information recorded in its management table, and based on said information, judges whether the state of a hub is anomalous; and
wherein upon any of said second information processing terminals judging the state of a hub as anomalous, said second information processing terminal turns off the anomalous hub, and turns on another hub.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An integrated circuit (IC) Card for use with a readwrite device, the IC card comprising:
a first processing device;
a first interconnection defined between the first processing device and the readwrite device and including an inputoutput (IO) contact pad;
a second processing device connectable to the first processing device to communicate with the first processing device via the IO contact pad;
a second interconnection defined between the second processing device and the first processing device; and
a switch control to selectively switch between the first interconnection for a transmission of data between the readwrite device and the first processing device, and the second interconnection for a transmission of data between the first processing device and the second processing device;
communication between the first processing device and the second processing device defining a master slave communication, the first processing device being the master and sending commands to the second processing device, and the second processing device being the slave and returning results to the first processing device.
2. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device, the switch control and the second processing device are integrated in a first System on Chip.
3. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device and the switch control are integrated in a System on Chip and the second processing device is integrated in a separate second System on Chip.
4. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device is integrated in a first System on Chip, and the switch control and the second processing device are integrated in a separate second System on Chip.
5. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device is integrated in a System on Chip, the second processing device is integrated in a separate second System on Chip, and the switch control is integrated in a third separate System on Chip.
6. A communication method for an IC Card including a first processing device, and a first interconnection for a connection between the first processing device and a readwrite device and including an IO contact pad, and a second processing device connectable to the first processing device to communicate with the first processing device via the IO contact pad and defining a second interconnection therebetween, the method comprising:
providing a switch control for selectively switching between the first interconnection for a transmission of data between the readwrite device and the first processing device, and the second interconnection for a transmission of data between the first processing device and the second processing device;
communication between the first processing device and the second processing device defining a master slave communication, the first processing device being the master and sending commands to the second processing device, and the second processing device being the slave and returning results to the first processing device.
7. The communication method according to claim 6 wherein the switch control switches on the first interconnection when the IC Card is powered on.
8. The communication method according to claim 6 wherein the transmission of data on the first interconnection is based on an ISO 7816-3 protocol wherein the readwrite device sends a command to the first processing device and waits for a result.
9. The communication method according to claim 8 wherein the switch control switches on the second interconnection when the readwrite device is waiting for data from the first processing device.
10. The communication method according to claim 6 wherein the second processing device returns a waiting message to the first processing device when a timeout has elapsed and a result is not ready to be sent to the first processing device.
11. The communication method according to claim 10 further comprising executing at least the following sequential phases when the timeout has elapsed:
after the first processing device has received the waiting message, the switch control switches on the first interconnection;
the first processing device forwards the waiting message to the read-write device; and
after the waiting message has been received by the readwrite device, the switch control switches on the second interconnection.
12. The communication method according to claim 11 wherein the second processing device returns the result over the second interconnection.
13. The communication method according to claim 12 wherein a guard time is introduced before sending the result over the second interconnection.
14. The communication method according to claim 13 wherein the guard time is at least equal to an execution time of the sequential phases.
15. The communication method according to claim 14 wherein the second processing device is connectable to an external device via a wireless communication protocol.
16. The communication method according to claim 15 wherein the wireless communication protocol is a ZigBee protocol.
17. A communication method for an IC Card for use with a readwrite device, the method comprising:
providing the IC card with a first processing device;
connecting the first processing device and the readwrite device with a first interconnection including an IC card IO contact pad;
providing a second processing device connectable to the first processing device to communicate with the first processing device via the IO contact pad and defining a second interconnection therebetween; and
selectively switching between the first interconnection for a transmission of data between the readwrite device and the first processing device, and the second interconnection for a transmission of data between the first processing device and the second processing device;
communication between the first processing device and the second processing device defining a master slave communication, the first processing device being the master and sending commands to the second processing device, and the second processing device being the slave and returning results to the first processing device.
18. The communication method according to claim 17 wherein the first interconnection is switched on when the IC Card is powered on.
19. The communication method according to claim 17 wherein the transmission of data on the first interconnection is based on an ISO 7816-3 protocol wherein the readwrite device sends a command to the first processing device and waits for a result.
20. The communication method according to claim 19 wherein the second interconnection is switched on when the readwrite device is waiting for data from the first processing device.