Innate bus monitoring system for computer system manager

An innate monitoring system for a computer system having a plurality of components interconnected by a system bus which transfers information between said components, comprising:

• an address buffer connected to said system bus, said address buffer receiving all address signals transferred along said system bus;
• a data buffer connected to said system bus, said data buffer receiving all data signals transferred along said system bus;
• an address pre-filter connected to said address buffer and having pre-selected address signals stored therein, said address pre-filter receiving said address signals stored in said address buffer and comparing said address signals received from said address buffer to said pre-selected address signals, said received address signals which match said pre-selected address signals being classified as related to events of interest which have occurred within said computer system;
• a data filter connected to said data buffer and said address pre-filter, said data filter receiving data signals stored in said data buffer and said address signals matched by said address pre-filter, said data filter selecting data signals which correspond to said matched address signals, said data signals corresponding to said matched address signals being classified as related to events of interest which have occurred within said computer system;
• a state machine connected to said data filter, said state machine receiving selected bits of said received data signals classified as related to events of interest which have occurred within said computer system, said state machine further classifying said selected address and data signals as either in a first class or a second class based upon the contents of said selected bits of said data signals;
• a register file connected to said data filter, said register file storing said received address and data signals classified by said state machine in said first class;
• and
• a first-in, first-out memory connected to said data filter, said first-in, first-out memory storing said received address and data signals classified by said state machine in said second class;
• said state machine further comprising first and second control outputs connected to said register file and said first-in, first-out memory, respectively, said control outputs controlling the selective propagation of said address and data signals classified in said first and second classes to said register file and said first-in, first-out memory, respectively.

A computer network, comprising:

• a file server having a computer system board with a system bus installed therein;
• at least one computer station;
• a network connecting said at least one computer station to said file server;
• a network operating system for controlling information transfers between said file server and said at least one computer station via said network, said network operating system including a network manager for managing information transfers along said network;
• and
• a system manager for managing said computer system board, said system manager managing said computer system board by monitoring signals transferred along said system bus of said computer system board, said system manager including an innate bus monitoring system and a computer processor;
• said innate bus monitoring system comprising means for receiving all data and address signals transferred along said system bus, means for selecting address signals related to operating conditions of said computer system by selecting said address signals which match preselected address signals, means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in a first class or a second class based upon the contents of said data signals, a data filter for selecting data signals which correspond to said selected address signals, first storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said first class, second storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said second class and means for selectively directing said signals to said first storage means or said second storage means based upon said classification of said data signals as either in said first class or said second class.

A computer system, comprising:

• a file server having a system board with a system bus installed therein;
• a system manager for managing said system board, said system manager managing said computer system board by monitoring signals transferred along said system bus of said system board;
• said system manager including a computer processor and an innate bus monitoring system, said innate bus monitoring system comprising means for receiving all data and address signals transferred along said system bus, means for selecting address signals related to operating conditions of said computer system by selecting said address signals which match preselected address signals, means for classifying said selected data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system as either in a first class or a second class based upon the contents of said data signals, a data filter for selecting data signals which correspond to said selected address signals, first storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said first class, second storage means for storing said selected address and data signals related to operating conditions of said computer system and classified in said second class and means for selectively directing said signals to said first storage means or said second storage means based upon said classification of said data signals as either in said first class or said second class.