System console terminal for fault tolerant computer system

A fault-tolerant computer system including:

• A. a plurality of processing modules each including an operator input interface for receiving operator input from an operator input device and operator display output for generating on an operator display device;
• B. a console terminal for facilitating system management by an operator at a single location, said console terminal including an operator input device and an operator display device, the operator providing processing module management inputs thereby to enable said operator input device to generate processing module management information, the console terminal generating operator input messages including said processing module management information and an address identifying one of said processing modules to be managed by said console terminal, the console terminal further generating video image information in response to video image data from video information messages received by said console terminal from said processing module to be managed by said console terminal;
• C. a plurality of processing module interfaces each connected to a respective one of said processing modules, each processing module interface:
• (i) (a) receiving operator input messages generated by said console terminal which include an address identifying the processing module connected to the processing module interface and (b) providing the processing module management information from the received operator input messages to the operator input interface of the respective processing module to thereby facilitate control of the respective processing module;
• (ii) (a) receiving video information from the operator output device of the respective processing module and (b) generating a message including the video information and an address identifying the console terminal;
• and
• D. a console network interconnecting said console terminal and all of said processing module interfaces for carrying said messages generated by said console terminal and said processing module interfaces thereamong in accordance with the addresses contained in the respective messages.

A fault-tolerant computer system including:

• A. a plurality of processing module sections each comprising at least one processing module each including an operator input interface for receiving operator input from an operator input device and operator display output for generating on an operator display device, each processing module further comprises a user network interface;
• B. each processing module section being associated with at least one user terminal interconnected with the user network interface of said at least one processing module of its associated processing module section by a respective user network, the user terminal being used by a user to generate messages for transfer over said user network to said at least one processing module of its associated processing module section to control said at least one processing module of its associated processing module section in performing user processing operations;
• C. a switch for interconnecting the user networks associated with said respective processing module sections;
• D. a console terminal for facilitating system management by an operator at a single location, said console terminal including an operator input device and an operator display device, the operator providing processing module management inputs thereby to enable said operator input device to generate processing module management information, the console terminal generating operator input messages including said processing module management information and an address identifying one of said processing modules to be managed by said console terminal, the console terminal further generating video image information in response to video image data from video information messages received by said console terminal from said processing module to be managed by said console terminal;
• E. a plurality of processing module interfaces each connected to a respective one of said processing modules, each processing module interface:
• i. (a) receiving operator input messages generated by said console terminal which include an address identifying the processing module connected to the processing module interface and (b) providing the processing module management information from the received operator input messages to the operator input interface of the respective processing module to thereby facilitate control of the respective processing module;
• ii. (a) receiving video information from the operator output device of the respective processing module and (b) generating a message including the video information and an address identifying the console terminal;
• and
• F. a console network interconnecting said console terminal and all of said processing module interfaces for carrying said messages generated by said console terminal and said processing module interfaces thereamong in accordance with the addresses contained in the respective messages.