Self-contained network browser with diagnostic abilities

Abstract

A network browser with diagnostic abilities stored in a persistent memory, wherein the persistent memory is not a hard disk, is provided. The network browser is used to repair failures of peripheral devices in a networked computer, such as a hard drive, so as to avoid forcing a user to manually diagnose or solve the failure. Moreover, the network browser removes strict dependence on a traditional operating system, and thus the hard disk, to make such repairs. According an embodiment, the network browser comprises a plurality of software modules. The modules include: a device driver module (216), which is configured to initialize and test one or more peripheral devices; a real time kernel module (220), which is configured to detect and dispatch data to and from peripheral devices, though said device driver module (216), including processing diagnostic data corresponding to operation of said peripheral devices, and to perform memory management tasks; an internet protocol module (224), which is configured to handle network communications with remote devices; a graphics windowing module (232), which is configured to process visual display data and control; and a hypertext markup language module (248) configured to interpret hypertext markup language documents for display with said graphics windowing module (232).

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a web browser software, in particular to a self-contained web browser with a diagnosis function. Background technique [0002] A web browser (or browser software) is software executed by a personal computer to send and receive data to and from a network. Typically, the network is a wide area network, such as the Internet, or it can also be a local area network, such as an intranet. Once the browser software is connected to the network, the browser software can request information, such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) documents, from other computers or "servers" on the network. [0003] A feature of most browser software, such as Netscape Navigator(TM) from Netscape Corporation of Mountain View, California, is that it is an application program. Figure 1 shows an existing software stack 100 for a personal computer. The software that forms the software stack is permanently stored in the personal computer's read-only memory ...

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