Diagnostic devices, equipment, diagnostic methods, programs

Abstract

A simple program configuration makes it easy to identify the events that have occurred. [Solution] The diagnostic device is a diagnostic device for diagnosing events occurring in an object, and includes: an information storage unit that stores event information registered in association with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors occur when each of the plurality of events occurs; a signal receiving unit that receives detection signals output when a state change is detected by the plurality of sensors; an estimation processing unit that refers to the event information and estimates the events that have occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors are received; and a result output unit that outputs the estimation results from the estimation processing unit to the outside.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a diagnostic apparatus, equipment, a diagnostic method, and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] It is widely practiced to automatically control the operation of various apparatuses, equipment, and the like using sensors and the like. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a control apparatus including: a determination unit that determines a state of a member (fan) included in the apparatus; and a control unit (fan control unit) that controls the operation (rotation) of the member based on the determination by the determination unit.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] Incidentally, in a configuration as described in Patent Document 1, when a sensor or the like detects that a state of a member is abnormal, processing such as stopping the operation of the member or issuing an alarm is often performed. However, even if an abnormality is detected by a certain sensor, it is not always possible to identify the event (cause) that has led to the occurrence of the abnormality. For example, detection of an abnormality by one sensor may be common among a plurality of types of events. Further, for example, this is because detection of an abnormality by a plurality of sensors may be a condition for specifying the occurrence of a certain event. For this reason, for example, if an attempt is made to identify an event that has occurred based on a detection result from a sensor, the program becomes extremely complicated, which requires labor and cost for creating the program, and there is a problem that the processing load of the program also increases.

[0005] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a diagnostic device, equipment, diagnostic method, and program that can easily identify the occurrence of an event using a program with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the diagnostic device according to the present disclosure is a diagnostic device for diagnosing events occurring in an object, and includes: an information storage unit that stores event information registered in association with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors occur when each of the plurality of events occurs; a signal receiving unit that receives detection signals output when a state change is detected by the plurality of sensors; an estimation processing unit that estimates the events that have occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors are received by referring to the event information; and a result output unit that outputs the estimation results from the estimation processing unit to the outside.

[0007] The equipment relating to this disclosure comprises the diagnostic device described above and the equipment body.

[0008] The diagnostic method relating to this disclosure is a diagnostic method for diagnosing events occurring in an object, and includes the steps of: storing event information in advance, which is associated with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors occur when each of the plurality of events occurs; receiving detection signals output when a state change is detected by the plurality of sensors; referring to the event information and estimating the events that occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors were received; and outputting the estimation result from the estimation processing unit to the outside.

[0009] The program relating to this disclosure is a program for diagnosing events occurring in an object, and it stores event information in advance, which is associated with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors occur when each of the plurality of events occurs; it causes a computer to execute a process that includes the steps of receiving detection signals output when a state change is detected by the plurality of sensors; referring to the event information and estimating the events that have occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors are received; and outputting the estimation results from the estimation processing unit to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the diagnostic device, equipment, diagnostic method, and program of this disclosure, it is possible to easily identify the occurrence of an event using a program with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of equipment equipped with a diagnostic device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hardware configuration of the diagnostic device described above. [Figure 3] The above diagram shows the functional configuration of the diagnostic device. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of event information stored in the above-mentioned diagnostic device. [Figure 5] This figure shows a generalized example of the event information shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of extracting an event from a list of candidate events shown in Figure 5, based on the order in which detection signals from the sensor are received. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of extracting an event from multiple candidate events, following the state shown in Figure 6, based on the order in which detection signals from the sensors are received. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of extracting an event from multiple candidate events, following the state shown in Figure 7, based on the order in which detection signals from the sensors are received. [Figure 9]This is a flowchart showing the flow of a diagnosis method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the diagnosis apparatus, equipment, diagnosis method, and program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to only this embodiment. (Configuration of Equipment) As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the diagnosis device 60 is provided in, for example, computer equipment (equipment) 1. The computer equipment 1 includes, for example, a rack-mounted server system (equipment main body) 2 installed in a data center or the like, and a diagnosis device 60.

[0013] (Configuration of Server System) The server system 2 includes a server device 20 and a cooling mechanism 30.

[0014] (Configuration of Server Device) The server device 20 includes a server rack 21 and a plurality of server units 22. The server rack 21 can accommodate a plurality of server units 22 arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, for example, three server units 22 are accommodated in the server rack 21. The number of server units 22 accommodated in the server rack 21 is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more.

[0015] Each server unit 22 includes a housing 23 and a server (device) 24 accommodated in the housing 23. The housing 23 is formed in a hollow box shape. The housing 23 includes an opening / closing door (not shown) for accessing the server 24 inside the housing 23.

[0016] The server 24 is a computer apparatus, and a plurality of electronic components are mounted on the surface of a board (not shown). The plurality of electronic components include heat-generating components such as processors and capacitors.

[0017] (Configuration of Cooling Mechanism) The cooling mechanism 30 supplies a refrigerant for cooling the servers 24 into the casings 23 of the plurality of server units 22. The refrigerant is an electrically insulating liquid refrigerant. Examples of such a refrigerant include fluorine-based inert liquids such as "Fluorinert" (manufactured by 3M Japan Limited). The cooling mechanism 30 includes a refrigerant cooling unit 40, a head tank 31, an inlet-side manifold 32, inlet pipes 33, outlet pipes 34, drain pipes 35, an outlet-side manifold 36, buffer pipes 37, a return pipe 38, and a supply pipe 39.

[0018] The refrigerant cooling unit 40 cools the refrigerant used in the cooling mechanism 30. The refrigerant cooling unit 40 is, for example, a so-called cooling tower. The refrigerant cooling unit 40 cools the refrigerant discharged from the server device 20 by heat exchange with the atmosphere. The refrigerant cooling unit 40 supplies the cooled refrigerant to the server device 20. Note that the refrigerant cooling unit 40 is not limited to a cooling tower, and other devices may be used as long as they can cool the refrigerant.

[0019] The head tank 31 is provided on the server rack 21. The refrigerant supplied from the cooling mechanism 30 through the supply pipe 39 is stored in the head tank 31.

[0020] The inlet-side manifold 32 is connected to the lower part of the head tank 31. The inlet-side manifold 32 extends downward from the head tank 31. A plurality of inlet pipes 33 are connected to the inlet-side manifold 32.

[0021] Each of the plurality of inlet pipes 33 connects the inlet-side manifold 32 and the casing 23. The refrigerant in the head tank 31 is supplied from the inlet-side manifold 32 through the inlet pipes 33 into the casing 23. A valve 33v capable of adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied into the casing 23 is provided in the middle of the inlet pipe.

[0022] Inside the enclosure 23, a wall-like weir (not shown) of a predetermined height is provided between the server 24 and the outlet pipe 34. The refrigerant supplied into the enclosure 23 from the inlet pipe 33 fills the enclosure up to the upper level of the weir. The upper level of the weir is set so that the refrigerant covers the heat-generating components of the server 24 that need to be cooled.

[0023] The outlet pipe 34 connects the housing 23 to the outlet manifold 36. The outlet pipe 34 discharges refrigerant that has exceeded a predetermined height weir (not shown) located inside the housing 23 to the outside of the housing 23.

[0024] The drain pipe 35 connects the bottom of the housing 23 to the outlet manifold 36. A valve 35v, which can be opened and closed, is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 35. By opening the valve 35v, the refrigerant inside the housing 23 can be discharged to the outlet manifold 36 through the drain pipe 35 as needed.

[0025] The outlet manifold 36 extends vertically and is connected to multiple outlet pipes 34 and a drain pipe 35. The lower end of the outlet manifold 36 is connected to a buffer pipe 37 and a return pipe 38.

[0026] The buffer pipe 37 is connected to a buffer tank 42 located at the bottom of the server rack 21. A valve 37v is provided in the middle of the buffer pipe 37. By opening the valve 37v, it is possible to send a portion of the refrigerant into the buffer tank 42 or to supply the refrigerant from the buffer tank 42 to the return pipe 38 as needed.

[0027] The return pipe 38 supplies the refrigerant discharged from the multiple housings 23 to the refrigerant cooling unit 40. A pump 43 for pressurizing the refrigerant is provided in the middle of the return pipe 38. A valve 38v that can be opened and closed within the return pipe 38 is also provided in the middle of the return pipe 38.

[0028] The supply pipe 39 delivers the refrigerant from the refrigerant cooling unit 40 to the head tank 31. A strainer 45 is provided in the middle of the supply pipe 39 to collect foreign matter and other contaminants contained in the refrigerant delivered from the refrigerant cooling unit 40. A valve 39v, which can be opened and closed within the supply pipe 39, is also provided in the middle of the supply pipe 39.

[0029] This cooling mechanism 30 is cooled by a refrigerant cooling unit 40, and the refrigerant sent from the refrigerant cooling unit 40 is sent from the head tank 31 into each housing 23, thereby cooling the heat-generating components of the server 24 inside the housing 23. The refrigerant that has passed through the housing 23 is returned to the refrigerant cooling unit 40 by a pump 43.

[0030] (Configuration of the diagnostic device) The diagnostic device 60 diagnoses events that occur in the object T. When an event due to some abnormality occurs in the object T, the diagnostic device 60 estimates the event that occurred in the object T from among several candidate events. In this embodiment, the diagnostic device 60 diagnoses events occurring in the cooling mechanism 30 of the server system 2, treating the cooling mechanism 30 as the object to be diagnosed T.

[0031] The cooling mechanism 30 is provided with multiple types of sensors 100. In this embodiment, for example, sensors 101 to 107 are provided as multiple types of sensors 100. Sensor 101 detects the temperature of the refrigerant in the head tank 31. Sensor 102 detects the liquid level of the refrigerant in the head tank 31. The sensor 103 detects the flow rate of refrigerant in each inlet pipe 33. The sensor 104 detects the temperature of the refrigerant in each outlet pipe 34, that is, the temperature of the refrigerant that has risen in temperature inside the housing 23. Sensor 105 detects the ambient temperature inside the server rack 21. Sensor 106 detects the ambient temperature near the refrigerant cooling unit 40. The sensor 107 detects the temperature of the cooled refrigerant in the refrigerant cooling unit 40.

[0032] Each of the multiple types of sensors 101 to 107 outputs a detection signal to the diagnostic device 60. The sensors 101-107 shown here are merely examples, and the types and installation locations of the various sensors 101-107 can be changed as appropriate. In addition, other sensors may be provided besides the various sensors 101-107. For example, sensor 100 may be provided to detect the status of other parts of the cooling mechanism 30, such as the drive current value of the pump 43.

[0033] (Hardware configuration diagram) Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the diagnostic device. As shown in Figure 2, the diagnostic device 60 is a computer equipped with various hardware components such as a CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, storage 64 including an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a communication module 65.

[0034] (Functional block diagram) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the diagnostic device. As shown in Figure 3, the diagnostic device 60 includes a signal receiving unit 71, an information storage unit 72, an estimation processing unit 73, and a result output unit 74, through which the CPU 61 in Figure 2 executes a program that it has pre-stored in its own device.

[0035] The signal receiving unit 71 receives detection signals that are output when it detects a change in state in any of the multiple sensors 101 to 107.

[0036] Figure 4 shows an example of event information stored in the diagnostic device. The information storage unit 72 stores event information Z. The event information Z is registered in association with multiple events and the sequence in which state changes detected by multiple sensors 100 occur when each of the multiple events occurs.

[0037] In the object to be diagnosed T (in this embodiment, the cooling mechanism 30), there are several types of events that can cause abnormalities in the operating state due to various reasons. For example, in the cooling mechanism 30, as shown in Figure 4, the events that can cause abnormalities in the operating state include: • Refrigerant "leak" and "overflow" in the "head tank (head tank 31)" • "Leaks" and "blockages" of refrigerant in the "enclosure (enclosure 23)", • Refrigerant "leaks" and "blockages" in the "rack piping (inlet manifold 32, inlet piping 33, outlet piping 34, drain piping 35, outlet manifold 36)", • "Leak" and "overflow" of the "buffer tank (buffer tank 42)" Examples include leaks and malfunctions in the "pump (pump 43)". It should be noted that the events that may occur in the cooling mechanism 30 are not limited to those exemplified herein. For example, various other events can be exemplified, such as refrigerant leakage from the pump 43 or malfunction of the pump 43.

[0038] In the cooling mechanism 30, there is often a pattern in the sequence of state changes detected by the sensors 100 in each of the above-mentioned events. For example, if a certain event occurs, the sequence of occurrences will be as follows: first, the detected value from sensor 105 becomes abnormal; second, the detected value from sensor 104 becomes abnormal; and third, the detected value from sensor 102 becomes abnormal. Furthermore, if another event occurs, the sequence of occurrence will be as follows: first, the detected value from sensor 103 becomes abnormal; second, the detected value from sensor 104 becomes abnormal.

[0039] Figure 5 shows a generalized example of the event information shown in Figure 4. The information storage unit 72 stores event information Z in a table-like format, such as shown in Figure 5. This event information Z stores multiple events, such as "Event J1" to "Event J6". For each of the multiple "Event J1" to "Event J6", the event information Z stores sensors 100 ("Sensor A" to "Sensor G") that detect state changes. For each of the multiple "Event J1" to "Event J6", the event information Z stores the order in which state changes occur in the multiple "Sensor A" to "Sensor G" that detect state changes, for example, using numbers such as "1", "2", and "3". Here, if there are multiple possible order in which state changes can occur as detected by the sensors for the same event (for example, "Event J1"), that order is also stored using numbers such as "2 or 3". Note that the number of events ("Event J1" to "Event J6") and sensors ("Sensor A" to "Sensor G") shown in Figure 5 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the order in which the state changes occur at sensor 100 for each event may vary depending on the event; for example, only "1", only "1" and "2", or "1" to "4".

[0040] The estimation processing unit 73 estimates the events that occurred in the object to be diagnosed T (cooling mechanism 30) based on the order in which the detection signals output when the signal receiving unit 71 detects a change in state in each of the multiple sensors 100 were received by the signal receiving unit 71. The estimation processing unit 73 refers to the event information Z and estimates the events that occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors 100 were received.

[0041] Figure 6 shows an example of extracting an event from a list of candidate events shown in Figure 5, based on the order in which detection signals from the sensor are received. Each time the estimation processing unit 73 receives a detection signal from the sensor 100, it sequentially extracts, based on the event information Z, the event that causes a state change in the sensor 100 that received the detection signal, from among a plurality of events. For example, in the event information Z shown in Figure 5, if sensor A detects a state change first, then, as shown in Figure 6, from among multiple (all) "events J1" to "event J6", "event J1", "event J3", "event J5", and "event J6" are extracted as candidate events because their occurrence order at "sensor A" is "1". This extracts candidate events (event candidates) occurring in the object to be diagnosed T (cooling mechanism 30).

[0042] Figure 7 shows an example of extracting an event from multiple candidate events based on the order in which detection signals from the sensor are received, following the state shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, for example, if sensor C detects a state change for the second time, as shown in Figure 7, from the candidate events extracted in the first step—"event J1", "event J3", "event J5", and "event J6"—events with an occurrence order of "2" in "sensor C" are extracted as "event J3" and "event J6". In this way, each time a state change is detected by multiple sensors, the candidate events that have occurred are successively narrowed down.

[0043] The estimation processing unit 73 outputs, as the diagnostic result of an event that occurred in the object T, one of the multiple events registered in the event information Z, in which the order in which detection signals from multiple sensors 100 are received all match. Figure 8 shows an example of extracting an event from multiple candidate events, following the state shown in Figure 7, based on the order in which detection signals from the sensor are received. Furthermore, for example, if sensor E detects a state change, as shown in Figure 8, from the second-selected candidate events, "event J3" is selected from "event J3" and "event J6" as the event whose occurrence order at "sensor E" is "3". In other words, event J3 is the event in which the order of reception of detection signals from sensor 100 matches all of the events "event J1" to "event J6" registered in event information Z. In this way, when the event is narrowed down to a single "event J3", the estimation processing unit 73 estimates that the event that occurred in the object to be diagnosed T (cooling mechanism 30) is "event J3".

[0044] The result output unit 74 outputs the estimation results from the estimation processing unit 73 to the outside. The result output unit 74 can output the estimation results from the estimation processing unit 73 to the outside by means such as sending an email to a pre-registered email address or displaying it on a monitor device screen. The result output unit 74 outputs the event that occurred in the object to be diagnosed (cooling mechanism 30) as the diagnostic result when the estimation processing unit 73 narrows down the possible events that occurred in the object to be diagnosed (cooling mechanism 30).

[0045] Furthermore, the result output unit 74 may output candidate events even before the candidate events have been narrowed down to a single one, prior to outputting the diagnostic results. Specifically, for example, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, if there are multiple events in which the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 matches, the unit outputs multiple events in which the order of receiving detection signals from all multiple sensors 100 matches at that point as candidate events that occurred in the object T being diagnosed. The output of candidate events can be done by means such as sending an email or displaying it on a screen, similar to the diagnostic results of an event.

[0046] (Processing procedure) Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the diagnostic method according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Note that the flow of the diagnostic method shown in Figure 9 is merely an example, and the procedure and the content of each process can be changed as appropriate. As shown in Figure 9, in the diagnostic method according to this embodiment, first, when the object to be diagnosed T (cooling mechanism 30) starts operation, the diagnostic device 60 resets the counter value of the detection signal reception sequence counter from the sensor 100 to "0" (step S11). Next, the diagnostic device 60 refers to the event information Z and sets all possible events (in the example in Figure 5, "event J1" to "event J6") as candidates for events occurring in the object T to be diagnosed (step S12).

[0047] Subsequently, when the object T to be diagnosed starts operating, the diagnostic device 60 monitors detection signals from multiple sensors 100 (step S13). If no detection signals indicating a change in state are detected from the multiple sensors 100 (step S14: No), the process returns to step S13. If a detection signal indicating a state change is detected from at least one of the multiple sensors 100 (step S14: Yes), proceed to step S15.

[0048] In step S15, the diagnostic device 60 increments the counter value of the detection signal reception sequence counter from the sensor 100 by one. For example, when the first detection signal is received, the counter value is changed from "0" to "1". When the second detection signal is received, the counter value is changed from "1" to "2".

[0049] Next, the diagnostic device 60 refers to the event information Z and extracts events from the event candidates registered in the event information Z that match the order in which the detection signals at the sensor 100 are received (step S16). Based on the type of sensor 100 that detected the detection signal in step S14, the diagnostic device 60 identifies from among the multiple event candidates an event in which a state change occurs at the sensor 100 that received the detection signal. In this way, some events that match the order in which the detection signals at the sensor 100 are received are extracted from the multiple event candidates.

[0050] Next, in this embodiment, the diagnostic device 60 outputs the events extracted in step S16 to the outside from the result output unit 74 as new event candidates (step S17).

[0051] Next, the diagnostic device 60 determines whether the number of candidate events has been narrowed down to one. If the number of possible events has not been narrowed down to one (step S18: No), the process returns to step S13 and the same process is repeated. In this way, each time a detection signal is received from the sensor 100 that has detected a change in state, the number of possible events is gradually narrowed down. If the number of potential events is narrowed down to one (Step S18: Yes), the diagnostic device 60 terminates the series of processes. When the number of potential events is narrowed down to one, the event candidate output in the preceding step S17 is a single event. In other words, the diagnostic result for the event occurring in the object T being diagnosed is output.

[0052] (Effects and Benefits) The diagnostic device 60, equipment 1, and diagnostic method configured as described above refer to event information Z based on the order in which detection signals are received when a state change occurs in multiple sensors 100. Event information Z is registered with associations between multiple events and the order in which state changes detected by multiple sensors 100 occur when each of the multiple events occurs. This allows for the estimation of events that have occurred in the object T to be diagnosed based on the order in which detection signals are received from the sensors 100. Since such event estimation only requires referring to event information Z, the need to create a complex program is reduced. Therefore, the effort and cost of creating a program, as well as the processing load of executing the program, can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to easily identify the events that have occurred with a simple program configuration.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above configuration, each time a detection signal is received from sensor 100, the system sequentially extracts the event that causes a state change at sensor 100 that received the detection signal from among the multiple events registered in event information Z. Therefore, each time a detection signal is received from sensor 100, the system can sequentially narrow down the candidates for the event occurring at object T to be diagnosed from among multiple (all) events.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above configuration, from among the multiple events registered in the event information Z, one event in which the order of reception of detection signals from all of the multiple sensors 100 matches is output as the diagnostic result of the event that occurred in the object T being diagnosed. This makes it easy to identify the event that occurred in the object T being diagnosed by sequentially identifying the event in which the reception order matches from among the multiple events each time a detection signal is received from the sensor 100.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above configuration, prior to outputting the diagnostic results, if there are multiple events where the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 all matches, the multiple events where the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 all matches are output as candidates for events that occurred in the object T being diagnosed. In other words, before a single event where the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 all matches is diagnosed as an event that occurred in the object T being diagnosed, the total number of events is narrowed down to a few, and these multiple events are output as candidates for events that occurred in the object T being diagnosed. Therefore, the operator of the diagnostic device 60 can recognize the candidates for events that have occurred before obtaining the final diagnostic results, and can make preparations in advance for when the final diagnostic results are issued. In addition, by referring to the event information Z, it is also possible to output externally the candidate sensor that will detect the next detection signal based on the candidate events. This allows the manager of the object T being diagnosed to take actions in advance, such as going to check the location of the sensor that will detect the next detection signal, that is, the part where the next abnormality is likely to occur.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above configuration, equipment 1 includes a cooling mechanism 30 that supplies a refrigerant to cool the server 24 into the housing 23, and the cooling mechanism 30 is the object T to be diagnosed. With this configuration, if any event occurs in the cooling mechanism 30 that can cool the server 24 housed in the housing 23, it is easy to identify the event that occurred.

[0057] (Other embodiments) Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and may include design changes and the like that do not depart from the gist of this disclosure. In the above embodiment, the occurrence of an event is estimated based on the order in which detection signals are received by the multiple sensors 100. However, in addition to this, the event information Z may also include the time interval between detection signals detected sequentially by the multiple sensors 100. This allows for the estimation of an event based on factors such as the length of the time interval between detection signals detected before or after the same sequence of detection signals.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the refrigerant was filled to a predetermined level inside the housing 23, but this is not the only option. For example, a liquid-cooled heat sink may be provided to cover the heat-generating components of the server 24 in the housing 23, and the refrigerant may be supplied into the liquid-cooled heat sink.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cooling mechanism 30 of the computer equipment 1 was used as an example of the object to be diagnosed T, but the configuration of the cooling mechanism 30, the server system 2 when the number of possible events is narrowed down to one, and the configuration of each part can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the object T to be diagnosed by the diagnostic device 60 is not limited to the cooling mechanism 30 of the computer equipment 1, but may be various other devices, equipment, etc.

[0060] Furthermore, a program to implement all or part of the functions of the diagnostic device 60 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform processing by each functional unit. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Also, if a WWW system is used, "computer system" also includes the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment). Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as CDs, DVDs, USBs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into the computer system. In addition, if this program is distributed to the diagnostic device 60 via a communication line, the diagnostic device 60 that receives the program may unpack it into storage 64 and execute the above processing. Furthermore, the above program may be for implementing some of the functions described above, and may also be able to implement the above functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0061] <Note> The diagnostic device 60, equipment 1, diagnostic method, and program described in the embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0062] (1) The diagnostic device 60 according to the first embodiment is a diagnostic device 60 for diagnosing events that have occurred in an object T to be diagnosed, and includes an information storage unit 72 which stores event information Z that is registered in association with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors 100 when each of the plurality of events occurs; a signal receiving unit 71 which receives detection signals that are output when a state change is detected in the plurality of sensors 100; an estimation processing unit 73 which refers to the event information Z and estimates the events that have occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors 100 are received; and a result output unit 74 which outputs the estimation results from the estimation processing unit 73 to the outside.

[0063] The diagnostic device 60 refers to event information Z based on the order in which detection signals are received when a state change occurs in multiple sensors 100. Event information Z is registered with associations between multiple events and the order in which state changes detected by the multiple sensors 100 occur when each of these events occurs. This allows the diagnostic device to estimate the events that occurred in the object T based on the order in which detection signals were received from the sensors 100. Since this estimation only requires referring to event information Z, the need to create complex programs is reduced. Therefore, the effort and cost of creating programs, as well as the processing load of executing program-based processing, can be reduced. As a result, the occurrence of events can be easily identified with a simple program configuration.

[0064] (2) The diagnostic device 60 according to the second embodiment is the diagnostic device 60 of (1), wherein each time the estimation processing unit 73 receives the detection signal from the sensor 100, it sequentially extracts from the plurality of events the event in which a state change occurs in the sensor 100 that received the detection signal.

[0065] With this configuration, each time a detection signal is received from sensor 100, the event that causes a state change at sensor 100 that received the detection signal is sequentially extracted from among multiple events registered in event information Z. Therefore, each time a detection signal is received from sensor 100, the event occurring at the object to be diagnosed T can be sequentially narrowed down from among multiple events.

[0066] (3) The diagnostic device 60 according to the third embodiment is the diagnostic device 60 of (1) or (2), wherein the estimation processing unit 73 outputs, as the diagnostic result of an event that occurred in the object T, one of the multiple events registered in the event information Z, in which the order in which the detection signals from the multiple sensors 100 are received all match.

[0067] With this configuration, from among the multiple events registered in the event information Z, the system outputs one event in which the order of reception of detection signals from all of the sensors 100 matches as the diagnostic result of the event that occurred on the object T. This makes it easy to identify the event that occurred on the object T by sequentially identifying the event in which the reception order matches from among the multiple events each time a detection signal is received from the sensors 100.

[0068] (4) The diagnostic device 60 according to the fourth embodiment is the diagnostic device 60 of (3), wherein, prior to outputting the diagnostic result, if there are multiple events in which the order of receiving the detection signals from the multiple sensors 100 all match, the estimation processing unit 73 outputs the multiple events in which the order of receiving the detection signals from the multiple sensors 100 all match as candidates for events that occurred in the object T to be diagnosed.

[0069] With this configuration, prior to outputting the diagnostic result, if there are multiple events where the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 all matches, the multiple events where the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 all matches are output as candidates for events that occurred in the object T being diagnosed. In other words, before a single event where the order of receiving detection signals from multiple sensors 100 all matches is diagnosed as an event that occurred in the object T being diagnosed, the total number of events is narrowed down to a few, and those events are output as candidates for events that occurred in the object T being diagnosed. Therefore, the operator of the diagnostic device 60 can recognize the candidates for events that have occurred before obtaining the final diagnostic result, and can make preparations in advance for when the final diagnostic result is issued.

[0070] (5) The equipment 1 relating to the fifth aspect comprises one of the diagnostic devices 60 from (1) to (4) and an equipment body 2 having an object to be diagnosed T.

[0071] With this configuration, the equipment 1, equipped with the diagnostic device 60 described above, can estimate the events that occurred in the object T being diagnosed based on the order in which detection signals from the sensor 100 are received. As a result, the events that occurred can be easily identified with a simple program.

[0072] (6) The equipment 1 according to the sixth embodiment is the equipment 1 of (5), wherein the equipment body 2 comprises a housing 23 for housing a heat-generating device 24 and a cooling mechanism 30 for supplying a refrigerant to cool the device 24 into the housing 23, and the cooling mechanism 30 is the object to be diagnosed T.

[0073] With this configuration, if any event occurs in the cooling mechanism 30 that can cool the equipment 24 housed in the enclosure 23, it is easy to identify the event that occurred.

[0074] (7) The diagnostic method according to the seventh aspect is a diagnostic method for diagnosing an event that has occurred in an object T to be diagnosed, and includes: storing event information Z in advance, which is registered in association with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors 100 occur when each of the plurality of events occurs; receiving a detection signal output when a state change is detected by the plurality of sensors 100; estimating the event that has occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors 100 are received, by referring to the event information Z; and outputting the estimation result from the estimation step to the outside.

[0075] With this configuration, events occurring on the object T to be diagnosed can be estimated based on the order in which detection signals from sensor 100 are received. Since event information Z can be referenced to estimate such events, the need to create a complex program is reduced. Therefore, the effort and cost of creating the program, as well as the processing load of executing the program, can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to easily identify the events that have occurred with a simple program configuration.

[0076] (8) The program according to the eighth aspect is a program for diagnosing an event that has occurred in an object T to be diagnosed, and it stores event information Z in advance, which is registered in association with a plurality of events and the order in which state changes detected by a plurality of sensors 100 occur when each of the plurality of events occurs, and includes a step S14 of receiving a detection signal when a state change is detected by the plurality of sensors 100, a step S16 of estimating the event that has occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensors 100 are received by referring to the event information Z, and a step S17 of outputting the estimation result from the estimation step to the outside, The computer is instructed to perform a process that includes this.

[0077] With this configuration, events occurring on the object T to be diagnosed can be estimated based on the order in which detection signals from sensor 100 are received. Since event information Z can be referenced to estimate such events, the need to create a complex program is reduced. Therefore, the effort and cost of creating the program, as well as the processing load of executing the program, can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to easily identify the events that have occurred with a simple program configuration. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1…Computer equipment (equipment) 2…Server system (main equipment) 20…Server equipment 21… Server rack 22…Server Unit 23…Cabinet 24…Equipment 24... Server 30…Cooling mechanism (object to be diagnosed) 31... Head Tank 32... Inlet side manifold 33... Inlet piping 33v, 35v, 37v, 38v, 39v...valve 34…Outlet piping 35... Drain piping 36…Exit side manifold 37... Buffer piping 38...Return piping 39… Supply piping 40... Refrigerant cooling unit 42... Buffer Tank 43... Pump 45... Strainer 60…Diagnostic device 61…CPU 62...ROM 63...RAM 64... Storage 65...Communication module 71... Signal reception unit 72...Information storage unit 73…Estimation Processing Unit 74...Result output section 100-107, A-G... Sensors T...Object to be diagnosed (object) Z...Event Information

Claims

1. A diagnostic device for diagnosing events occurring in an object, An information storage unit stores event information in which multiple events and the sequence of occurrence of state changes detected by multiple sensors when each of the multiple events occurs are associated. A signal receiving unit that receives a detection signal output when a state change occurs in multiple of the aforementioned sensors, An estimation processing unit that references the aforementioned event information and estimates the occurrence of an event based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensor are received, Includes a result output unit that outputs the estimation results from the estimation processing unit to the outside. Diagnostic equipment.

2. The estimation processing unit, Each time the detection signal is received from the sensor, the system sequentially extracts from the plurality of events the event in which a state change occurs at the sensor that received the detection signal. The diagnostic device according to claim 1.

3. The estimation processing unit outputs, as the diagnostic result of the event that occurred on the object, one of the multiple events registered in the event information, in which the order in which the detection signals from the multiple sensors are received all match. The diagnostic device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Prior to outputting the diagnostic result, if there are multiple events in which the order of receiving the detection signals from multiple sensors all match, the estimation processing unit outputs the multiple events in which the order of receiving the detection signals from multiple sensors all match as candidates for events that occurred in the object. The diagnostic device according to claim 3.

5. A diagnostic device according to claim 1 or 2, The equipment body having the aforementioned object, Equipment equipped with the following features.

6. The aforementioned equipment body is A housing for a device that generates heat, The enclosure includes a cooling mechanism that supplies a refrigerant to cool the equipment, The cooling mechanism is the object. The equipment according to claim 5.

7. A diagnostic method for diagnosing events that occur in an object, In advance, event information is stored in which multiple events and the sequence in which state changes detected by multiple sensors occur when each of the multiple events takes place are associated. The steps include receiving a detection signal that is output when a change in state occurs in multiple of the aforementioned sensors, The steps include: referring to the event information and estimating the event that occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensor were received; The step includes outputting the estimation results from the estimation step to an external source. Diagnostic methods.

8. A program for diagnosing events that occur in an object, In advance, event information is stored in which multiple events and the sequence in which state changes detected by multiple sensors occur when each of the multiple events takes place are associated. The steps include receiving a detection signal that is output when a change in state occurs in multiple of the aforementioned sensors, The steps include: referring to the event information and estimating the event that occurred based on the order in which the detection signals from the sensor were received; A step of outputting the estimation result from the estimation step to the outside, Make the computer perform a process that includes [this]. program.

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