Patent ID: 8108716
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: G05B,G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for monitoring functions of a computer system having at least two execution units, comprising: carryout out switchover operations between at least two operating modes, a first operating mode corresponding to a comparison mode in which the two execution units execute the same or substantially similar instructions, program segments or programs, and resulting output signals of the two execution units being mutually compared, and a second operating mode corresponding to a performance mode in which the execution units execute different instructions, program segments or programs in parallel; and executing a monitoring function that includes computer-executable instructions configured to check at least one of a functioning and a performance reliability of a component in the system via monitoring of a first function that is associated with the system component, the monitoring function being executed in the comparison mode on each of at least two of the execution units, wherein results obtained during execution of the monitoring function on each of the at least two execution units are mutually compared in each instance to provide simultaneous monitoring of the monitoring function and the first function, wherein the first function is executed separately from the monitoring function.