Fault intercept and resolution process independent of operating system

Abstract

A fault handling process in a computer system subject to CPU design errors and functioning under an operating system (OS) having an integral fault handling module includes the steps of: setting an intercept flag when a central processor fault occurs if the fault is to be directed to a preprocessor; establishing a safestore frame which includes information identifying the type of fault and whether the intercept flag is set; and transferring control to the OS fault handling module; then in the OS fault handling module, determining whether the intercept flag is set; if the intercept flag is not set, handling the fault in the OS fault module; if the intercept flag is set, transferring control from the OS fault module to an Intercept Process written in machine language; and handling the fault in the Intercept Process. This renders the resolution of faults due to correctable CPU design errors independent of the OS employed at a given installation and customizable to a given system without the need to revise the OS fault modules for each OS. As each such design error is worked out (e.g., by installing a substitute integrated circuit in which the error has been corrected), the Intercept Process (and CPU firmware) can be modified to remove monitoring and handling for faults due to the corrected error.