how can I monitor the tasks. Im furious.

[noTiredBear]

Hello.

I am working as a system tester. Sometimes I work with System
designers and Engineers.

Nowadays, I'm foucing on monitoring the sw opreation in Vxworks.

As you all knows, MS windows supported "Task status Window" that can
monitor all Tasks exactly what I wanted.
I mean ".exe" file matched one task by each one. However, I got the
problem in Vxworks. Then I heard that Vxworks didn't match like MS's
ways. Our SW engineer told me, VxWorks spawns tasks by each classes or
functional events. If there one communicational function during data
processing in sw module, then Vxworks spawns a specific task, after
function works, and then the task is gone. So, they cannot monitor the
tasks for operational status.

I believe our engineers. But, as a job, I think there are some other
way to solve my focusing problem.

At least, I want to know all those sw module are loaded at first time
that Power-on On SBC

there 3 modules in each SBC, of course 1 of 3 invokes HB to remote
center. But, it is not clearly for sw status.
What I want to know is about 3 of 3 by each module or another console.

Anybody have a experience for this problem or ideological thinking
help me .

Thank you.

[Jeffrey Creem]

noTiredBear wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I am working as a system tester. Sometimes I work with System
> designers and Engineers.
>
> Nowadays, I'm foucing on monitoring the sw opreation in Vxworks.

Ok. First piece of advise is to not be furious. It is not helpful and
probably is largely in the way of you making progress.

>
> As you all knows, MS windows supported "Task status Window" that can
> monitor all Tasks exactly what I wanted.
> I mean ".exe" file matched one task by each one. However, I got the
> problem in Vxworks. Then I heard that Vxworks didn't match like MS's
> ways. Our SW engineer told me, VxWorks spawns tasks by each classes or
> functional events. If there one communicational function during data
> processing in sw module, then Vxworks spawns a specific task, after
> function works, and then the task is gone. So, they cannot monitor the
> tasks for operational status.

Ok, next, on any job you work on, while drawing on past experience is
useful and can be somewhat helpful at placing your new tasks in context,
you probably want to avoid (even internally) the 'On MS windows' or
'when doing a network application' thinking. That is not to say that
there are not lessons on prior tasks but as you waste time pining for
the days of working on your last system, your next system still needs to
move forward. The constant reference to the specifics of your last task
are harmful enough thoughts to harbor internally but are even worse for
your team-mates.

>
> I believe our engineers. But, as a job, I think there are some other
> way to solve my focusing problem.
>

Ok..Good and bad here. Good that you believe them. Bad in that they are
wrong or that your have misunderstood what they said. vxWorks does
nothing like what you wrote. What they are describing is the way 'they'
decided to architect an application using vxWorks. There are not tasks
spawned by classes, no tasks spawned by functional events. These may or
may not be happening in your system but if so it is because they wrote
it that way. Further, the way they wrote it may or may not be the right
thing. Certainly I have been working with vxWorks for > 15 years and in
not one of my systems is there a single task spawned by a class or any
tasks that starts and exits on a regular basis (excluding
initialization/power-up).

There certainly are things that are different between a typical desktop
programming approach and vxWorks but the discussion above does not
really accurately capture it.

> At least, I want to know all those sw module are loaded at first time
> that Power-on On SBC
>
> there 3 modules in each SBC, of course 1 of 3 invokes HB to remote
> center. But, it is not clearly for sw status.
> What I want to know is about 3 of 3 by each module or another console.
>

Perhaps this means something when you say it to your engineers but it
certainly does not mean much to me.

[Brian @ VPS]

The transition to vxWorks from a PC OS can be frustrating - I've been
going through it myself this year so I know where you are coming from.

I don't know that I understand what you are asking... do you simply
want to verify that the tasks have started up and run? Do you have
access to Workbench? Is the WDB agent running on vxWorks? If so you
can view what tasks are started through workbench.

Are you allowed to make changes to the source? Can you add code to
cause some externally visible event (turn on or off an LED) when
whatever condition you want is met?

[Jason]

If you have access to the C shell (most likely over a serial port),
you
can always check what tasks are running with the 'i' command

If you want a more dynamic view of utilization of each task, you
can use the 'spy' command (although you may need to include
it in your kernel).

I would further suggest you spend some time reading the
first few chapters of the Kernel Programmers' Guide - it will
help you understand the VxWorks tasking model. Its not
particularly difficult or complex; just different to a Windows
approach to the world...

Cheers!

Jason

[noTiredBear]

Appreciate you! for my questioning what i describe "Its furious!".

first, I must say sorry for really furious states. i was a furious man
besides the question.

We are now using Vxworks 5.5x . Already knows there 6.x(Workbench) .
but, some of HW doesn;t support drivers for that. obstinately...
woohoo..

Anyway, let me show something more. there 3 executable files in SBC

a.out / b.out / c.out

a is connected to interface HW. it is given to kinds of HW's specific
status.
b is monitoring itself all of cards and boards like pmc 422/SBC/
675/610 or other else.
c is just for time synchro. (we support time server independently)

at this case, Remote monitoring server got a msg from b.out . and also
a.out
but not a same time. Certainly, they have their time gaps
regularly(excluding event msg)

So, I suggested that b gather two status from a,c. then, when b shoot
the hw status msg, gathering b's data embedded to there itself.

whereas they are same msg I thought. kinds fake.

That's why I ask over the title ".... furious~!!"

instead of my last suggestion, I thought do same ways of count task
status windows of M$'s. however i reallized it dont works in vxworks.

any ideazz I will be thankful of your kindness! (Even worsely..
request to remove requirement for sw monitoring)

[noTiredBear]

//Jason
thank you for advices~.

sometime I use "spy" and "memshows" for the performance checking.

when I use spy on shell. I could see a lot of tasks running. At that
time, I understand most of tasks are fixed like as Windows.

But, I heard Vxworks controll all memory access. by not mutual
exclusive. and tasks are sometimes spawns and destroys as OS needs.

So I understand Vxworks and Windows doesnt have same ideology of Task
management.

Windows use the words "task" as ".exe" executive file at large view.
but, Vxworks can't afford its concept.

would u give me a good concept shortly?

Ty~