System and method for detecting an abnormal condition in a multi-node communication system

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses that are mutually coupled through a communication path; and

a management apparatus that manages the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein the management apparatus is configured to:

transmit Hamilton path information including a communication route information and order information indicating a position in a communication order, the position being assigned to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, and

transmit, according to the communication order, a first message to one or more information processing apparatuses that are free from an abnormal condition among the plurality of information processing apparatuses, and

the one or more information processing apparatuses are configured to:

transmit, when the first message is received, a second message including information about an abnormal condition that has been detected so far to a next information processing apparatus of the plurality of information processing apparatuses that is free from an abnormal condition, and

transmit the information about an abnormal condition that has been detected so far to the management apparatus when the next information processing apparatus fails to be identified.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the next information processing apparatus is configured to:

receive the second message from one of the one or more information processing apparatuses;

determine whether the next information processing apparatus is at an end point on the Hamilton path; and

transmit the information about an abnormal condition that has been detected so far to the management apparatus, when it is determined that the next information processing apparatus is at the end point.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses is configured to store information about the abnormal information processing apparatus in a memory in the management apparatus when an abnormal information processing apparatus is detected.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more information processing apparatuses is configured to:

determine that a transmission destination to which the second message has been transmitted is not abnormal when a response message is received from the transmission destination within a predetermined time after the second message had been transmitted, and

determine that the transmission destination to which the second message has been transmitted is abnormal when a response message is not received from the transmission destination within the predetermined time after the second message has been transmitted.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the management apparatus is configured to:

divide the plurality of information processing apparatuses into a plurality of groups,

set the Hamilton path for each of the plurality of groups, and

transmit the first message to an information processing apparatus at a first position in the communication order, the information processing apparatus being included in each of the plurality of groups.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the management apparatus is configured to summarize the information about the abnormal condition that has been detected so far when the information about the abnormal condition that has been detected so far are received from each of the plurality of groups.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the management apparatus is configured to transmit, to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the Hamilton path information about one or more information processing apparatuses that are behind a transmission destination in the communication order on the Hamilton path.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the information about an abnormal condition includes info ration about a number of information processing apparatuses in which there is an abnormal condition.

9. An abnormal condition detection method executed by a system that includes a plurality of information processing apparatuses that are mutually coupled through a communication path and also includes a management apparatus that manages the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the abnormal condition detection method comprising:

transmitting, by the management apparatus, Hamilton path information including a communication route information and order information indicating a position in a communication order, the position being assigned to the each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses;

transmitting, by the management apparatus, according to the communication order, a first message to one or more information processing apparatuses that are free from an abnormal condition among the plurality of information processing apparatuses;

transmitting, by the one or more information processing apparatuses, when the first message is received, a second message including information about an abnormal condition that has been detected so far to a next information processing apparatus of the plurality of information processing apparatuses that is free from an abnormal condition and

transmitting, by the one or more information processing apparatuses, the information about an abnormal condition that has been detected so far to the management apparatus, when the next information processing apparatus fails to be identified.

10. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, by the next information processing apparatus, the second message from one of the one or more information processing apparatuses:

determining whether the next information processing apparatus is at an end point on the Hamilton path; and

transmitting the information about an abnormal condition that has been detected so far to the management apparatus, when it is determined that the next information processing apparatus is at the end point.

11. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising

storing, by each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, information about the abnormal information processing apparatus in a memory in the management apparatus when an abnormal information processing apparatus is detected.

12. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, by the one or more information processing apparatuses, that a transmission destination to which the second message has been transmitted is not abnormal when a response message is received from the transmission destination within a predetermined time after the second message had been transmitted; and

determining, by the one or more information processing apparatuses, that the next information processing apparatus to which the second message has been transmitted is abnormal when a response message is not received from the next information processing apparatus within the predetermined time after the second message has been transmitted.

13. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

dividing, by the management apparatus, the plurality of information processing apparatuses into a plurality of groups; and

setting the Hamilton path for each of the plurality of groups, wherein the transmitting the first message includes transmitting the first message to an information processing apparatus at a first position in the communication order, the information processing apparatus being included in each of the plurality of groups.

14. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

summarizing, by the management apparatus, the information about the abnormal condition that has been detected so far when the information about the abnormal condition that has been detected so far are received from each of the plurality of groups.

15. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising

transmitting, by the management apparatus, to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the Hamilton path information about one or more information processing apparatuses that are behind a transmission destination in the communication order on the Hamilton path.

16. The abnormal condition detection method according to claim 9 , wherein the information about an abnormal condition includes information about a number of information processing apparatuses in which there is an abnormal condition.