Abstract: A test program generator system employs a method of automatically generating a test program for testing a hardware fault in a computer system. The method retrieves fault data from a fault management system and automatically inserts the fault data into a test program.

Abstract: An interrupt control circuit, used for a data processing unit which fetches and executes an instruction and which has an interrupt function, for controlling an interrupt request signal which is input from a device external to the data processing unit and which has a respective interrupt level assigned. The interrupt control circuit stores in an interrupt level register, interrupt-accept level data which corresponds to the instruction and specifies the interrupt level of the interrupt request signal to be accepted for interrupt; reads the interrupt-accept level data corresponding to the instruction from the interrupt level register when an instruction is fetched for execution and compares the interrupt-accept level read with the interrupt level of the interrupt request signal; and accepts the interrupt request signal to initiate the interrupt function of the data processing unit in dependence upon a result of the comparison.