Final answer:
The NMI Watchdog is a feature in computer systems that monitors the system for faults or system hangs and triggers a non-maskable interrupt when detected. It helps ensure system reliability and availability, preventing infinite loops and unresponsiveness. In mission-critical servers, it can automatically recover from faults and prevent system downtime.
Step-by-step explanation:
The NMI (Non-Maskable Interrupt) Watchdog is a feature in computer systems that is designed to monitor the system for faults or system hangs. It is typically implemented in hardware and operates independently of the main CPU. When the watchdog timer detects a fault or a system hang, it triggers a non-maskable interrupt, which is an interrupt that cannot be ignored or disabled by the CPU.
The NMI Watchdog is primarily used for ensuring system reliability and availability. It acts as a safety net to prevent the system from getting stuck in an infinite loop or becoming unresponsive. By periodically resetting the watchdog timer, the system can signal that it's still functioning properly. If the watchdog timer isn't reset within a certain timeframe, it assumes the system has crashed and takes action to recover or restart the system.
For example, in a mission-critical server, the NMI Watchdog can help to automatically recover from faults and prevent system downtime. If the system hangs or stops responding, the watchdog timer will eventually expire, triggering the non-maskable interrupt and activating the recovery mechanisms. These mechanisms can include restarting the system, initiating self-diagnostic procedures, or alerting system administrators.