Memory monitor

• US 10,248,486 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Branco, Rodrigo R., Gueron, Shay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kudirka, Joseph R
• Application Number:
  US15/279,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 714 55, 726 34- 36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/073 in a memory management context, e.g. virtual memory or cache management memory management G06F12/00; testing of static memory units G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3037 where the computing system component is a memory, e.g. virtual memory, cache accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/00; checking stores for correct operation G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake

Abstract

Various systems and methods for providing a memory monitor are provided herein. An integrated circuit and memory are disposed in a computer system. The integrated circuit to monitor main memory includes: a detection circuit to detect that the computer system enters a sleep state; a test circuit to test for the presence of the main memory; and a recovery circuit to perform a recovery process when the test fails.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit to monitor main memory, the integrated circuit and the main memory disposed in a computer system, the integrated circuit comprising:

a detection circuit to detect that the computer system enters a sleep state;

a test circuit to test whether the main memory is still installed in the computer system by attempting to read from a memory address in the main memory and determining that the main memory is no longer installed in the computer system by detecting that the memory address is inaccessible; and

a recovery circuit to perform a recovery process when the test indicates that the main memory is no longer installed in the computer system.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the test for whether the main memory is still installed in the computer system is performed periodically.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein to test for whether the main memory is still installed in the computer system, the test circuit is to attempt to access the address in the main memory.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein the address is a random address in main memory.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein accessing the address is performed periodically.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein to test whether the main memory is still installed in the computer system, the test circuit is to:

initiate a watchdog timer;

attempt to access contents of the main memory; and

reset the watchdog timer when the attempt to access contents is successful.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the recovery process is performed when the watchdog timer expires.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the recovery process comprises shutting down the computer system.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the recovery process comprises writing to an event log.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is incorporated in a power control unit.

11. A method of monitoring main memory in a system, the method comprising:

detecting at a caretaker processor of the system that the system enters a sleep state;

testing, by the caretaker processor, whether the main memory of the system is still installed in the system by attempting to read from a memory address in the main memory and determining that the main memory is no longer installed in the system by detecting that the memory address is inaccessible; and

performing a recovery process when the testing indicates that the main memory is no longer installed in the system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein testing whether the main memory is still installed in the system is performed periodically.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein testing whether the main memory is still installed in the system comprises attempt to access the address in the main memory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the address is a random address in main memory.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein accessing the address is performed periodically.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein testing whether the main memory is still installed in the system comprises:

initiating a watchdog timer;

attempting to access contents of the main memory; and

resetting the watchdog timer when the attempt to access contents is successful.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recovery process is performed when the watchdog timer expires.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the recovery process comprises shutting down the system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the recovery process comprises writing to an event log.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the caretaker processor is a power control unit.

21. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions for monitoring main memory in a system, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

detect at a caretaker processor of the system that the system enters a sleep state;

test, by the caretaker processor, whether the main memory of the system is still installed in the system by attempting to read from a memory address in the main memory and determining that the main memory is no longer installed in the system by detecting that the memory address is inaccessible; and

perform a recovery process when the testing indicates that the main memory is no longer installed in the system.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein testing whether the main memory is still installed in the system is performed periodically.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions to test whether the main memory is still installed in the system comprise instructions to attempt to access the address in the main memory.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the address is a random address in main memory.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein accessing the address is performed periodically.