System and method for booting an information handling system

• US 10,303,487 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Vidyadhara, Sumanth, Prasad, Parmeshwr, Nijhawan, Vijay Bharat
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neveln, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US15/157,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

A method, information handling system (IHS) and sub-system for enabling booting of the IHS using different operating system configurations. The method includes retrieving, via a processor, a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) image from a storage device and initializing at least one UEFI runtime service. The processor determines if a memory map corresponding to the UEFI runtime service defines multiple memory descriptors. In response to determining that the memory map defines multiple memory descriptors, a common memory descriptor is identified. The UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are aligned to the common memory descriptor. The aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are copied to a system memory of the IHS. The operating system is booted, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support single runtime memory descriptors.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enabling an information handling system (IHS) to be booted using different operating system configurations, the method comprising:

retrieving, via a processor, a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) image from a storage device;

initializing at least one UEFI runtime service, the UEFI runtime service stored in a portable executable common object file format (PE/COFF) image with multiple components;

determining if a memory map corresponding to the UEFI runtime service defines multiple memory descriptors, the memory map being a structure of data that indicates how memory is laid out and include memory descriptors that are mapped to sections of the at least one UEFI runtime service;

in response to determining that the memory map defines multiple memory descriptors, identifying a common memory descriptor;

aligning the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to the common memory descriptor, wherein each of the multiple components within the PE/COFF image of the UEFI runtime service are mapped as runtime code that is executable, and the common memory descriptor enables an operating system that does not support multiple memory descriptors in a PE/COFF image to access the PE/COFF image of the UEFI runtime service without experiencing a failure condition;

copying the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to a system memory of the IHS; and

booting the operating system, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support a single runtime memory descriptor and operating systems that support multiple memory descriptors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating loading of the operating system;

identifying a version of the operating system;

retrieving the memory map;

determining if the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors;

in response to determining that the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors, aligning the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to multiple memory descriptors; and

completing loading of the operating system, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support multiple runtime memory descriptors.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating loading of the operating system;

identifying a version of the operating system;

determining if the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors;

in response to determining that the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors, setting a multiple memory descriptor capable (MMDC) bit indicating that the operating system supports multiple runtime memory descriptors;

storing the MMDC bit to the storage device; and

re-booting the operating system, wherein in response to the MMDC bit being set, the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are aligned to support multiple runtime memory descriptors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple memory descriptors include executable and non-executable memory descriptors and the memory map contains regions of memory that are labeled as being either executable or non-executable regions of memory.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the version of the operating system does not support multiple memory descriptors, booting the IHS utilizing a normal boot process.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the memory map does not define multiple memory descriptors, booting the IHS, utilizing a normal boot process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UEFI image comprises at least one advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) table and a UEFI runtime service table.

8. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a storage device storing at least one unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) image;

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, the processor having firmware executing thereon to enable the IHS to be booted using different operating system versions, wherein the firmware configures the processor to;

retrieve the UEFI image from the storage device;

initialize at least one UEFI runtime service, the UEFI runtime service stored in a portable executable common object file format (PE/COFF) image with multiple components;

determine if a memory map corresponding to the UEFI runtime service defines multiple memory descriptors, the memory map being a structure of data that indicates how memory is laid out and include memory descriptors that are mapped to sections of the at least one UEFI runtime service;

in response to determining that the memory map defines multiple memory descriptors, identify a common memory descriptor;

align the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to the common memory descriptor, wherein each of the multiple components within the PE/COFF image of the UEFI runtime service are mapped as runtime code that is executable, and the common memory descriptor enables an operating system that does not support multiple memory descriptors in a PE/COFF image to access the PE/COFF image of the UEFI runtime service without experiencing a failure condition;

copy the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to a system memory of the IHS; and

boot the operating system, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support a single runtime memory descriptor and operating systems that support multiple memory descriptors.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

initiate loading of the operating system;

identify a version of the operating system;

retrieve the memory map;

determine if the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors;

in response to determining that the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors, align the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to multiple memory descriptors; and

complete loading of the operating system, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support multiple runtime memory descriptors.

10. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

initiate loading of the operating system;

identify a version of the operating system;

determine if the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors;

in response to determining that the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors, set a multiple memory descriptor capable (MMDC) bit indicating that the operating system supports multiple runtime memory descriptors;

store the MMDC bit to the storage device; and

re-boot the operating system, wherein if the MMDC bit is set, the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are aligned to support multiple runtime memory descriptors.

11. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the multiple memory descriptors include executable and non-executable memory descriptors and the memory map contains regions of memory that are labeled as being either executable or non-executable regions of memory.

12. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

in response to determining that the version of the operating system does not support multiple memory descriptors, boot the IHS utilizing a normal boot process.

13. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

in response to determining that the memory map does not define multiple memory descriptors, boot the IHS, utilizing a normal boot process.

14. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the UEFI image comprises at least one advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) table and a UEFI runtime services table.

15. A sub-system for managing booting of an information handling system (IHS), the sub-system comprising:

a storage device storing at least one unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) image;

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, the processor having firmware executing thereon to enable the IHS to be booted using different operating system versions, wherein the firmware configures the processor to;

retrieve the UEFI image from the storage device;

initialize at least one UEFI runtime service, the UEFI runtime service stored in a portable executable common object file format (PE/COFF) image with multiple components;

determine if a memory map corresponding to the UEFI runtime service defines multiple memory descriptors, the memory map being a structure of data that indicates how memory is laid out and include memory descriptors that are mapped to sections of the at least one UEFI runtime service;

in response to determining that the memory map defines multiple memory descriptors, identify a common memory descriptor;

align the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to the common memory descriptor, wherein each of the multiple components within the PE/COFF image of the UEFI runtime service are mapped as runtime code that is executable, and the common memory descriptor enables an operating system that does not support multiple memory descriptors in a PE/COFF image to access the PE/COFF image of the UEFI runtime service without experiencing a failure condition;

copy the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to a system memory of the IHS; and

boot the operating system, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support a single runtime memory descriptor and operating systems that support multiple memory descriptors.

16. The sub-system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

initiate loading of the operating system;

identify a version of the operating system;

retrieve the memory map;

determine if the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors;

in response to determining that the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors, align the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map to multiple memory descriptors; and

complete loading of the operating system, wherein the aligned UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are compatible with operating systems that support multiple runtime memory descriptors.

17. The sub-system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

initiate loading of the operating system;

identify a version of the operating system;

determine if the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors;

in response to determining that the version of the operating system supports multiple memory descriptors, set a multiple memory descriptor capable (MMDC) bit indicating that the operating system supports multiple runtime memory descriptors;

store the MMDC bit to the storage device; and

re-boot the operating system, wherein if the MMDC bit is set, the UEFI runtime service and the corresponding memory map are aligned to support multiple runtime memory descriptors.

18. The sub-system of claim 15, wherein the multiple memory descriptors include executable and non-executable memory descriptors and the memory map contains regions of memory that are labeled as being either executable or non-executable regions of memory.

19. The sub-system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

in response to determining that the version of the operating system does not support multiple memory descriptors, boot the IHS utilizing a normal boot process.

20. The sub-system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the processor to:

in response to determining that the memory map does not define multiple memory descriptors, boot the IHS, utilizing a normal boot process.