Method and apparatus for fast computer initialization

• US 20020078338A1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ramlow, Allen Justin, Muschett, Brien Henry, Lay, Tatchi Placido, Tran, Dung Huu, Tran, Cuong Huu
• Granted Patent: US 6,807,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer in which an image of the operating system is maintained in a secondary memory. This memory is either powered from a source independent of the main memory, or is non-volatile in nature. When the computer is reinitialized, the loader software that normally builds the operating system from components instead checks the secondary memory for the presence of an operating system image. If such an image is detected, the loader transfers the image from the secondary memory to the primary memory and transfers control of the computing system to the image of the operating system now in the primary memory. If no image is detected, the loader operates in a standard fashion. Additionally, a complete system image may be stored in the secondary memory. This would include the contents of the primary memory, the contents of the virtual memory, and the system state. As such, a preexisting version of an operational computing system may be directly loaded at boot time.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

a primary memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;

a secondary memory communicatively coupled to the primary memory; and

the secondary memory storing an image of an operating system, the operating system being transferred to the primary memory upon restarting of the computer system.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the image of an operating system further comprises a system image.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the secondary memory is a non-volatile memory.

4. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the secondary memory is an electrically programmable memory.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the primary memory and the secondary memory are powered from different power sources.

6. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising a battery, and wherein the secondary memory is powered from the battery.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.

8. A method of starting a computing system, the computing system comprising a primary memory, a secondary memory, comprising:

determining whether an operating system image is present in the secondary memory;

transferring the operating system image to the primary memory so that the operating system may control the operation of the computing device if such operating system image is present in the secondary memory; and

reloading the operating system from a source other than the secondary memory if the operating system image is not present in the secondary memory.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the secondary memory is powered by a battery.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the secondary memory is a non-volatile memory.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the image of the operating system further comprises a previous image of a virtual memory.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the image of the operating system further comprises a previous image of a system state.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the image of an operating system further comprises a system image.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the secondary memory is a non-volatile memory.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the secondary memory is an electrically programmable memory.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the primary memory and the secondary memory are powered from different power sources.

20. The method of claim 15, the computer system further comprising a battery, and wherein the secondary memory is powered from the battery.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the battery is are chargeable battery.

15. A method of maintaining an operating system image for a computing system, the computer system having an operating system, a primary memory, and a secondary memory, the method comprising:

creating an image of the operating system;

storing at least a portion of the image of the operating system in the secondary memory; and

transferring the at least a portion of the image of the operating system to the primary memory upon restarting of the computing system, wherein the computing system may run from the image of the operating system thus contained in the primary memory.