Methods and apparatuses for uniform and dynamic configuration for a computer system

• US 20030236971A1
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rothman, Michael A., McGrath, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,228,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses of configuring a computer system. During a runtime stage or a preboot stage, a device driver for a configurable device exports a set of the configuration information that is resident the buffer during the preboot stage of the computer system. The configuration information is retrieved. The configuration information for said configurable device includes information enabling a callback operation, which allows an operator to dynamically interact with said configurable device. A homepage including a configuration menu for said configurable device is generated and presented to the operator to make configuration selections. The homepage is generated based on the information contained in the buffer. The configuration selections are communicated to the device driver. The configuration selections for said configurable device in a nonvolatile storage module included within said computer system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a configurable device;

a processor, coupled to said configurable device; and

a memory, coupled to said processor, having stored therein a first set instructions which when executed causes said processor

to retrieve configuration information for said configurable device from a buffer, said configuration information being resident in said buffer during a preboot stage of said computer system wherein a device driver for said configurable device exports a set of said configuration information that includes information enabling a callback operation, which enables an operator to dynamically interact with said configurable device,

to generate and present a homepage to said operator, said homepage being generated based on said configuration information in said buffer and further includes a configuration menu for said configurable device from which said operator can make configuration selections, and

to communicate configuration selections obtained using said callback operation to said device driver to enact said configuration selections.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein said first set instructions further causes said processor to retrieve configuration information for said configurable device from said buffer, generate and present said homepage to said operator, and communicate said configuration selections for said configurable device to said device driver to enact said configuration selections.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein said first set instructions causes said processor to store said configuration selections for said configurable device in a nonvolatile storage module included within said system.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein:

said first set of instruction further causes said processor to communicate said configuration selections for said configurable device to said device driver during said preboot stage; and

said memory further stores a second set of instruction which when executed causes said processor to communicate said configuration selections for said configurable device to said device driver during said runtime stage.

5. The system as in claim 4 wherein said device driver for said configurable device executes said configuration selections to change a configuration setting on said configurable device when said configuration selections is communicated to said device driver and wherein said device driver further communicates a new configuration setting to first set of instruction that reflects said configuration selections.

6. A method comprising:

retrieving configuration information for a configurable device from a buffer, said configuration information is placed in said buffer during a preboot stage of a computer system wherein a device driver for said configurable device exports a set of said configuration information and wherein said configurable device includes information enabling a callback operation, which enables an operator to dynamically interact with said configurable device;

generating a homepage to include a configuration menu for said configurable device, said homepage being generated based on said configuration information in said buffer;

presenting said homepage to said operator, said operator to make configuration selections for said configurable device;

communicating configuration selections for said configurable device to allow said device driver to enact configuration selections; and

storing said configuration selections for said configurable device in a nonvolatile storage module included within said computer system.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein:

said retrieving configuration information occurs during one of a runtime stage and said preboot stage;

said generating a homepage occurs during said one said runtime stage and said preboot stage;

said presenting said homepage occurs during one of said runtime stage and said preboot stage;

said communicating configuration selections occurs during one of said runtime stage and said preboot stage; and

said storing said configuration selections for said configurable device in a nonvolatile storage module occurs during one of said runtime stage and said preboot stage.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein said presenting said homepage further comprising:

presenting configuration setup questions to said operator;

accepting configuration setup answers directing to said configuration setup questions wherein said configuration set up answers to form said configuration selections; and

repeating said presenting and said accepting as necessary.

9. The method as in claim 7 further comprising:

exporting said configuration information for said configurable device and;

collecting said configuration information for said configurable device into a temporary buffer locations; and

organizing said configuration information into said buffer wherein said buffer is persistent during said preboot stage and during said runtime stage.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein said organizing said configuration information into said buffer further comprising:

allocating a predetermined space in said buffer for said configuration information from said configurable device; and

indicating a location for said configurable device in said buffer.

11. The method as in claim 7 further comprising:

installing a unique identifier for said configuration information;

installing a point pair for said configuration information to indicate a starting point for said configuration information, said starting point to indicates a starting point said configuration information for said configuration setup for said configurable device.

12. The method as in claim 6 wherein

said retrieving configuration information, said generating a homepage, said presenting said homepage, said communicating configuration selections, and said storing said configuration selections is performed by a first interpreter which operates during said preboot stage.

13. The method as in claim 12 further comprising:

including a set of instructions to provide directions to said first interpreter of how to communicate said configuration selections for said configurable device to said device driver.

14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

transferring said configuration selections for said configurable device when said operator makes said configuration selections to a configuration setting to said configurable device.

15. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:

executing said configuration selections to change a configuration setting on said configurable device according to said configuration selections; and

communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter, said new configuration setting to reflect said configuration selections.

16. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

presenting said new configuration setting to said operator;

storing said new configuration setting in said nonvolatile storage module; and

repeating said transferring said configuration selections, said executing said configuration selections, said communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter, said presenting said new configuration setting to said operator, and said storing said new configuration setting for said at least one configurable device every time said operator makes another configuration selection to said configuration setting.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein said transferring said configuration selections and said communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter occurs through a transfer buffer.

18. The method as in claim 16 wherein

said retrieving configuration information, said generating a homepage, said presenting said homepage, said communicating configuration selections, and said storing said configuration selections is performed by a second interpreter which operates during said runtime stage.

19. The method as in claim 18 further comprising:

including a set of instructions to provide directions to said second interpreter of how to communicate said configuration selections for said configurable device to said device driver.

20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

transferring said configuration selections for said configurable device that when said operator makes said configuration selections to a configuration setting to said configurable device.

21. The method as in claim 20 further comprising:

executing said configuration selections to change said configuration setting on said configurable device according to said configuration selections; and

communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter, said new configuration setting to reflect said configuration selections.

22. The method as in claim 21 further comprising:

presenting said new configuration setting to said operator;

storing said new configuration setting in said nonvolatile storage module; and

repeating said transferring said configuration selections, said executing said configuration selections, said communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter, said presenting said new configuration setting to said operator, and said storing said new configuration setting for said configurable device every time said operator makes another configuration selection to said configuration setting.

23. The method as in claim 22 wherein said transferring said configuration selections, and said communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter occurs through a transfer buffer.

24. The method as in claim 23 wherein:

said executing said configuration selections to change a configuration setting on said configurable device and said communicating a new configuration setting to first interpreter are performed by said device driver.

25. A machine readable medium comprising a first set of instructions stored therein, which when executed on a processor, said first set of instructions causes the processor to:

retrieve configuration information for a configurable device from a buffer, said configuration information being resident in said buffer during a preboot stage of said computer system wherein a device driver for said configurable device exports a set of said configuration information and wherein said configurable device includes information enabling a callback operation, which enables an operator to dynamically interact with said at least one configurable device;

generate and present a homepage to said operator, said homepage being generated based on said configuration information in said buffer and includes a configuration menu for said configurable device; and

communicate configuration selections obtained using said callback operation to said device driver to allow device driver to enact said configuration selections.

26. The machine readable medium as in claim 25 wherein said first set instructions further causes the processor to:

store said configuration selections for said configurable device in a nonvolatile storage module included within said computer system.

27. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 wherein said first set of instructions further causes the processor to retrieve said configuration information for said configurable device from said buffer, to generate and present said homepage to said operator, to communicate said configuration selections, and to store said configuration selections for said configurable device during one of a runtime stage and said preboot stage.

28. The machine readable medium as in claim 27 wherein:

said first set of instruction further causes the processor to communicate said configuration selections to said device driver during said preboot stage; and

said memory further stores a second set of instruction which when executed causes the processor to communicate said configuration selections to said device driver during said runtime stage.