Autonomous boot failure detection and recovery

• US 20040078679A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cagle, John M., Bodner, James T., Zink, Daniel John
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide an efficient method and apparatus for avoiding hangs when a computer system is unable to complete a proper boot. Booting is attempted from each device in a standard boot order list until a successful boot occurs. If the standard boot order list is exhausted without a successful boot, the boot sequence is retried after a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a processor adapted to execute program instructions;

a standard boot order list that identifies at least one device from which to attempt to boot an operating system;

a system BIOS containing program instructions adapted to be executed by the processor, the system BIOS adapted to;

read the standard boot order list to identify the at least one device;

attempt to boot from the at least one device;

if the attempt to boot from the at least one device is unsuccessful, attempt to boot from the at least one device a second time.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system BIOS is adapted to re-read the standard boot order list to identify the at least one device before attempting to boot from the at least one device a second time.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the at least one device is accessible through a network connection.

4. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the network connection is accessible using the Pre-boot execution Environment standard.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the at least one device is a hard drive.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the at least one device is a CD ROM drive.

7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the at least one device is a floppy disk drive.

8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system BIOS is adapted to delay for a predetermined time period before attempting to boot from the at least one device a second time.

9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system BIOS is adapted to display a message indicating that a boot sequence has failed before attempting to boot from the at least one device a second time.

10. A system BIOS for a computer system, the system BIOS adapted to:

read a standard boot order list to identify at least one device from which to attempt to boot an operating system;

attempt to boot from the at least one device;

if the attempt to boot from the at least one device is unsuccessful, attempt to boot from the at least one device a second time.

11. The system BIOS of claim 10, wherein the system BIOS is adapted to re-read the standard boot order list to identify the at least one device before attempting to boot from the at least one device a second time.

12. The system BIOS of claim 10 wherein the at least one device is accessible through a network connection.

13. The system BIOS of claim 12 wherein the network connection is accessible using the Pre-boot execution Environment standard.

14. The system BIOS of claim 10 wherein the at least one device is a hard drive.

15. The system BIOS of claim 10 wherein the at least one device is a CD ROM drive.

16. The system BIOS of claim 10 wherein the at least one device is a floppy disk drive.

17. The system BIOS of claim 10 wherein the system BIOS is adapted to delay for a predetermined time period before attempting to boot from the at least one device a second time.

18. The system BIOS of claim 10 wherein the system BIOS is adapted to display a message indicating that a boot sequence has failed before attempting to boot from the at least one device a second time.

19. A method of booting an operating system in a computer system, the method comprising the acts of:

accessing a standard boot order list to identify a device from which to attempt to boot;

attempting to boot from the device;

if the attempting to boot is unsuccessful, determining if additional devices are listed in the standard boot order list; and

if no additional devices are listed in the standard boot order list, attempting to boot from the device a second time.

20. The method claim 19, wherein the act of determining further comprises the act of reading the standard boot order list to see if any additional devices are listed in the standard boot order list.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the act of accessing the device through a network connection.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the network connection is accessible using the Pre-boot execution Environment standard.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the device is a hard drive.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the device is a CD ROM drive.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the device is a floppy disk drive.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising the act of delaying for a predetermined time period before attempting to boot from the device a second time.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising the act displaying a message indicating that a boot sequence has failed before attempting to boot from the device a second time.