Method of decreasing boot up time in a computer system

• US 20040158701A1
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Merkin, Cynthia M.
• Application Number:
  US10/365,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation

Abstract

A method of decreasing boot up time in a computer system is disclosed. The method may include initiating a basic input/output system (BIOS) boot process in the computer system. The method determines a total amount of memory installed in the computer system and divides the total amount of memory into a first memory group and a second memory group based on a system policy that sets a size of the first memory group. The method initializes the first memory group in the computer system such that the first memory group includes sufficient memory to load an operating system. The method loads an operating system on the computer system. In response to loading the operating system on the computer system, the method causes a plurality of system management interrupts (SMI) to occur whereby a portion of the second memory group is initialized during each of the SMI.

Claims

1. A method of booting up a computer system, the method comprising:

initiating a basic input/output system (BIOS) boot process in the computer system;

determining a total amount of memory installed in the computer system;

dividing the total amount of memory into a first memory group and a second memory group based on a system policy that sets a size of the first memory group;

initializing the first memory group in the computer system such that the first memory group includes sufficient memory to load an operating system on the computer system;

loading an operating system on the computer system; and

in response to loading the operating system on the computer system, causing a plurality of system management interrupts (SMI) to occur whereby a portion of the second memory group is initialized during each of the SMI.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the initializing the second memory group of memory further comprises initializing the second memory group through the series of SMI after the operating system has booted up.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a memory topology in a static resource affinity table (SRAT) such that the second memory group is recognized by the computer system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second memory group is classified as “

hot-add”

memory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the system policy comprises a pre-defined system policy such that the size of the first memory group is stored in the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the system policy based on user input that sets the size of the first memory group.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying the computer system that the second memory group is initialized and available to the computer system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting the SMI to occur at periodic intervals.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

determining a minimum memory size to load on a computer system such that the minimum memory size permits the computer system to load an operating system and a sub-set of computer applications;

initiating a basic input/output system (BIOS) boot process in the computer system, the BIOS boot process including a power on self test (POST);

in response to the BIOS boot process, determining a total amount of memory in the computer system such that the total amount of memory is divided into a first memory group and a second memory group, wherein the first memory group is equal to or greater than the minimum amount of memory;

initializing the first memory group in the computer system such that the first memory group is available to the computer system;

loading the operating system and the sub-set of computer system applications on the computer system; and

in response to the loading of the operating system and the sub-set of computer system applications, causing a plurality of system management interrupt (SMI) such that a portion of the second memory group is initialized during each SMI.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising allowing the computer system to access the second memory group after the second memory group is initialized.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the initializing the first memory group further comprises performing a test on the first memory group.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising performing a test on the second memory group during the SMI.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the total amount of memory in the computer system comprises receiving information during the BIOS boot process from a serial presence detect (SPD) on the memory to determine the size of each memory module installed in the computer system.

14. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method including;

initiating a basic input/output system (BIOS) boot process in the information handling system;

determining a total amount of the memory installed in the information handling system;

separating the memory into a first memory group and a second memory group based on a minimum memory size;

initializing the first memory group such that the first memory group is available for use by the information handling system;

loading an operating system on the information handling system using the first memory group; and

in response to the loading of the operating system, causing a plurality of system management interrupts (SMI) with the BIOS boot process such that a portion of the second memory group is initialized during each SMI.

15. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing instructions further comprises receiving information on the minimum memory size from user input.

16. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing instructions further comprises retrieving information on the minimum memory size from a pre-defined system policy stored in the information handling system.

17. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the minimum memory size comprises four gigabits of memory.

18. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the first memory group comprises a memory module.

19. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the BIOS boot process is stored in non-volatile read only memory (ROM).

20. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein determining the total amount of memory further comprises receiving information stored in an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) chip associated with each memory in the information handling system.