System for allocating resources in a computer system

• US 20040205258A1
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lipe, Ralph A., Wilson, Marc D., Santerre, Pierre-Yves
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A system for allocating resources for use by devices of a computer. Device information for the devices of the computer is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. A list of device configurations is constructed in response to the collection of device information. Each device is represented by at least one device configuration, which defines the resource element requirements for the corresponding device. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon the device configurations and the availability of the desired resources. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. For a computer having at least one resource, a method for allocating elements of the resource for use by devices of the computer, the devices including boot devices that are activated during the power-up of the computer and basic devices that are activated after the power-up of the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a list of boot device configurations based on logical configuration data obtained from the boot devices, said logical configuration data defining resource elements for the operation of a corresponding boot device, each boot device configuration defining a requirement for one of the resource elements to support the operation of a corresponding one of the boot devices with the computer;

determining whether resource elements are available to satisfy the resource element requirements for each of the boot device configurations;

if so, then allocating the available resource elements to the boot device configurations, otherwise declaring configuration failure;

obtaining a list of basic device configurations based on resource requirement information or resource dependency information obtained from the basic devices, each basic device configuration defining a requirement for one of the resource elements to support the operation of a corresponding one of the basic devices with the computer; and

determining whether resource elements are available to satisfy the resource element requirements for each of the basic device configurations;

if so, then allocating the available resource elements to the basic device configurations;

otherwise declaring configuration failure.

30. In a computer having a plurality of resources, an apparatus for allocating elements of the resources for use by devices of the computer, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) for executing instructions to support the operations of the computer;

a memory connected to the CPU; and

a program module, stored in the memory, for generating a set of the instructions, the program module including;

a configuration manager that develops a list of device configurations based on logical configuration data obtained from the devices, said logical configuration data defining resource elements for the operation of a corresponding device and each device configuration defining a requirement for one of the resource elements to support the operation of a corresponding one of the devices with the computer, the resource elements including nonreserved resource elements and reserved resource elements; and

an arbitrator for each of the resources, responsive to the list of device configurations, that determines whether the resource elements are available to satisfy the resource element requirements defined by the device configurations, wherein the arbitrator allocates the available resource elements in the event that the arbitrator determines that resource elements are available to satisfy the resource element requirements defined by the device configurations, and wherein the arbitrator sends to the configuration manager an error message representing configuration failure in the event that the arbitrator fails to determine that resource elements are available to satisfy the resource element requirements defined by the device configurations.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the reserved resource elements represent a set of the resource elements that are held in reserve for possible use by selected devices, and the nonreserved resource elements represent the remaining resource elements.