Adaptively storing system code in non-volatile storage

• US 20040255283A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Hynix NAND Product Solutions Corporation (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rudelic, John C., Camber, August A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,533,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A program different than an operation system may be utilized to partially update an original image of system code. In one embodiment, operating system code may be adaptively stored and updated within a non-volatile storage device across at least two different memories into at least two code objects based on the relative utilization of the system code in the two code objects. Operating system patching or application and driver updates may be provided without re-writing an entire image of operating system code in some embodiments. The tuning of operating system code storage may be implemented based on a usage pattern of the operating system code on a device in some cases.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing within a non-volatile storage device an original image of system code in at least two separately accessible portions of code.

2. The method of claim 1 including:

externally associating identification data with said at least two code portions;

tracking said identification data for said at least two code portions;

using at least two different memories for the non-volatile storage device; and

selectively causing migration of said at least two code portions between said at least two different memories based on said identification data.

3. The method of claim 1 including using a program different than an operating system to update the original image based on the relative utilization of the system code in said at least two code portions.

4. The method of claim 3 including installing the original image of the system code into a multiplicity of independent code objects on the non-volatile storage device, each independent code object having associated management information.

5. The method of claim 3 including:

using at least one of two or more different memories and two or more methods for storage and execution for the non-volatile storage device;

using a program different than an operating system to define an attribute that enables addition of code to the system code on the non-volatile storage device; and

automatically updating the multiplicity of independent code objects across said at least one of two or more different memories and two or more methods for storage and execution based on the attribute.

6. The method of claim 4 including interleaving the management information with the entire original image of the system code;

monitoring the management information; and

based on the monitoring, profiling the utilization of said multiplicity of independent code objects.

7. The method of claim 6 including collecting one or more metrics for each of the multiplicity of the independent code objects.

8. The method of claim 7 including dynamically repartitioning the original image of the system code based on said one or more metrics.

9. The method of claim 8 including identifying a usage pattern of a device by a user and tuning an embedded system on the device to match the usage pattern.

10. The method of claim 9 including maintaining information for the usage pattern based on said one or more metrics, and in response to a request, providing the information on said one or more metrics from the device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said system code includes an operating system, at least one driver, and at least one application.

13. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to:

externally associate identification data with said at least two code portions;

track said identification data for said at least two code portions;

use at least two different memories for a non-volatile storage device; and

selectively cause migration of said at least two code portions between said at least two different memories based on said identification data.

14. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to use a program different than an operating system to update the original image based on the relative utilization of the system code in said at least two code portions.

15. The article of claim 13 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to install the original image of the system code into a multiplicity of independent code objects on the non-volatile storage device, each independent code object having associated management information.

16. The article of claim 13 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to:

use said at least one of two or more different memories and two or more methods for storage and execution for the non-volatile storage device;

use the program to define an attribute that enables addition of code to the system code on the non-volatile storage device; and

automatically update the multiplicity of independent code objects across said at least one of two or more different memories and two or more methods for storage and execution based on the attribute.

18. The memory of claim 16, wherein said first and second storage devices form a multi-phase flash memory.

19. The memory of claim 16, wherein said first and second storage devices comprise at least two different flash memories.

20. The memory of claim 16, wherein said first and second storage devices include the original image of the system code installed into a multiplicity of independent code objects, each independent code object having associated management information.

21. The memory of claim 19, said first device to store a profiler to profile the utilization of said multiplicity of independent code objects for use by the program.

22. The memory of claim 20, wherein said program is a kernel program.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said flash memory is a multi-plane flash memory.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein said flash memory comprises at least two different non-volatile memories.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein said flash memory includes the original image of the system code installed into a multiplicity of independent code objects, each independent code object having associated management information.

28. The system of claim 25, said system memory to store a profiler to profile the utilization of said multiplicity of independent code objects for use by the program.

29. The system of claim 26, said system is a portable device capable of network communications.

12. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to store within the non-volatile storage device an original image of system code in at least two separately accessible code portions.

17. A non-volatile memory comprising:

a first and a second storage device, said first storage device different than said second storage device; and

a program different than an operating system, said program to store separately accessible portions of an original image of system code within said first and second storage devices.

23. The memory of claim 17, wherein said system code includes an operating system, at least one driver, and at least one application.

24. A system comprising:

a processor;

a system memory, coupled to said processor, to store a program different than an operating system; and

a flash memory, coupled to said processor, said program to enable the flash memory to store an original image of system code into at least two separately accessible code portions.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein said system code includes an operating system, at least one driver, and at least one application.