Providing unique event notifications

• US 20060075171A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wei, Dong
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods and apparatuses for providing unique event notifications is described. In one embodiment, an object accessor accesses an object that represents hardware. A notification value accessor acceses a notification value. A universally unique identifier (UUID) accessor accesses a UUID, and a unique action designator computes a unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID.

Claims

1. An apparatus for creating a unique event notification, comprising:

an object accessor for accessing an object that represents hardware;

a notification value accessor for accessing a notification value;

a universally unique identifier (UUID) accessor for accessing a UUID; and

a unique action designator for computing a unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an action performer for performing an action on the hardware, wherein the action is determined based on the unique action designation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

an event notification interface creates an event notification that includes a reference to the object, the notification value, and the UUID; and

the action performer performs the action on the hardware by executing the event notification.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the event notification interface communicates the event notification from firmware associated with a computer system to an operating system associated with the computer system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the hardware is selected from a group consisting of a device, a processor, and a thermal zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the notification value can be assigned a value that has already used by legacy event notification interfaces.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the unique action designation is a unique number that does not conflict with any legacy notification values.

8. A method of providing a unique event notification for performing an action on hardware, the method comprising:

accessing an object that represents the hardware;

accessing a notification value;

accessing a universally unique identifier (UUID);

computing a unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID; and

such that performance of the action on the hardware is enabled, wherein the action is determined based on the unique action designation.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

creating an event notification that includes a reference to the object, the notification value, and the UUID; and

performing the action on the hardware by executing the event notification.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

communicating the event notification from firmware associated with a computer system to an operating system associated with the computer system.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the accessing the object that represents the hardware further comprises:

accessing the object that represents the hardware that is selected from a group consisting of a device, a processor, and a thermal zone.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the accessing the notification value further comprises:

accessing the notification value that has been assigned a value that is already used by legacy event notification interfaces.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the computing the unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID results in the unique action designation not conflicting with any legacy notification values.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the computing the unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID further comprises:

providing a unique action designation that does not require authorization from a standards committee.

15. A pattern that describes a unique event notification interface, the pattern comprising:

a first parameter which upon execution accesses an object that represents hardware;

a second parameter which upon execution accesses a notification value; and

a third parameter which upon execution accesses a universally unique identifier (UUID), wherein upon execution a unique action is performed on the hardware based on the notification value and the UUID.

16. The pattern as recited in claim 15, wherein upon executing the unique event notification interfaces result in:

creating an event notification that includes the first parameter, the second parameter, and the third parameter; and

performing the action on the hardware by executing the event notification.

17. The pattern as recited in claim 16, wherein upon executing the unique event notification interface result in:

communicating the event notification from firmware associated with a computer system to an operating system associated with the computer system.

18. The pattern as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the hardware is selected from a group consisting of a device, a processor, and a thermal zone.

19. The pattern as recited in claim 15, wherein upon executing the unique event notification interface result in:

the notification value being assigned a value that is already used by legacy event notification interfaces.

20. The pattern as recited in claim 15, wherein upon executing the unique event notification interface result in:

the unique action designation not being in conflict with any legacy notification values.

21. The pattern as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the unique notification interface does not require authorization from a standards committee.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of providing a unique event notification for performing an action on hardware, the method comprising:

accessing an object that represents the hardware;

accessing a notification value;

accessing a universally unique identifier (UUID);

computing a unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID; and

such that performance of the action on the hardware is enabled, wherein the action is determined based on the unique action designation.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes the computer system to perform the method, wherein the method further comprising:

creating an event notification that includes a reference to the object, the notification value, and the UUID; and

performing the action on the hardware by executing the event notification.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes the computer system to perform the method, wherein the method further comprising:

communicating the event notification from firmware associated with a computer system to an operating system associated with the computer system.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes the computer system to perform the method, wherein the accessing the notification value further comprises:

accessing the notification value that has been assigned a value that is already used by legacy event notification interfaces.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes the computer system to perform the method, wherein the computing the unique action designation based on the notification value and the UUID results in the unique action designation not conflicting with any legacy notification values.