Memory dump program boot method and mechanism, and computer-readable storage medium

• US 20060168439A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Oguma, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A memory dump program boot method includes the steps of defining, in non-volatile variables that are managed by a boot firmware of a computer system, boot information of a plurality of stand-alone dump programs that are installed in the computer system, and a table variable indicating a corresponding relationship of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs and a plurality of operating systems, specifying the boot information of a corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs from the table variables when the boot firmware boots an arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems, and writing information indicating the specified boot information in the non-volatile variables that are referred to when executing a stand-alone dump, and booting the corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs when a booting of the stand-alone dump is instructed, by checking existence of variables that are referred to when executing the stand-alone dump and referring to information of the variables if the variables exist.

Claims

1. A memory dump program boot method comprising:

(a) defining, in non-volatile variables that are managed by a boot firmware of a computer system, boot information of a plurality of stand-alone dump programs that are installed in the computer system, and a table variable indicating a corresponding relationship of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs and a plurality of operating systems;

(b) specifying the boot information of a corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs from the table variables when the boot firmware boots an arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems, and writing information indicating the specified boot information in the non-volatile variables that are referred to when executing a stand-alone dump; and

(c) booting the corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs when a booting of the stand-alone dump is instructed, by checking existence of variables that are referred to when executing the stand-alone dump and referring to information of the variables if the variables exist.

2. The memory dump program boot method as claimed in claim 1, wherein no variables to be referred to when executing the stand-alone dump is created if the arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems to be booted has no corresponding stand-alone dump program.

3. The memory dump program boot method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the boot information includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth variables;

the first variable includes device path information that indicates a location in the computer system where a booting target apparatus is connected, and information related to a file position and a file name of an operating system loader program;

the second variable indicates an order in which a plurality of existing booting target apparatuses indicated by the first variable are to be booted;

the third variable includes device path information of a booting target apparatus that stores a loader program of the stand-alone dump program, and information related to a file position and a file name of the loader program of the stand-alone dump program;

the fourth variable holds the third variable which is the boot information of the loader program of the stand-alone dump program that is to be booted next; and

the fifth variable specifies a process to be carried out when an error end of the stand-alone dump occurs.

4. The memory dump program boot method as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the booting target apparatus includes a hard disk drive and/or a CDROM drive and/or a DVDROM drive; and

the fifth variable is specifies making an error notification and rebooting the arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems or, specifies booting of the stand-alone dump program that is stored in the CDROM drive or the DVDROM drive forming the booting target apparatus.

5. The memory dump program boot method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an image of a loader program of the stand-alone dump program and an image of the stand-alone dump program are stored at a storage location independent of a storage location within the booting target apparatus that is coupled to the computer system and stores an image of a loader program of the operating system and an image of the operating system.

6. The memory dump program boot method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

(d) managing a flag indicating whether or not to carry out a memory diagnosis by a system monitoring mechanism which operates by a hardware that is independent of a main body of the computer system.

7. A memory dump program boot apparatus comprising:

a non-volatile memory configured to store, in non-volatile variables that are managed by a boot firmware of a computer system, boot information of a plurality of stand-alone dump programs that are installed in the computer system, and a table variable indicating a corresponding relationship of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs and a plurality of operating systems;

a write part configured to specify the boot information of a corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs from the table variables when the boot firmware boots an arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems, and to write information indicating the specified boot information in the non-volatile variables that are referred to when executing a stand-alone dump; and

a boot part configured to boot the corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs when a booting of the stand-alone dump is instructed, by checking existence of variables that are referred to when executing the stand-alone dump and referring to information of the variables if the variables exist.

8. The memory dump program boot apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein no variables to be referred to when executing the stand-alone dump is created if the arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems to be booted has no corresponding stand-alone dump program.

9. The memory dump program boot apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the boot information includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth variables;

the first variable includes device path information that indicates a location in the computer system where a booting target apparatus is connected, and information related to a file position and a file name of an operating system loader program;

the second variable indicates an order in which a plurality of existing booting target apparatuses indicated by the first variable are to be booted;

the third variable includes device path information of a booting target apparatus that stores a loader program of the stand-alone dump program, and information related to a file position and a file name of the loader program of the stand-alone dump program;

the fourth variable holds the third variable which is the boot information of the loader program of the stand-alone dump program that is to be booted next; and

the fifth variable specifies a process to be carried out when an error end of the stand-alone dump occurs.

10. The memory dump program boot apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the booting target apparatus includes a hard disk drive and/or a CDROM drive and/or a DVDROM drive; and

the fifth variable is specifies making an error notification and rebooting the arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems or, specifies booting of the stand-alone dump program that is stored in the CDROM drive or the DVDROM drive forming the booting target apparatus.

11. The memory dump program boot apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein an image of a loader program of the stand-alone dump program and an image of the stand-alone dump program are stored at a storage location independent of a storage location within the booting target apparatus that is coupled to the computer system and stores an image of a loader program of the operating system and an image of the operating system.

12. The memory dump program boot apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a system monitoring mechanism configured to manage a flag indicating whether or not to carry out a memory diagnosis by operating with a hardware that is independent of a main body of the computer system.

13. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer of a computer system to boot a memory dump program, said program comprising:

a procedure causing the computer to define, in non-volatile variables that are managed by a boot firmware of a computer system, boot information of a plurality of stand-alone dump programs that are installed in the computer system, and a table variable indicating a corresponding relationship of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs and a plurality of operating systems;

a procedure causing the computer to specify the boot information of a corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs from the table variables when the boot firmware boots an arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems, and to write information indicating the specified boot information in the non-volatile variables that are referred to when executing a stand-alone dump; and

a procedure causing the computer to boot the corresponding one of the plurality of stand-alone dump programs when a booting of the stand-alone dump is instructed, by checking existence of variables that are referred to when executing the stand-alone dump and referring to information of the variables if the variables exist.

14. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein no variables to be referred to when executing the stand-alone dump is created if the arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems to be booted has no corresponding stand-alone dump program.

15. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the boot information includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth variables;

the first variable includes device path information that indicates a location in the computer system where a booting target apparatus is connected, and information related to a file position and a file name of an operating system loader program;

the second variable indicates an order in which a plurality of existing booting target apparatuses indicated by the first variable are to be booted;

the third variable includes device path information of a booting target apparatus that stores a loader program of the stand-alone dump program, and information related to a file position and a file name of the loader program of the stand-alone dump program;

the fourth variable holds the third variable which is the boot information of the loader program of the stand-alone dump program that is to be booted next; and

the fifth variable specifies a process to be carried out when an error end of the stand-alone dump occurs.

16. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the booting target apparatus includes a hard disk drive and/or a CDROM drive and/or a DVDROM drive; and

the fifth variable is specifies making an error notification and rebooting the arbitrary one of the plurality of operating systems or, specifies booting of the stand-alone dump program that is stored in the CDROM drive or the DVDROM drive forming the booting target apparatus.

17. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein an image of a loader program of the stand-alone dump program and an image of the stand-alone dump program are stored at a storage location independent of a storage location within the booting target apparatus that is coupled to the computer system and stores an image of a loader program of the operating system and an image of the operating system.

18. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, said program further comprising:

a procedure causing the computer to manage a flag indicating whether or not to carry out a memory diagnosis by a system monitoring mechanism which operates by a hardware that is independent of a main body of the computer system.