Fast booting a computing device to a specialized experience

• US 20070220246A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Jason, Powell, Therron
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

Described is a technology by which independent computing functions such as corresponding to separate operating systems may be partitioned into coexisting partitions. A virtual machine manager, or hypervisor, manages the input and output of each partition to operate computer system hardware. One partition may correspond to a special purpose operating system that quickly boots, such as to provide appliance-like behavior, while another partition may correspond to a general purpose operating system that may load while the special purpose operating system is already running. The computer system that contains the partitions may transition functionality and devices from one operating system to the other. The virtual machine manager controls which computer hardware devices are capable of being utilized by which partition at any given time, and may also facilitate inter-partition communication.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

booting to a special purpose operating system; and

loading a general purpose operating system while the special purpose operating system is running.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein booting to a special purpose operating system comprises loading a virtual machine manager and running the special purpose operating system above the virtual machine manager.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 having further computer executable instructions comprising transitioning from the special purpose operating system to the general purpose operating system.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the general purpose operating system coexists with the special purpose operating system.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 having further computer executable instructions comprising terminating the special purpose operating system after transitioning at least one resource and/or experience to the general purpose operating system.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the special purpose operating system operates a media-related device.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 having further computer executable instructions comprising, buffering data while running the special purpose operating system, and transitioning from the special purpose operating system to the general purpose operating system, including providing the general purpose operating system with access to at least some buffered data.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein booting to a special purpose operating system comprises loading a virtual machine manager including at least one device driver.

9. A method comprising:

partitioning at least two independent computing functions into a plurality of partitions, each partition containing a set of executable operating system code when loaded into a memory; and

managing the input and output of each partition to operate computer system hardware.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein partitioning the computing functions comprises loading a first set of executable code into one partition and executing the first set of code while a second set of executable code is being loaded into another partition.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first set of executable code comprises a special purpose operating system and the second set of executable code comprises a general purpose operating system that takes relatively longer to load than the special purpose operating system.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein managing the input and output of each partition comprises running a virtual machine manager to regulate the partitions'"'"' utilization of devices.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein partitioning at least two independent computing functions into plurality of partitions comprises independently assigning at least two devices to two different partitions.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein managing the input and output of each partition comprises sharing at least one device between partitions, including unidirectional and/or bidirectional sharing of a device.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising, controlling a power state of at least one hardware resource based on whether a selected partition of the plurality of partitions is loaded into the memory.

16. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a device set containing at least one computer hardware component;

a plurality of coexisting partitions in executable memory, each partition containing an operating system; and

means for controlling which partition may utilize which component in the device set at a given time.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the device set includes at least one of a video playing mechanism, an audio playing mechanism, a video recording mechanism, an audio recording mechanism, a data storage mechanism, and an input device.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one partition is loaded and ready for execution while another partition is being loaded.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein each partition contains at least one virtual device driver.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for controlling which partition may utilize which component in the device set at a given time comprises a virtual machine manager that operates between each partition and the device set.

21. The system of claim 16 further comprising means for communicating information between at least two partitions.