Method and apparatus to support independent systems in partitions of a processing system

• US 20070250691A1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lewites, Saul, Cool, Lyle
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A processing system with multiple processing units may support separate operating systems (OSs) in separate partitions. During an initialization process, a preboot manager in the processing system may copy software to a sequestered area of memory in the processing system. The preboot manager may also configure the processing system to hide the sequestered area of memory from a first partition of the processing system. Also, the preboot manager may use a first processing unit in the processing system to boot an OS on the first partition, and the preboot manager may transmit a boot trigger from the first processing unit to a second processing unit in the processing system. The boot trigger may cause the second processing unit to use the software in the sequestered area of memory to boot a second partition of the processing system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for booting first and second partitions in a processing system that has multiple processing units, the method comprising:

during an initialization process for the processing system;

copying software to a sequestered area of memory in the processing system;

configuring the processing system to prevent a first partition of the processing system from accessing the sequestered area of memory;

using the software in the sequestered area of memory and a second processing unit of the processing system to boot a second partition of the processing system; and

using an operating system (OS) and a first processing unit of the processing system to boot the first partition of the processing system.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation of copying software to a sequestered area of memory comprises loading an embedded OS into the sequestered area of memory.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after booting the second partition, operating the second partition substantially independently of the OS on the first partition.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first processing unit performs the operation of copying the software to the sequestered area of memory.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a first basic input/output system (BIOS) region for the first partition; and

creating a second BIOS region for the second partition.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a first basic input/output system (BIOS) region for the first partition;

creating a second BIOS region for the second partition;

using the first BIOS region to boot the first partition; and

using the second BIOS region to boot the second partition.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

running a basic input/output system (BIOS) loader with a first memory map to create a first BIOS region for the first partition; and

running the BIOS loader with a second memory map to create a second BIOS region for the second partition.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a first basic input/output system (BIOS) region for the first partition;

creating a second BIOS region for the second partition;

storing substantially matching copies of BIOS code in the first and second BIOS regions; and

when executing the BIOS code in the second partition, automatically determining an execution path, based on an attribute of the second processing unit.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the operation of automatically determining an execution path comprises:

automatically determining whether the BIOS code is executing on an application processor; and

if the BIOS code is executing on an application processor, skipping instructions for enumerating devices.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a preboot manager to manage a process for initializing a processing system that has multiple processing units, the preboot manager to perform operations during the initialization process comprising;

copying software to a sequestered area of memory in the processing system;

configuring the processing system to prevent a first partition of the processing system from accessing the sequestered area of memory;

using a first processing unit in the processing system to boot an operating system (OS) on the first partition; and

transmitting a boot trigger from the first processing unit to a second processing unit in the processing system, the boot trigger to cause the second processing unit to use the software in the sequestered area of memory to boot a second partition of the processing system.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the preboot manager comprises:

a boot device selection program to send an inter-processor interrupt (IPI) to an application processor of the processing system, the IPI to cause the application processor to create a driver execution environment (DXE) for the second partition.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, the preboot manager to perform operations comprising:

running a basic input/output system (BIOS) loader with a first memory map to create a first BIOS region for the first partition; and

running the BIOS loader with a second memory map to create a second BIOS region for the second partition.

13. A manufacture, comprising:

a machine-accessible medium; and

instructions in the machine-accessible medium, wherein the instructions, when executed in a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising;

copying software to a sequestered area of memory in the processing system;

configuring the processing system to prevent a first partition of the processing system from accessing the sequestered area of memory;

using the software in the sequestered area of memory and a second processing unit of the processing system to boot a second partition of the processing system; and

using an operating system (OS) and a first processing unit of the processing system to boot the first partition of the processing system.

14. A manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing system to load an embedded OS into the sequestered area of memory.

15. A manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the first processing unit to copy the software to the sequestered area of memory.

16. A manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

creating a first basic input/output system (BIOS) region for the first partition; and

creating a second BIOS region for the second partition.

17. A manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

creating a first basic input/output system (BIOS) region for the first partition;

creating a second BIOS region for the second partition;

using the first BIOS region to boot the first partition; and

using the second BIOS region to boot the second partition.

18. A manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

running a basic input/output system (BIOS) loader with a first memory map to create a first BIOS region for the first partition; and

running the BIOS loader with a second memory map to create a second BIOS region for the second partition.

19. A manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

creating a first basic input/output system (BIOS) region for the first partition;

creating a second BIOS region for the second partition;

storing substantially matching copies of BIOS code in the first and second BIOS regions; and

when executing the BIOS code in the second partition, automatically determining an execution path, based on an attribute of the second processing unit.

20. A manufacture according to claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, automatically determine an execution path by performing operations comprising:

automatically determining whether the BIOS code is executing on an application processor; and

if the BIOS code is executing on an application processor, skipping instructions for enumerating devices.