Computer System and Method for Activating Basic Program Therein

• US 20090064145A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yasuda, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0888 using selective caching, e.g. bypass
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

A computer system capable of executing a basic program for providing a program execution environment. The system has a storage device for storing data that is necessary to the basic program during startup, and, for each basic program, configuration data that indicates information relating to data necessary during startup. In the computer system, data relating to the basic program that is to be started is read from the storage device setting, data necessary during startup is acquired from the storage device on the basis of information written in the configuration data, the data necessary during startup is stored in memory space that is in the memory device and that can be accessed from the basic program that is to be started, and a process for starting the designated basic program is executed.

Claims

1. A computer system capable of executing a basic program for providing a program execution environment, comprising:

a storage device for storing, for each basic program, data that is necessary to the basic program during startup, and, configuration data that indicates information relating to data necessary during startup;

a resource manager for controlling requests for access to hardware resources that include the storage device;

a memory device capable of setting memory space for each of the basic programs, and each memory space can be accessed from at least one of the basic programs; and

a startup assistant for reading from the storage device configuration data that relates to the basic program that is to be started, acquiring from the storage device data that is necessary during startup on the basis of information written in the configuration data, storing the data that is necessary during startup in memory space in the memory device that can be accessed from the basic program that is to be started, and executing a process for starting the designated basic program.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein

the startup assistant receives from the basic program an indication of a location of data necessary during startup and, in accordance with the indication, stores data acquired from the storage device in the memory device when the process for starting the designated basic program is executed.

3. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a reader for reading from the boot device the basic program that is to be started;

wherein

the reader for reading the basic program from the boot device selectively reads the basic program using either a speed priority mode in which the basic program is read to cache memory and then stored on the memory device from the cache memory, or a memory-saving mode in which the basic program is stored in the memory device without being read to the cache memory.

4. A method for starting a basic program that cannot directly access hardware resources, using a computer system comprising:

a storage device for storing data that is necessary to the basic program during startup, and, for each basic program, configuration data that indicates information relating to data necessary during startup;

a resource manager for controlling requests for access to hardware resources that include the storage device; and

a memory device capable of setting memory space for each of the basic programs, and each memory space can be accessed from at least one of the basic programs;

wherein the method comprises the steps of;

reading from the storage device configuration data relating to the basic program that is to be started;

acquiring from the storage device data necessary during startup on the basis of information written in the configuration data;

storing the data necessary during startup in memory space that is in the memory device and can be accessed from the basic program that is to be started; and

executing a process for starting the designated basic program.

5. A recording medium that can be read by a computer, wherein a loader program for starting a basic program that cannot directly access hardware resources is stored in a computer system comprising:

a storage device for storing data that is necessary to the basic program during startup and, for each basic program, configuration data that indicates information relating to data necessary during startup;

a resource manager for controlling requests for access to hardware resources that include the storage device; and

a memory device capable of setting memory spaces for each basic programs, and each memory spaces can be accessed from at least one of the basic programs;

wherein

the loader program reads from the storage device configuration data relating to the basic program that is to be started, acquires from the storage device data necessary during startup on the basis of information written in the configuration data, stores the data necessary during startup in memory space that is in the memory device and can be accessed from the basic program that is to be started, and executes a process for starting the designated basic program.