DEBUGGING METHOD AND COMPUTER SYSTEM USING THE SAME

• US 20120278655A1
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Yuan-Chan, Lin, Yu-Tzu
• Granted Patent: US 8,726,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2268 Logging of test results

Abstract

A debugging method for a computer system is disclosed, which includes defining a debug reference data area in a storage device for a BIOS and a control device, periodically transmitting a reply request including an identification information to the BIOS, transmitting reply information corresponding to the identification information according to the reply request, checking the reply information and storing an execution log data into the debug reference data area when the identification information does not conform to the original identification information, determining whether the computer system is in normal operation, and performing a debugging process according to the execution log data when the computer system is in abnormal operation.

Claims

1. A debugging method for a computer system, comprising:

defining a debug reference data area in a storage device for a basis input/output system (BIOS) and a control device;

utilizing the control device to periodically transmit a reply request comprising an identification information to the BIOS;

utilizing the BIOS to transmit a reply information corresponding to the identification information according to the reply request;

utilizing the control device to check the reply information, and to store an execution log data into the debug reference data area of the storage device when the identification information included in the reply information does not conform to the original identification information transmitted by the control device;

determining whether the computer system is in a normal operation; and

performing a debugging process of the computer system according to the execution log data when the determination result indicates the computer system is in an abnormal operation.

2. The debugging method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the debug reference data area in the storage device for the BIOS and the control device of the computer comprises:

utilizing the BIOS to define the debug reference data area in the storage device, and ensuring the control device can access data from the debug reference data area; and

utilizing the BIOS to store the execution log data into the debug reference data area.

3. The debugging method of claim 2, wherein the step of utilizing the BIOS to store the execution log data into the debug reference data area further comprises:

utilizing the BIOS to notify the control device to start performing an execution log data service.

4. The debugging method of claim 2, wherein the step of utilizing the BIOS to store the execution log data into the debug reference data area comprises:

utilizing the BIOS to write a signature information, a data length information and the execution log data into a signature, a data length field and a data field of a temporary memory, respectively; and

utilizing the BIOS to write the execution log data into the debug reference data area at intervals of a write cycle according to the signature information and the data length information.

5. The debugging method of claim 4, wherein the step of utilizing the BIOS to transmit the reply information corresponding to the identification information according to the reply request comprises:

utilizing the BIOS to write the reply information corresponding to the identification information into the identification field of the temporary memory according to the reply request.

6. The debugging method of claim 5, wherein the step of utilizing the control device to check the reply information, and to store the execution log data to the debug reference data area of the storage device when the identification information included in the reply information does not conform to the original identification information transmitted by the control device comprises:

utilizing the control device to check whether the reply information recorded in the identification field of the temporary memory conforms to the original identification information transmitted by the control device; and

utilizing the control device to store the execution log data of the data field to the debug reference data area when the check result indicates the reply information does not conform to the original identification information.

7. The debugging method of claim 6, wherein when the step of utilizing the control device to store the execution log data of the data field to the debug reference data area when the check result indicates the reply information does not conform to the original identification comprises:

utilizing the control device to store a part of the execution log data of the data field to the debug reference data area according to the data length recorded in the data length field when the check result indicates the reply information does not conform to the original identification.

8. The debugging method of claim 1, wherein the step of utilizing the control device to check the reply information, and to store the execution log data to the debug reference data area of the storage device when the identification information included in the reply information does not conform to the original transmitted identification information further comprises:

utilizing the control device to detect the reply information after the reply request is transmitted to the BIOS, and utilizing the control device to store the execution log data into the debug reference data area of the storage device when the detection result indicates no reply information.

9. A computer system, comprising:

a storage device;

a basis input/output system (BIOS), for defining a debug reference data area in the storage device;

a control device, for periodically transmitting a reply request comprising an identification information to the BIOS; and

a temporary memory, for temporarily storing an execution log data;

wherein the control device checks the reply information after the BIOS transmits a reply information corresponding to the identification information according to the reply request, and when the identification information included in the reply information does not conform to the original transmitted identification information, the control device stores the execution log data in the temporary memory into the debug reference data area of the storage device.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the BIOS stores the execution log data into the debug reference data area after defining the debug reference data area and ensuring the control device is capable of accessing data from the debug reference data area.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the BIOS notifies the control device to start performing an execution log data service.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein after a signature information, a data length information and the execution log data are written into a signature field, a data length field and a data field in the temporary memory, respectively, the BIOS writes the execution log data into the debug reference data area at intervals of a write cycle according to the signature information and the data length information.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the BIOS writes the reply information corresponding to the identification information into the identification field of the temporary memory according to the reply request.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the control device stores the execution log data of the data field to the debug reference data area after checking indicates the reply information recorded in the identification field of the temporary memory does not conform to the original identification information.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the control device stores a part of the execution log data of the data field to the debug reference data area according to the data length recorded in the data length field after checking indicates the reply information recorded in the identification field of the temporary memory does not conform to the original identification information.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the control device detects the reply information after the reply request is transmitted to the BIOS, and the control device stores the execution log data into the debug reference data area of the storage device when the detection result indicates no reply information.