PLATFORM NON-VOLATILE STORAGE MANAGEMENT AND PLATFORM CONFIGURATION

• US 20160246510A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: KROGH, Daniel M., ROTHMAN, Michael A., ZIMMER, Vincent J.
• Application Number:
  US14/129,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246510A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Technologies for providing services to a non-volatile store include a computing device having a non-volatile store policy that defines a minimum amount of reserved space in the non-volatile store. The mobile computing device receives a call for services to the non-volatile store, determines useable free space in the non-volatile store based on the non-volatile store policy, and responds to the call for services based on the useable free space. Technologies for platform configuration include a computing device having a firmware environment and an operating system. The firmware environment determines information on configuration settings inaccessible to the operating system and exports the information to the operating system. The operating system determines a new configuration setting based on the exported information, and may configure the computing device at runtime. The operating system may securely pass a configuration directive to the firmware environment for configuration during boot. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computing device for providing services to a data store, the computing device comprising:

a non-volatile store to store one or more variables;

a non-volatile store policy that defines a minimum amount of reserved space in the non-volatile store; and

a non-volatile store access module to (i) receive a call for services to the non-volatile store, (ii) determine usable free space in the non-volatile store based on the non-volatile store policy, and (iii) respond to the call for services based on the usable free space in the non-volatile store.

27. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the non-volatile store access module is established by a firmware environment of the computing device.

28. The computing device of claim 26, wherein to determine the usable free space further comprises to:

determine an identity of a caller of the call for services; and

determine the usable free space based on the non-volatile store policy and the identity of the caller;

wherein the non-volatile store policy further defines an amount of reserved space based on the identity of the caller.

29. The computing device of claim 26, wherein:

the call for services comprises a call to set a variable in the non-volatile store; and

to respond to the call for services comprises to;

determine whether the usable free space is sufficient to store the variable; and

store the variable in the non-volatile store in response to a determination that the useable free space is sufficient.

30. The computing device of claim 29, wherein:

to determine the usable free space comprises to determine the usable free space based on a physical free space of the non-volatile store and a predicted compression ratio of the non-volatile store; and

to store the variable further comprises to;

compress the variable to produce compressed variable data;

store the compressed variable data in the non-volatile store; and

update the predicted compression ratio based on the compressed variable data.

31. The computing device of claim 26, wherein:

the call for services comprises a call to query information for a variable stored in the non-volatile store; and

to respond to the call for services comprises to return the usable free space to a caller of the call to query information.

32. The computing device of claim 31, wherein to determine the usable free space comprises to determine the usable free space based on a physical free space of the non-volatile store and a predicted compression ratio of the non-volatile store.

33. A method for providing services to a data store, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a call for services to a non-volatile store of the computing device;

determining, by the computing device, usable free space in the non-volatile store based on a non-volatile store policy, the non-volatile store policy defining a minimum amount of reserved space in the non-volatile store; and

responding, by the computing device, to the call for services based on the usable free space in the non-volatile store.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein determining the usable free space further comprises:

determining an identity of a caller of the call for services; and

determining the usable free space based on the non-volatile store policy and the identity of the caller, the non-volatile store policy defining an amount of reserved space based on the identity of the caller.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein:

receiving the call for services comprises receiving a call to set a variable in the non-volatile store; and

responding to the call for services comprises;

determining whether the usable free space is sufficient to store the variable; and

storing the variable in the non-volatile store in response to determining the useable free space is sufficient.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein:

determining the usable free space comprises determining the usable free space based on a physical free space of the non-volatile store and a predicted compression ratio of the non-volatile store; and

storing the variable further comprises;

compressing the variable to produce compressed variable data;

storing the compressed variable data in the non-volatile store; and

updating the predicted compression ratio based on the compressed variable data.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein:

receiving the call for services comprises receiving a call to query information for a variable stored in the non-volatile store; and

responding to the call for services comprises returning the usable free space to a caller of the call to query information.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein determining the usable free space comprises determining the usable free space based on a physical free space of the non-volatile store and a predicted compression ratio of the non-volatile store.

39. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause a computing device to:

receive a call for services to a non-volatile store of the computing device;

determine usable free space in the non-volatile store based on a non-volatile store policy, the non-volatile store policy defining a minimum amount of reserved space in the non-volatile store; and

respond to the call for services based on the usable free space in the non-volatile store.

40. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 39, wherein to determine the usable free space further comprises to:

determine an identity of a caller of the call for services; and

determine the usable free space based on the non-volatile store policy and the identity of the caller, the non-volatile store policy defining an amount of reserved space based on the identity of the caller.

41. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 40, wherein to determine the identity of the caller comprises to analyze a return address stored in a system stack of the computing device.

42. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 39, wherein:

to receive the call for services comprises to receive a call to set a variable in the non-volatile store; and

to respond to the call for services comprises to;

determine whether the usable free space is sufficient to store the variable; and

store the variable in the non-volatile store in response to determining the useable free space is sufficient.

43. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 42, wherein:

to determine the usable free space comprises to determine the usable free space based on a physical free space of the non-volatile store and a predicted compression ratio of the non-volatile store; and

to store the variable further comprises to;

compress the variable to produce compressed variable data;

store the compressed variable data in the non-volatile store; and

update the predicted compression ratio based on the compressed variable data.

44. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 39, wherein:

to receive the call for services comprises to receive a call to query information for a variable stored in the non-volatile store; and

to respond to the call for services comprises to return the usable free space to a caller of the call to query information.

45. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 44, wherein to determine the usable free space comprises to determine the usable free space based on a physical free space of the non-volatile store and a predicted compression ratio of the non-volatile store.