Method and system for transferring an application program from system firmware to a storage device

• US 6,519,659 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinglite Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Stevens, Curtis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US09/336,067
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 713/2, 714/10, 710/15, 710/18
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

One aspect of the invention is a method and system for accessing at least one storage element in a processor-based system. The system comprises a memory for storing instruction sequences by which the processor-based system is processed. The memory has at least one storage element. A processor is coupled to the memory, and a storage device is coupled to the processor. Prior to booting an operating system on the processor-based system, the stored instruction sequences cause the processor to write the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device. Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer system having a user computer in communication with a remote service computer. The remote service computer has access to a database identifying information available to the service computer. A computer implemented method for transferring information to the user computer, comprises: writing the contents of at least one storage element to a storage device on the user computer prior to booting an operating system on the user computer, establishing a communications link between the user computer and the service computer, and presenting at the user computer, information available to the user computer.

Claims

1. A system for accessing at least one storage element in a processor-based system, comprising:

a memory for storing instruction sequences by which the processor-based system is processed, the memory having at least one storage element;

a processor coupled to said memory, the processor executes the stored instruction sequences; and

a storage device coupled to the processor, where said storage device is local to the processor and the memory;

wherein prior to booting an operating system, the stored instruction sequences cause the processor to write the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device, said act of writing being performed independent of a post-boot application program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the act of writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device occurs prior to loading the operating system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction sequences further cause the processor to initiate a boot sequence.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage element is a non-volatile memory.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the storage device is selected from a group consisting of:

a compact disk drive, a digital video disk (DVD) drive, a solid state memory device, a digital disk drive, a hard disk drive, magneto-optical disk drive, a tape drive, a zip drive, a jazz drive, a high density floppy drive, a high capacity removable media device, a low capacity removable media device, and a combination high and low capacity removable media device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises a file system;

wherein in the act of writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device, the at least one storage element is a file; and

wherein the act of writing comprises transferring said file to said file system in said storage device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device comprises:

(a) locating a start-up directory stored in said memory;

(b) writing a name corresponding to the at least one storage element, to said start-up directory; and

(c) transferring the contents of said at least one storage element to said storage device;

(d) setting a directory pointer to said transferred contents.

8. A method for accessing at least one storage element in a processor-based system having a processor coupled to the at least one storage element and a storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device being local to the processor, comprising:

writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device prior to booting an operating system on the processor-based system, wherein said writing is performed independent of a post-boot application program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the act of writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device occurs prior to loading the operating system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising initiating a boot sequence.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein in the act of writing, the at least one storage element is a non-volatile memory.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the storage device is selected from a group consisting of:

a compact disk drive, a digital disk drive, a digital video disk (DVD) drive, a solid state memory device, a hard disk drive, magneto-optical disk drive, a tape drive, a zip drive, a jazz drive, a high density floppy drive, a high capacity removable media device, a low capacity removable media device, and a combination high and low capacity removable media device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the storage device comprises a file system;

wherein in the act of writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device, the at least one storage element is a file; and

wherein the act of writing comprises transferring said file to said file system in said storage device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device comprises:

(a) locating a start-up directory stored in said memory;

(b) writing a name corresponding to the at least one storage element, to said start-up directory;

(c) transferring the contents of said at least one storage element to said storage device;

(d) setting a directory pointer to said transferred contents.

15. A computer readable program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein for accessing at least one storage element in a processor-based system, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code for writing the content of the at least one storage element to a storage device prior to booting an operating system on the processor-based system, said storage device to be local to the at least one storage element, said act of writing being performed independent of a post-boot application program.

16. The computer readable program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code writes the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device occurs prior to loading the operating system.

17. The computer readable program product of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code for initiating a boot sequence subsequent to the act of writing.

18. The computer readable program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one storage element is a non-volatile memory.

19. The computer readable program product of claim 15, wherein the storage device is selected from a group consisting of:

a compact disk drive, a digital disk drive, a digital video disk (DVD) drive, a solid state memory device, a hard disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a tape drive, a zip drive, a jazz drive, a high density floppy drive, a high capacity removable media device, a low capacity removable media device, and a combination high and low capacity removable media device.

20. The computer readable program product of claim 15, wherein the storage device comprises a file system;

wherein in the act of writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device, the at least one storage element is a file; and

wherein the act of writing comprises transferring said file to said file system in said storage device.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code for writing the contents of the at least one storage element to the storage device comprises:

(a) computer readable program code for locating a start-up directory stored in said memory;

(b) computer readable program code for writing a name corresponding to the at least one storage element, to said start-up directory;

(c) computer readable program code for transferring the contents of said at least one storage element to said storage device;

(d) computer readable program code for setting a directory pointer to said transferred contents.

22. In a computer system having a user computer in communication with a remote service computer having access to a database identifying information available to the service computer, a computer implemented method for transferring information to the user computer, comprising:

(a) writing the contents of at least one storage element of the user computer to a storage device on the user computer prior to booting an operating system on the user computer, said writing being performed independent of a post-boot application program;

(b) establishing a communications link between the user computer and the service computer; and

(c) presenting at the user computer, information available to the user computer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein in (a), the contents of the at least one storage element comprises an application program, and wherein the method further comprises:

initiating, by the application program, a transfer of software from the service computer to the user computer, subsequent to (b);

receiving, by the user computer, said software, wherein the software comprises at least one program that collects system information regarding the user computer.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing the system information to the service computer;

presenting, by service computer, information based on the system information.