Alternate boot record

• US 6,560,701 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fulk, George Lee, Berstis, Viktors
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/797,076
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 395/651, 395/652, 713/1, 713/2, 714/55
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures

Abstract

An alternate boot record is stored on a hard disk drive in a data processing system at the opposite end of the hard disk from a master boot record. Extended boot records stored before each logical partition are employed for that partition when the master boot record or alternate boot record is utilized for system initialization. The alternate boot record is utilized to initialize the data processing system when attempts to initialize the data processing system utilizing the master boot record are unsuccessful. The alternate boot record thus forms part of an automatic recovery mechanism in the data processing system.

Claims

1. A method of providing alternate boot data in a data processing system, comprising:

storing primary boot data in a first partition on computer usable media in said data processing system at a first physical end of the computer usable media;

storing alternate boot data in a second partition on the computer usable media in the data processing system at a second physical end of the computer usable media;

storing first extended boot data in the second partition, the first extended boot data duplicating a portion of the primary boot data except for a flag indicating whether the first partition contains data for system initialization; and

storing second extended boot data in the first partition, the second extended boot data duplicating a portion of the alternate boot data except for a flag indicating whether the second partition contains data for system initialization.

2. An apparatus for providing alternate boot data in a data processing system, comprising:

a first partition on computer usable media containing primary boot data at a first physical end of the computer usable media;

a second partition on the computer usable media containing alternate boot data at a second physical end of the computer usable media,

wherein the second partition contains first extended boot data duplicating a portion of the primary boot data except for a flag indicating whether the first partition contains data for system initialization, and

wherein the first partition contains second extended boot data duplicating a portion of the alternate boot data except for a flag indicating whether the second partition contains data for system initialization.

3. A method of employing alternate boot data in a data processing system, comprising:

determining whether the data processing system has unsuccessfully attempted to initialize;

responsive to determining that the data processing system has not unsuccessfully attempted to initialize, employing primary boot data located at a first physical end of data storage accessible by the data processing system in a first partition on the data storage to initialize the data processing system and employing first extended boot data located in a second partition on the data storage to initialize the first partition; and

responsive to determining that the data processing system has unsuccessfully attempted to initialize, employing alternate boot data located at a second physical end of the data storage accessible by the data processing system in the second partition to initialize the data processing system and employing second extended boot data located in the first partition to initialize the second partition,

wherein the data processing system employs alternate boot data to initialize when the primary boot data may not be successfully employed.

4. An apparatus for employing alternate boot data in a data processing system, comprising:

determination means for determining whether the data processing system has unsuccessfully attempted to initialize;

first selection means, responsive to determining that the data processing system has not unsuccessfully attempted to initialize, for employing primary boot data located at a first physical end of data storage accessible by the data processing system in a first partition on the data storage to initialize the data processing system and employing first extended boot data located in a second partition on the data storage to initialize the first partition; and

second selection means, responsive to determining that the data processing system has unsuccessfully attempted to initialize, for employing alternate boot data located at a second physical end of the data storage in the second partition to initialize the data processing system and employing second extended boot data located in the first partition to initialize the second partition,

wherein the data processing system employs alternate boot data to initialize when primary boot data may not be successfully employed.

5. System initialization data in a data processing system, comprising:

first primary system initialization data including first primary partition initialization data and first operating system software stored on computer readable media accessible by the data processing system in a first partition at a first end of the computer readable media;

second primary system initialization data including second primary partition initialization data and second operating system software stored on the computer readable media in a second partition at a second end of the computer readable media;

first extended partition initialization data stored in the second partition, the first extended partition initialization data duplicating a portion of the second primary partition initialization data except for a flag indicating whether the first partition contains data for system initialization; and

second extended partition initialization data stored in the first partition, the second extended partition initialization data duplicating a portion of the first primary partition initialization data except for a flag indicating whether the second partition contains data for system initialization.

6. A computer program product for use with a data processing system, comprising:

a computer usable medium;

primary boot data on a first track in a first partition on the computer usable medium;

alternate boot data on a last track in a second partition on the computer usable medium;

first extended boot data in the second partition, the first extended boot data duplicating a portion of the primary boot data except for a flag indicating whether the first partition contains data for system initialization; and

second extended boot data in the first partition, the second extended boot data duplicating a portion of the alternate boot data except for a flag indicating whether the second partition contains data for system initialization.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable medium is a hard disk drive.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable medium is a floppy disk.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable medium is a CD-ROM.

10. A method in a data processing system for automatically reinitializing the data processing system, comprising:

monitoring a periodic signal in the data processing system indicating normal operation; and

responsive to a cessation of the periodic signal,

automatically restarting the data processing system,

initializing the data processing system and a first partition at a first end of data storage accessible to the data processing system using a primary boot record within the first partition, and

initializing a second partition at a second end of the data storage utilizing a first extended boot record within the first partition, the first extended boot record duplicating a portion of a secondary boot record in the second partition except for a flag indicating whether the second partition contains data for system initialization;

responsive to the data processing system failing to initialize using the primary boot record,

automatically restarting the data processing system,

initializing the data processing system and the second partition using the secondary boot record, and

initializing the first partition using a second extended boot record within the second partition, the second extended boot record duplicating a portion of the primary boot record except for a flag indicating whether the first partition contains data for system initialization,

wherein the data processing automatically recovers from system errors without user intervention.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

subsequent to the initializing the data processing system using a secondary boot record, executing a utility application repairing the primary boot record.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

subsequent to executing a utility application repairing the primary boot record, automatically restarting the data processing system and initializing the data processing system using a secondary boot record.