Reducing power-on time by simulating operating system memory hot add
First Claim
1. A computer system comprising:
- a memory partitioned into a first region and a second region, the first region being relatively small as compared to a second region;
a memory controller configured to initialize the first region;
an operating system utilizing the first region upon first region initialization, and;
a System Management Interface (SMI) handler to simulate a physical hot add of the second region to the operating system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention generally provides a method for speeding up system boot time, by initializing a subset of memory during the system firmware test/initialization, and allowing the system to boot an operating system with this subset of installed memory. While the system is completing the operating system boot with the subset of installed memory, a remainder of the installed system memory is being initialized/tested. When the initialization the remainder of system memory is completed (and after the OS has booted), the SMI handler is invoked. The SMI handler then simulates a physical memory “Hot Add” event, and reports the event to the OS. This allows much of the memory initialization/test activity to occur in parallel with the firmware initialization/test and operating system startup processes.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A computer system comprising:
-
a memory partitioned into a first region and a second region, the first region being relatively small as compared to a second region; a memory controller configured to initialize the first region; an operating system utilizing the first region upon first region initialization, and; a System Management Interface (SMI) handler to simulate a physical hot add of the second region to the operating system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method for initializing a computer system comprising:
-
completing the initializing of a first region of system memory being relatively small as compared to a second region of system memory; starting initialization for the second region of system memory; starting a operating system utilizing only the first region of system memory; simulating a physical hot add of the second region of system memory, and; allowing the operating system to utilize both the first region of system memory and the second region of system memory. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A computer program product for system initialization, the computer program product comprising:
-
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code that when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising; completing the initializing of a first region of system memory; starting initialization for a second region of system memory; starting a operating system utilizing only the first region of system memory; simulating a physical hot add of the second region of system memory, and; allowing the operating system to utilize both the first region of system memory and the second region of system memory. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification