Simulating memory hot add

• US 8,245,009 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kirscht, Joseph Allen, Kochar, Sumeet, Kritt, Barry Alan, Schwartz, William Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEP T
• Application Number:
  US13/162,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

Memory is logically partitioned into two regions. A first region may be a similar size relative to the second region or the first region may be a small subset of the memory. The first region of memory is initialized and an operating system utilizes the first region. A system handler simulates a physical hot add of the second region. After the simulated physical hot add, the operating system may utilize the second region as if it were newly added physical memory and/or may utilize both the first region and second region.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a memory logically partitioned into a first region and a second region;

a memory controller configured to initialize the first region;

an operating system configured to utilize the first region; and

a system handler configured to simulate a physical hot add of the second region.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the memory controller initializes the second region subsequent to the initialization of the first region.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the operating system utilizes the second region as if it were newly added physical memory upon the simulated physical hot add.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the operating system utilizes both the first region and second region upon the simulated physical hot add event.

5. A method for utilizing memory comprising:

logically partitioning a memory into a first region and a second region;

initializing, by a memory controller, the first region;

utilizing, by an operating system, the first region; and

simulating, by a system handler, a physical hot add of the second region.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first region is relatively small compared to the second region.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein simulating a physical hot add of the second region memory is completed subsequent to the initialization of the second region.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the operating system utilizes the second region as if it were newly added physical memory upon the physical hot add of the second region.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the operating system utilizes both the first region and the second region upon the physical hot add of the second region.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the first region is large enough for use by operating system applications.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the size of the first region is large enough to complete initialization and for the operating system to startup.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the size of the first region is configurable by a user.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to;

logically partition a memory into a first region and a second region;

initialize the first region;

limit the utilization to only the first region; and

simulate a physical hot add of the second region.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the first region is relatively small compared to the second region.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein simulating a physical hot add of the second region memory is completed subsequent to the initialization of the second region.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the operating system utilizes the second region as if it were newly added physical memory upon the physical hot add of the second region.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the operating system utilizes both the first region and the second region upon the physical hot add of the second region.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the first region is large enough for use by operating system applications.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the size of the first region is large enough to complete initialization and for the operating system to startup.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the size of the first region is configurable by a user.