Computer system and booting method thereof

• US 8,832,420 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung-young, Oh, Jung-hwan, Kim, Bum-keun, Byun, Sang-chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US12/024,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20090044002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 711/112
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2284 by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A computer system, including a data storage unit which stores first operating system data of the computer system therein; a main memory to which the first operating system data is copied; a data transmission unit which transmits data between the data storage unit and the main memory; and a controller which performs a power-on self test (POST) of the computer system, and controls the data transmission unit to copy the first operating system data stored in the data storage unit to the main memory during the POST.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a data storage unit to store first operating system data of the computer system;

a hard disc drive to store second operating system data of the computer system;

a main memory to which the first operating system data is copied during a Power-On Self Test (POST) of the computer system;

a data transmission unit comprising a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller, the DMA controller transmitting data from the data storage unit to the main memory so that the first operating system data stored in the data storage unit is copied to the main memory; and

a controller to perform the POST of the computer system, to request the DMA controller to copy the first operating system data stored in the data storage unit to the main memory during the POST, and to control the data transmission unit to copy the first operating system data stored in the data storage unit to the main memory in parallel while the POST is being performed in response to the request,

wherein the data storage unit comprises a flash memory provided in a mother board or embedded in the hard disc drive, and

wherein the DMA controller accesses data of the main memory without support from the controller.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs an operation based on the first operating system data copied to the main memory during the POST.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the controller controls the data transmission unit to copy the second operating system data stored in the hard disc drive to the main memory and performs an operation based on the second operating system data copied to the main memory.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs an operation based on the first operating system data copied to the main memory during the POST when the copying of the first operating system data is finished.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a flag storage unit to store a flag showing whether the copying of the first operating system data is finished,

wherein the controller determines whether the copying of the first operating system data is finished based on the flag stored in the flag storage unit.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein:

the data transmission unit transmits an interrupt to the controller if the copying of the first operating system data to the main memory is finished; and

the controller sets a value of the flag stored in the flag storage unit if the interrupt is transmitted by the data transmission unit.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the controller determines the value of the flag stored in the flag storage unit if the POST is finished.

8. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the controller controls the data transmission unit to copy the second operating system data stored in the hard disc drive to the main memory and performs an operation based on the second operating system data copied to the main memory if the copying of the first operating system data is not finished.

9. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the flash memory stores at least a part of the first operating system data therein.

10. A booting method of a computer system, the booting method comprising:

performing a power-on self test (POST) of the computer system;

requesting a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller to copy a first operating system data stored in a data storage unit to a main memory during the POST; and

copying the first operating system data of the computer system stored in the data storage unit to the main memory by the DMA controller in parallel while the POST is being performed in response to the request,

wherein the data storage unit comprises a flash memory provided in a mother board or embedded in a hard disc drive, and

wherein the DMA controller accesses data of the main memory without support from a Central Processing Unit (CPU).

11. The booting method according to claim 10, further comprising performing an operation based on the first operating system data copied to the main memory.

12. The booting method according to claim 11, further comprising:

copying second operating system data of the computer system stored in the hard disc drive to the main memory; and

performing an operation based on the second operating system data copied to the main memory.

13. The booting method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the copying of the first operating system data is finished; and

performing an operation based on the first operating system data copied to the main memory if the copying of the first operating system data is finished.

14. The booting method according to claim 13, wherein the determining of whether the copying of the first operating system data is finished comprises checking a value of a flag showing whether the copying of the first operating system data is finished.

15. The booting method according to claim 14, wherein the copying of the first operating system data comprises:

generating an interrupt if the copying of the first operating system data is finished; and

setting a value of the flag if the interrupt is generated.

16. The booting method according to claim 15, wherein the checking of the value of the flag comprises checking the value of the flag after the POST is finished.

17. The booting method according to claim 13, further comprising:

copying second operating system data of the computer system stored in the hard disc drive to the main memory if the copying of the first operating system data is not finished; and

performing an operation based on the second operating system data copied to the main memory.

18. A computer system having a reduced booting time, comprising:

a main memory to store first operating system data upon booting the computer;

a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller to transmit data from a data storage unit to the main memory so that the first operating system data stored in the data storage unit is copied to the main memory; and

a controller to perform a Power-On Self Test (POST) when the computer system starts up, to request the DMA controller to copy the first operating system data stored in the data storage unit to the main memory during the POST, and to copy the first operating system data from the data storage unit to the main memory in parallel while the POST is being performed to reduce the booting time of the computer in response to the request,

wherein the data storage unit comprises a flash memory provided in a mother board or embedded in a hard disc drive, and

wherein the DMA controller accesses data of the main memory without support from the controller.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the controller performs an operation based on the first operating system data copied to the main memory when the first operating system data is copied to the main memory.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising:

a flag unit to store a flag indicating that the first operating system data has been copied to the main memory,

wherein the controller determines whether the first operating system data has been copied to the main memory based on the flag.

21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the controller copies second operating system data stored on the hard drive to the main memory if the copying of the first operating system data to the main memory has not completed and the POST is completed.

22. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising:

a data transmission unit to copy the first operating system data from the data storage unit to the main memory,

wherein the controller controls the data transmission unit to copy the first operating system data to the main memory during the POST.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the data transmission unit transmits a signal to the controller to indicate that the first operating system data has been copied to the main memory.

24. The computer system of claim 23, further comprising:

a flag unit to store a flag indicating that the first operating system data has been copied to the main memory,

wherein the data transmission unit sets the flag when the first operating system data has been copied to the main memory.

25. A Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller comprising circuitry configured to:

receive a command during a Power-On Self Test (POST) to request the DMA controller to copy a first operating system data stored in a data storage unit to a main memory;

copy the first operating system data from the data storage unit to the main memory in parallel while the POST is being performed; and

transmit an interrupt indicating that the first operating system has been copied to the main memory successfully,

wherein the data storage unit comprises a flash memory provided in a mother board or embedded in a hard disc drive, and

wherein the DMA controller accesses data of the main memory without support from a Central Processing Unit (CPU).