System and method for enabling transportability of a non volatile dual inline memory module

• US 9,880,754 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Berke, Stuart Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Giardino, Jr., Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOOLWINE, SHANE D
• Application Number:
  US14/326,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20160011802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 711166, 711103, 711104, 711105, 711115, 714718-723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/00 Accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures digital input from, or digital output to record carriers, e.g. to disk storage units, G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0238 Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 14/0018 whereby the nonvolatile element is an EEPROM element, e.g. a floating gate or metal-nitride-oxide-silicon [MNOS] transistor

Abstract

A dual inline memory module includes a local memory and a non-volatile memory. The local memory stores data during normal operation of the dual inline memory module. The non-volatile memory includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion stores the data located in the local memory in response to a power failure of an information handling system in communication with the dual inline memory module. The second portion stores configuration information for the dual inline memory module. The configuration information is utilized to set up the dual inline memory module in a new information handling system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a local memory of a dual inline memory module, data during normal operation of the dual inline memory module within an information handling system;

storing, at a first portion of a non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module, the data located in the local memory in response to a power failure of the information handling system in communication with the dual inline memory module;

storing, at a second portion of the non-volatile memory, configuration information for the dual inline memory module, wherein the configuration information is utilized to set up the dual inline memory module after a loss of power, wherein the configuration information is stored in the second portion during a power-on self test of the information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes a reliability availability and serviceability mode for the dual inline memory module;

comparing a reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system with the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module after the dual inline memory module regains power; and

prompting a user to update the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system if the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system does not match the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the configuration information from the second portion of the non-volatile memory after the dual inline memory module regains power, wherein the configuration information includes a dual inline memory module slot identifier, a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number, and a system model number for the dual inline memory module;

comparing a current dual inline memory module slot location in the information handling system with the dual inline memory module slot identifier of the dual inline memory module to validate that the dual inline memory module is populated in a correct dual inline memory module slot after the dual inline memory module regains power.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

validating that each dual inline memory module identified in the a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number are present in the information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power; and

validating that the information handling system is a compatible system for the dual inline memory module based on the system model number after the dual inline memory module regains power.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the configuration information to the new information handling system via a system management bus prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in a new information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes training values of communication speeds and timing for the dual inline memory module; and

determining timing and communication speeds between the new information handling system and the dual inline memory module based on utilizing the training values for the dual inline memory module as a starting point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the configuration information from the second portion of the non-volatile memory after the dual inline memory module regains power.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the configuration information to the new information handling system via a system management bus prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in a new information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes an encryption key for the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module; and

accessing the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory via the encryption key after the dual inline memory module regains power.

7. A dual inline memory module comprising:

a local memory to store data during normal operation of the dual inline memory module; and

a non-volatile memory including a first portion configured to store the data located in the local memory in response to a power failure of an information handling system in communication with the dual inline memory module, and a second portion configured to store configuration information for the dual inline memory module, wherein the configuration information is utilized to set up the dual inline memory module in a new information handling, wherein the configuration information is stored in the second portion during a power-on self test of the information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes a reliability availability and serviceability mode for the dual inline memory module,

wherein a Basic Input/Output System of a new information handling system is configured to compare a reliability availability and serviceability mode of the new information handling system with the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module after the dual inline memory module regains power, and to prompt a user to update the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the new information handling system if the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the new information handling system does not match the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module.

8. The dual inline memory module of claim 7, further comprising:

a control module configured to communicate with the local memory and the flash memory, the control module configured to copy the data located in the local memory to the flash memory in response to the power failure.

9. The dual inline memory module of claim 8, wherein the control module is configured to communicate with the new information handling system via a system management bus to provide the new information handling system with the configuration information prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in the new information handling system.

10. The dual inline memory module of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes a dual inline memory module slot identifier, a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number, and a system model number for the dual inline memory module, and the Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to compare a current dual inline memory module slot location in the new information handling system with the dual inline memory module slot identifier of the dual inline memory module to validate that the dual inline memory module is populated in a correct dual inline memory module slot of the new information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power.

11. The dual inline memory module of claim 10, wherein the Basic Input/Output System is further configured to validate that each dual inline memory module identified in the a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number are present in the information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power, and to validate that the information handling system is a compatible system for the dual inline memory module based on the system model number after the dual inline memory module regains power.

12. The dual inline memory module of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes training values of communication speeds and timing for the dual inline memory module, and a Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to determine timing and communication speeds between the new information handling system and the dual inline memory module based on utilizing the training values for the dual inline memory module as a starting point.

13. The dual inline memory module of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes an encryption key for the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module, and a Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to access the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory via the encryption key after the dual inline memory module regains power.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a connection of a dual inline memory module to an information handling system;

requesting configuration information for the dual inline memory module via a system management bus;

receiving the configuration information from a control module of the dual inline memory module, wherein the control module retrieves the configuration information from a first portion of a non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module, wherein the configuration information is stored in the first portion during a power-on self test of the information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes a reliability availability and serviceability mode for the dual inline memory module, and the reliability availability and serviceability mode is selected from a group consisting of error correction code (ECC) mode, sparing mode, lockstep mode, and mirror mode;

comparing a reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system with the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module after the dual inline memory module regains power;

prompting a user to update the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system if the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system does not match the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module;

updating the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system in response to a selection by the user to update the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system; and

configuring communication between the information handling system and the dual inline memory module over a double data rate channel based on the configuration information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

retrieving the configuration information from the first portion of the non-volatile memory after the dual inline memory module regains power, wherein the configuration information includes a dual inline memory module slot identifier, a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number, and a system model number for the dual inline memory module;

comparing a current dual inline memory module slot location in the information handling system with the dual inline memory module slot identifier of the dual inline memory module to validate that the dual inline memory module is populated in a correct dual inline memory module slot after the dual inline memory module regains power.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

validating that each dual inline memory module identified in the a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number are present in the information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power; and

validating that the information handling system is a compatible system for the dual inline memory module based on the system model number after the dual inline memory module regains power.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the configuration information to the new information handling system via a system management bus prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in a new information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes training values of communication speeds and timing for the dual inline memory module; and

determining timing and communication speeds between the new information handling system and the dual inline memory module based on utilizing the training values for the dual inline memory module as a starting point.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

retrieving the configuration information from the first portion of the non-volatile memory after the dual inline memory module regains power.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the configuration information to the new information handling system via a system management bus prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in a new information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes an encryption key for the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module; and

accessing the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory via the encryption key after the dual inline memory module regains power.