Extensible bios for boot support of devices on multiple hierarchical buses
First Claim
1. A computer system having a system BIOS, a CPU, a first bus, an add-in bus and an extended bridge coupling said add-in bus and said first bus, an apparatus for extending boot support to devices connected to said add-in bus, said apparatus comprising:
- an extensible BIOS support coupled to said system BIOS; and
a bus-specific extensible BIOS coupled to said system BIOS, wherein said bus-specific extensible BIOS carries specifications unique to said add-in bus enabling said system BIOS and said extensible BIOS support to identify and initialize boot devices coupled to said add-in bus, said boot devices not requiring modification to support said extensible BIOS support.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An extensible BIOS for a computer system to manage boot-up of an arbitrary number of devices connected over an arbitrary number of buses and bridges of varying type. The extensible BIOS identifies all bridges or buses connected to the system and then initializes each and every bus or bridge. The extensible BIOS identifies boot devices as resident on all initialized bridges and buses, and then detects and initializes drivers on the identified boot devices. According to the selection and priority of boot, boot-up then commences utilizing the boot devices. Between one instance of computer reset or boot-up and the next, the extensible BIOS provides that the hierarchy of buses and bridges and boot devices connected to them may be altered while still recognizing all boot relevant devices, buses and bridges regardless of the nature of the alteration.
115 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A computer system having a system BIOS, a CPU, a first bus, an add-in bus and an extended bridge coupling said add-in bus and said first bus, an apparatus for extending boot support to devices connected to said add-in bus, said apparatus comprising:
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an extensible BIOS support coupled to said system BIOS; and a bus-specific extensible BIOS coupled to said system BIOS, wherein said bus-specific extensible BIOS carries specifications unique to said add-in bus enabling said system BIOS and said extensible BIOS support to identify and initialize boot devices coupled to said add-in bus, said boot devices not requiring modification to support said extensible BIOS support.
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2. In a computer system having a system BIOS, a CPU, a first bus, an add-in bus and extended bridge coupling said add-in bus and said first bus, an apparatus for extending boot support to devices connected to said add-in bus, said apparatus comprising:
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an extensible BIOS support coupled to said system BIOS; and a bridge extensible BIOS coupled to said extended bridge and carrying code for said system BIOS, said code including modules to be executed by said CPU, wherein said code carries specifications unique to said extended bridge enabling said system BIOS and said extensible BIOS support to identify and initialize devices coupled to said add-in bus, said devices not requiring modification to support said extensible BIOS support. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. In a computer system having a system BIOS and a plurality of buses, at least one of said buses for connecting to at least one device, a method of extending boot-up capability to devices connected to said at least one bus comprising the steps of:
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initializing bridges that connect a first one of said buses with a second one of said buses; and initializing devices connected to said second one of said buses bus that are boot devices for boot-up of said computer system, said boot devices not requiring modification for carrying out said initializing of devices. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15)
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13. In a computer system having a system BIOS and a plurality of buses, said system BIOS and buses coupled to said computer system, an extensible BIOS comprising:
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a system extensible BIOS support module coupled to said system BIOS; and an extensible BIOS module coupled to said system extensible BIOS support module and said system BIOS, wherein said BIOS module and BIOS support module are coupled to identify and initialize any devices connected to said buses which are boot devices, said boot devices not requiring modification to support said extensible BIOS module.
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Specification