System and method for shutdown memory testing

• US 7,337,368 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wynn, Allen C., Bolen, Austin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel; Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrmanesh; Elmira
• Application Number:
  US10/862,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 714/36, 714/25, 714/30, 714/42, 714/46, 714/703, 714/718, 714/733, 714/742
• US Class Current: 714/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown

Abstract

In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, a system and method for reducing the amount of time for a boot operation is provided that substantially reduces disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed memory testing systems and methods. The system includes using a shutdown memory test module to perform the bulk of memory testing during system shutdown, rather than at system start up.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a BIOS having a test management module;

a memory;

the BIOS in communication with the memory and operable to test the memory;

the test management module having;

a shutdown test module operable to selectively test the memory during shutdown of the systems;

a shutdown test indicator for recording whether a shutdown memory test was performed during a particular system shutdown; and

a startup test module operable to;

communicate with the shutdown test indicator during a startup operation subsequent to the particular system shutdown to determine whether a shutdown memory test was performed during the particular system shutdown; and

determine whether to test the memory during the startup operation based at least on whether a shutdown memory test was performed during the particular system shutdown.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

the startup test module operable to test the memory if a shutdown test was not performed during the particular system shutdown; and

the startup test module operable to not test the memory if a shutdown test was performed during the particular system shutdown.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the startup test module further comprises a trigger condition indicator, the startup test module operable test the memory if a trigger condition exists.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising the trigger condition selected from the group consisting of:

a chassis intrusion, a change in memory serial number, a change in total memory, a selected thermal incident, and a lapse of a selected period.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises system RAM.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising the startup test module and the shutdown test module operable to perform data testing and address testing on the memory.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:

the shutdown test module further comprises a memory test module operable to perform data testing and address testing on the memory during the particular system shutdown; and

the shutdown test module operable to update the shutdown test indicator after completing the memory test.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein:

the shutdown test module further comprises a test block assignment module operable to divide the memory into a base memory block and a plurality of memory test blocks;

the shutdown test module further comprises a test pointer; and

the shutdown test module operable to test the base memory block and at least one selected memory test block during each system shutdown.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising the shutdown test module operable to update the test pointer to indicate the last memory test block tested during the most recent shutdown.

10. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the shutdown test module further comprises a trigger condition indicator, the shutdown test module operable to perform a complete test of the memory when a trigger condition is indicated by the trigger condition indicator.

11. The information handling system of claim 7 further comprising the test management module operable to reset the shutdown test indicator after completing a system startup.

12. A test management module comprising:

a shutdown test module operable to selectively test an associated system memory during a particular shutdown of the associated system; and

a startup test module operable to;

determine, during a startup operation subsequent to the particular system shutdown, whether a shutdown memory test was performed during the particular system shutdown; and

determine whether to test the memory during the startup operation subsequent to the particular system shutdown based at least on whether a shutdown memory test was performed during the particular system shutdown.

13. The test management module of claim 12 further comprising:

a shutdown test indicator for recording whether a shutdown memory test was performed during the particular system shutdown; and

the startup test module operable to test the memory during the startup operation subsequent to the particular system shutdown if a shutdown memory test was not performed during the particular system shutdown.

14. The test management module of claim 12 wherein:

the shutdown test module further comprises a memory test module operable to perform data testing and address testing the associated memory; and

the shutdown test module operable to update an associated shutdown test indicator after completing a memory test.

15. The test management module of claim 14 wherein:

the shutdown test module further comprises a test block assignment module operable to divide the memory into a base memory block and a plurality of memory test blocks;

the shutdown test module further comprises a test pointer; and

the shutdown test operable to test the base memory block and at least one selected memory test block during each system shutdown.

16. The test management module of claim 15 further comprising the shutdown test module operable to update the test pointer to indicate the last memory test block tested during the most recent shutdown.

17. A method for performing memory testing in an information handling system comprising:

receiving a system shutdown request for testing an associated system memory prior to a particular system shutdown;

during a subsequent startup of the system, determining whether the system memory was tested during the particular system shutdown;

testing the associated system memory during the subsequent startup of the system if the system memory was not tested during the particular system shutdown; and

not testing the associated system memory during the subsequent startup of the system if the system memory was tested during the particular system shutdown.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising testing the associated system memory during startup of the system if a trigger condition exists, the trigger condition selected from the group consisting of:

a chassis intrusion, a change in memory serial number, a change total memory, and a detected thermal incident.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising updating a shutdown test indicator to show whether a shutdown memory test was performed during the particular system shutdown.