Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration – Loading initialization program
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-06
2002-08-13
Heckler, Thomas M. (Department: 2185)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Loading initialization program
Reexamination Certificate
active
06434697
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION
The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter in a co-pending non-provisional application by the same inventors as the instant application and filed on the same day as the instant application entitled, “Method for Saving System Configuration Information to Shorten Computer System Initialization Time,” having Ser. No. 09/414,656 and filing date Oct. 6, 1999.
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to initializing computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system that reduces the time required to detect and configure devices within a computer system during a computer system initialization operation by saving previously gathered system configuration information.
2. Related Art
As computer systems have grown increasingly more complicated, the amount of time spent detecting and initializing computer system components during the computer system initialization process has also increased. This has increased the amount of time a computer system user must wait before being able to use the computer system.
A computer system typically performs a number of functions to detect and configure devices within the computer system during the initialization process. For example, the computer system can detect and configure various bus devices within the computer system. The computer system can detect the size and speed of DIMMs (dual in-line memory modules) that are present in the system, and can use this information to program a memory controller. The computer system can read information regarding CPU speed from a processor, and can use this information to configure a clock frequency generator for the processor.
Components within a computer system rarely change between computer system initialization operations. This means the computer system repeats the same steps of detecting and initializing computer system components, even though the configuration rarely changes. Thus, much of the time spent detecting and initializing computer system components during the computer system initialization process is largely wasted.
What is needed is a computer system that does not waste time detecting and initializing computer system components during the computer system initialization process.
SUMMARY
One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus that educes the time required to gather system configuration information during an initialization process within a computer system. The apparatus includes a chassis intrusion detection circuit that determines whether a chassis of the computer system has been opened. The apparatus also includes a system initialization mechanism that operates when the chassis intrusion detection circuit indicates that the chassis has been opened, and is configured to perform an initialization operation that gathers system configuration information by communicating directly with computer system components to determine a state of the computer system components. The system initialization mechanism saves this system configuration information in a nonvolatile storage device. The apparatus also includes an abbreviated system initialization mechanism that retrieves the system configuration information from the nonvolatile storage device without having to communicate directly with the computer system components. This abbreviated system initialization mechanism operates when the chassis intrusion detection circuit indicates that the chassis has not been opened.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the system initialization mechanism operates if the system configuration information has not been saved previously in the nonvolatile storage device.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the abbreviated system initialization mechanism operates if the initialization process is not taking place during a computer system power up.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the system initialization mechanism is configured to reset the chassis intrusion detection circuit after saving the system configuration information into the nonvolatile storage device so that the chassis intrusion detection circuit indicates that the chassis has not been opened.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the system initialization mechanism is further configured to set configuration parameters for at least one of the computer system components.
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Leyda Jeffrey J.
Heckler Thomas M.
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Park Vaughan & Fleming LLP
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