Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-30
2001-05-08
Black, Thomas (Department: 2171)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
C714S100000, C714S014000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230265
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to data processing and, in particular, to the configuration of resources in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for configuring resources in a data processing system utilizing system power control information.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional data processing system undergoes a series of initialization procedures at system startup. At startup or cold boot, each of the various hardware components of the data processing system first performs its own internal reset procedures to obtain a known stable state. Once these hardware reset procedures have completed successfully, firmware is generally executed by one or more processors in the data processing system to complete the initialization process. In many computer systems, this firmware includes Power On Self Test (POST) software that surveys and performs sanity checks on system hardware, a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) that interfaces the processor(s) to key peripherals such as a keyboard and display device, and an operating system loader (bootstrap) program that launches execution of a selected operating system. These basic firmware procedures, which are often bundled together in a startup ROM or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), together enable the data processing system to obtain an operating state at which the data processing system is available to execute a user's applications.
During the initialization of the data processing system, the system firmware may not be able to determine with certainty which resources are present within the data processing system or may not be able to configure identified resources due to a hardware malfunction, an improper, damaged or missing physical connection, etc. Resources that the firmware cannot verify as present and correctly connected to the data processing system cannot be configured by the firmware and therefore are not available for access by the operating system. Because of ambiguities regarding whether or not certain resources are present in the data processing system, the firmware may also be unable to provide an appropriate error message explaining or indicating the unavailability of a resource. As should thus be apparent, it would be useful and desirable to provide an improved method for configuring resources during system startup that permits resource ambiguities to be resolved during startup.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a data processing system includes a plurality of components, a power control network, processing resources, and a memory that contains initialization firmware. At system startup, the power control network initiates supply of power to the plurality of components and collects information regarding which components are supplied power. In addition, the initialization firmware initializes the plurality of components to establish a configuration. If an ambiguity in the configuration arises, the initialization firmware resolves the ambiguity utilizing the information collected by the power control network.
All objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
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Ahrens George Henry
Kennel John C.
Patel Jayeshkumar M.
Szabo Kurt Paul
Black Thomas
Felsman Bradley Vaden Gunter & Dillon, LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
VanLeeuwen Leslie A.
Wang Mary
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