Efficient method of decoupling the downloading of a memory map and execution of a utility program contained in the memory map
A method of executing a utility program on a computer system having a system management chip includes activating a graphics memory in the computer system, downloading a memory map including the utility program to be executed by the system management chip, storing the memory map in the graphics memory by the system management chip, copying the memory map from the graphics memory to a main memory in the computer system, and executing the utility program with a processor in the computer system.
1. A method of executing a utility program on a computer system comprising 1) a processor, 2) system firmware, 3) an expansion bus, 4) a main memory that stores data for processing by the processor, 5) a graphics component comprising a graphics memory and a graphics processor, and 6) a system management chip in the form of a baseboard management controller or a remote management controller, which can be operated independently of the processor, the method comprising:
initializing the graphics memory of the computer system,
downloading, by the system management chip, a memory map from a data source in a data network, the memory map comprising the utility program to be executed,
storing, by the system management chip, the memory map in the graphics memory,
performing, by the system firmware, a temporary initialization of the expansion bus to set up a connection to the graphics memory before the memory map is copied from the graphics memory to the main memory,
copying the memory map from the graphics memory to the main memory in the computer system,
performing, by the system firmware, complete initialization of the expansion bus after the memory map is copied from the graphics memory to the main memory, and
executing, by the processor, the utility program from the main memory.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the memory map contains an image of a bootable data storage medium with the utility program stored thereon.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer system further comprises a nonvolatile memory that stores the system firmware, and the utility program to be executed is set up to update the system firmware in the computer system, and the memory map further comprising data to update the system firmware.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the memory map contains an image of a bootable data storage medium with the utility program and the data to update the system firmware stored thereon.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the downloading involves a packed data block with compressed data of the memory map being loaded and, prior to execution of the utility program, the stored memory map being decompressed by the system firmware.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer system further comprises a graphics component comprising a firmware component that initializes the graphics component, and the step of copying is executed prior to activation of the firmware component to initialize the graphics component.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein initializing the graphics memory and also downloading and storing the memory map are executed in a quiescent state or energy-saving mode of the computer system, in which the main memory and the processor are not supplied with an operating voltage, and copying the memory map and executing the utility program are executed in an operating state of the computer system in which the main memory and the processor are supplied with an operating voltage.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein downloading the memory map is executed in a prior operating state of the computer system independently of the operational state of the computer system and initializing the graphics memory and storing the memory map are executed when the computer system is restarted and copying the memory map and executing the utility program are executed in an operating state of the computer system which follows the restart.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer system further comprises an intelligent server management controller, the graphics memory and the at least one system management chip are integrated in the intelligent server management controller, and, in the step of initialization, the graphics memory of an intelligent server management controller of the computer system is activated to store and copy the memory map.
10. A non-transitory computer program product comprising executable program code, wherein the program code carries out a method according to claim 1 when executed on at least one data processing element in a computer system.
11. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10 , wherein the program code comprises a first portion for execution by a microcontroller in the system management chip and a second portion for execution by a processor that is independent thereof in a computer system.
12. A computer system comprising:
a system firmware,
an expansion bus,
a first nonvolatile memory that stores a component of the system firmware,
at least one processor that executes the system firmware,
a main memory that stores data for processing by the at least one processor,
a graphics component comprising graphics memory and a graphics processor, and
at least one system monitoring chip in the form of a baseboard management controller or a remote management controller, which can be operated independently of the at least one processor and has a second nonvolatile memory that stores control program code,
wherein the control program code initializes the graphics memory in the computer system to download a memory map comprising a utility program to be executed by the at least one processor and store said memory map in the graphics memory,
the system firmware performs a temporary initialization of the expansion bus to set up a connection to the graphics memory before the memory map is copied from the graphics memory to the main memory, and
the system firmware copies the memory map from the graphics memory to the main memory in the computer system,
the system firmware performs a complete initialization of the expansion bus after the memory map is copied from the graphics memory to the main memory and executes the utility program from the main memory using the at least one processor of the computer system.
13. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising an intelligent server management controller, wherein the graphics memory and the at least one system monitoring chip are integrated in the intelligent server management controller.