IP Library Granted Patent US 9,785,446
Granted Patent B2
US 9,785,446 · App. 14/565,421 · Granted Oct 10, 2017

Efficient boot from a connected device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,785,446
App. No.
14/565,421
Granted
Oct 10, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems for efficient boot from a connected device are described. In an embodiment, a method for efficient boot from a connected device may include initializing a base processor device for boot and configuration of an information handling system from a connected device. The method may also include initializing at least one secondary processor for parallel processing of one or more initialization functions. Additionally, the method may include offloading one or more initialization functions to the one or more secondary processors in response to a predetermined trigger event.

Claims (34)

1. A method comprising:

initializing a base processor device for boot and configuration of an information handling system from a connected device;

initializing at least one secondary processor for parallel processing of one or more initialization functions; and

offloading one or more initialization functions to the at least one secondary processor in response to a predetermined trigger event after initialization of the at least one secondary processor, wherein the one or more initialization functions comprise processing a device option Read Only Memory (ROM) for the connected device to initialize the connected device; and

booting and configuring the information handling system from the connected device,

wherein the offloading of one or more initialization functions comprises offloading processing of the device option ROM for the connected device to the at least one secondary processor in response to the predetermined trigger event to perform parallel processing of the one or more initialization functions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initializing the at least one secondary processors further comprises initializing a manager.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising initializing the manager in a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) core code.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising initializing Multi-Processor (MP) services of the UEFI core code with the manager.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising initializing a first Application Processor (AP) and a second AP as secondary processors for parallel processing of the device option ROM with the MP services, and

wherein the manager is configured to detect errors in the processing of the device option ROM by the first AP and the second AP and report the errors to a Boot Device Selection.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined trigger event is a call from system Basic I/O System (BIOS) for processing of the device option ROM.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a base processor device, configured to boot an information handling system from a connected device;

at least one secondary processor coupled to the base processor for parallel processing of one or more initialization functions; and

a processing manager configured to offload one or more initialization functions to the at least one secondary processor in response to a predetermined trigger event after initialization of the at least one secondary processor, wherein the one or more initialization functions comprise processing a device option Read Only Memory (ROM) for the connected device to initialize the connected device,

wherein the offloading of the one or more initialization functions comprises offloading processing of the device option ROM for the connected device to the at least one secondary processor, in response to the predetermined trigger event to perform parallel processing of the one or more initialization functions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processing manager is initialized in a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) core code.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising initializing Multi-Processor (MP) services of the UEFI core code with the manager.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one secondary processors comprise a first Application Processor (AP) and a second AP that are configured for parallel processing of the device option ROM by the MP services, and

wherein the manager is configured to detect errors in the processing of the device option ROM by the first AP and the second AP and report the errors to a Boot Device Selection.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined trigger event is a call from system Basic I/O System (BIOS) for processing of the device option ROM.

12. A tangible non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

initializing a base processor device for boot and configuration of an information handling system from a connected device;

initializing at least one secondary processor for parallel processing of one or more initialization functions;

offloading one or more initialization functions to the at least one secondary processor in response to a predetermined trigger event after initialization of the at least one secondary processor, wherein the one or more initialization functions comprise processing a device option Read Only Memory (ROM) for the connected device to initialize the connected device; and

booting and configuring the information handling system from the connected device,

wherein the offloading of one or more initialization functions comprises offloading processing of the device option ROM for the connected device to the at least one secondary processor in response to the predetermined trigger event to perform parallel processing of the one or more initialization functions.

13. The tangible medium of claim 12 , wherein initializing the at least one secondary processors further comprises initializing a manager.

14. The tangible medium of claim 13 , further comprising initializing the manager in a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) core code.

15. The tangible medium of claim 14 , further comprising initializing Multi-Processor (MP) services of the UEFI core code with the manager.

16. The tangible medium of claim 15 , further comprising initializing a first Application Processor (AP) and a second AP as secondary processors for parallel processing of the device option ROM with the MP services, and

wherein the manager is configured to detect errors in the processing of the device option ROM by the first AP and the second AP and report the errors to a Boot Device Selection.

17. The tangible medium of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined trigger event is a call from system Basic I/O System (BIOS) for processing of the device option ROM.

Assignments (15)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
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SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Feb 26, 2015
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SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Feb 26, 2015
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
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