System and method for thermal control of an information handling system
View Patent ↗A computer-implemented method enables Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) progress code based thermal control during start-up of an information handling system (IHS). A start-up thermal control sub-system (i) determines an initial cooling level for use during a pre-BIOS progress code operation state of the IHS, (ii) detects each BIOS progress code provided during a boot loading operation of the IHS, and (iii) determines whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is different from a current cooling level provided by one or more cooling devices of the IHS. In response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is different from the current cooling level provided by the one or more cooling devices, the one or more cooling devices are triggered to adjust the current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
1. A computer implemented method to control cooling of an information handling system during system startup, the method comprising:
detecting, via a start-up thermal control sub-system, each Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) progress code provided during a boot loading operation of the information handling system;
in response to detecting start-up of the information handing system, initializing the start-up thermal control sub-system;
establishing communication between the start-up thermal control sub-system, a cooling device controller and one or more cooling devices;
determining an initial cooling level for use during a pre-BIOS progress code operation state of the information handling system;
determining whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is different from the initial cooling level provided by one or more cooling devices of the information handling system; and
in response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is different from the current cooling level provided by the one or more cooling devices, triggering the one or more cooling devices to adjust a current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initializing the start-up thermal control sub-system comprises:
enabling operation of the cooling device controller and the cooling devices with the initial cooling level; and
triggering the cooling device controller to operate the cooling device at the initial cooling level.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a first BIOS progress code;
determining whether the first BIOS progress code is different from an initial BIOS progress code within a BIOS progress code cooling schedule;
in response to the first BIOS progress code being the same as the initial BIOS progress code within the BIOS progress schedule, triggering the one or more cooling devices to provide a first pre-established cooling level; and
in response to the first BIOS progress code being different than the initial BIOS progress code, identifying and applying a next pre-established cooling level that corresponds to the first BIOS progress code.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is greater than a current cooling level provided by at least one cooling device of the information handling system comprises:
retrieving a pre-established cooling level corresponding to the detected BIOS progress code from a BIOS progress code data structure comprising a BIOS code cooling schedule.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is less than the current cooling level provided by the cooling device of the information handling system; and
in response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is less than the current cooling level provided by the cooling device, triggering the cooling device to decrease the current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining if the boot loading operation has completed; and
in response to the boot loading operation being completed, triggering the cooling device controller to initiate operational cooling of the information handling system.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an error code;
in response detecting the error code, determining a pre-established cooling level associated with the error code; and
triggering the cooling device controller to operate the cooling device at the pre-established cooling level associated with the error code.
8. A thermal control system comprising
a processor that executes a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) boot loading operation;
a baseboard controller coupled to the processor via a system interconnect, the baseboard controller having a start-up thermal control sub-system and a cooling device controller;
at least one cooling device coupled to the baseboard controller for cooling one or more system components;
the start-up thermal control sub-system having firmware executing thereon to enable thermal control of the system components during system startup and BIOS boot loading operation, wherein the firmware configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
in response to detecting start-up of the information handing system:
establish communication between the start-up thermal control sub-system, a cooling device controller and one or more cooling devices;
determine an initial cooling level for use during a pre-BIOS progress code operation state of the information handling system;
detect, via the start-up thermal control sub-system, each BIOS progress code provided during the boot loading operation;
determine whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is different from a current cooling level provided by at least one cooling device; and
in response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is different from the current cooling level provided by the at least one cooling device, trigger the cooling device to adjust the current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
9. The thermal control system of claim 8 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
enable operation of the cooling device controller and the cooling devices with the initial cooling level; and
trigger the cooling device controller to operate the cooling device at the initial cooling level.
10. The thermal control system of claim 8 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
detect a first BIOS progress code;
determine whether the first BIOS progress code is different from an initial BIOS progress code within a BIOS progress code cooling schedule;
in response to the first BIOS progress code being the same as the initial BIOS progress code within the BIOS progress schedule, trigger the one or more cooling devices to provide a first pre-established cooling level; and
in response to the first BIOS progress code being different than the initial BIOS progress code, identify and apply a next pre-established cooling level that corresponds to the first BIOS progress code.
11. The thermal control system of claim 8 , wherein determining whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is greater than a current cooling level provided by the at least one cooling device comprises the firmware further configuring the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
retrieve a pre-established cooling level corresponding to the detected BIOS progress code from a BIOS progress code data structure comprising a BIOS code cooling schedule.
12. The thermal control system of claim 8 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
determine whether the detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is less than the current cooling level provided by the cooling device of the information handling system; and
in response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is less than the current cooling level provided by the cooling device, trigger the cooling device to decrease the current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
13. The thermal control system of claim 8 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
determine if the boot loading operation has completed; and
in response to the boot loading operation being completed, trigger the cooling device controller to initiate operational cooling of the information handling system.
14. The thermal control system of claim 8 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
detect an error code;
in response detecting the error code, determine a pre-established cooling level associated with the error code; and
trigger the cooling device controller to operate the cooling device at the pre-established cooling level associated with the error code.
15. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:
a processor that executes a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) boot loading operation;
a memory coupled to the processor via a system interconnect;
a baseboard controller coupled to processor via the system interconnect, the baseboard controller having a start-up thermal control sub-system and a cooling device controller;
at least one cooling device coupled to the baseboard controller for cooling functional components of the IHS;
the start-up thermal control sub-system having firmware executing thereon to enable thermal control of the information handling system, wherein the firmware configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
in response to detecting start-up of the information handing system:
establish communication between the start-up thermal control sub-system, a cooling device controller and one or more cooling devices;
determine an initial cooling level for use during a pre-BIOS progress code operation state of the information handling system;
detect, via the start-up thermal control sub-system, each BIOS progress code provided during the boot loading operation;
determine whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is different from a current cooling level provided by at least one cooling device; and
in response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is different from the current cooling level provided by the at least one cooling device, trigger the cooling device to adjust the current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
16. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
detect a first BIOS progress code;
determine whether the first BIOS progress code is different from an initial BIOS progress code within a BIOS progress code cooling schedule;
in response to the first BIOS progress code being the same as the initial BIOS progress code within the BIOS progress schedule, trigger the one or more cooling devices to provide a first pre-established cooling level; and
in response to the first BIOS progress code being different than the initial BIOS progress code, identify and apply a next pre-established cooling level that corresponds to the first BIOS progress code.
17. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein determining whether a detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is greater than a current cooling level provided by the least one cooling device causes the firmware to further configure the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
retrieve a pre-established cooling level corresponding to the detected BIOS progress code from a BIOS progress code data structure comprising a BIOS code cooling schedule.
18. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
determine whether the detected BIOS progress code has an associated cooling level requirement that is less than the current cooling level provided by the cooling device of the information handling system; and
in response to the detected BIOS progress code having an associated cooling level requirement that is less than the current cooling level provided by the cooling device, trigger the cooling device to decrease the current cooling level to a next pre-established cooling level associated with the detected BIOS progress code.
19. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
determine if the boot loading operation has completed; and
in response to the boot loading operation being completed, trigger the cooling device controller to initiate operational cooling of the information handling system.
20. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein the firmware further configures the start-up thermal control sub-system to:
detect an error code;
in response detecting the error code, determine a pre-established cooling level associated with the error code; and
trigger the cooling device controller to operate the cooling device at the pre-established cooling level associated with the error code.