Apparatus and method for fast memory validation in a baseboard management controller
An information handling system includes a host processing complex with a memory, and a baseboard management controller (BMC) with a processor and a video capture and difference engine (VCDE). The processor receives a memory compare command. The memory compare command includes a first pointer to a first block of the memory, a second pointer to a second block of the memory, and a memory block size. The processor further determines whether the memory block size is greater than a threshold, and forwards the memory compare command to the VCDE when the memory block size is greater than the threshold. The VCDE compares contents of the first block to contents of the second block in response to receiving the memory compare command.
1. An information handling system, comprising:
a host processing complex including a memory; and
a baseboard management controller (BMC) including a processor and a video capture and difference engine (VCDE), the processor configured to:
receive a memory compare command including a first pointer to a first block of the memory, a second pointer to a second block of the memory, and a memory block size;
determine whether the memory block size is greater than a threshold;
forward the memory compare command to the VCDE when the memory block size is greater than the threshold; and
forward the memory compare command to the host processing complex when the memory block size is not greater than the threshold;
wherein the VCDE is configured to compare contents of the first block to contents of the second block in response to receiving the memory compare command; and
wherein the host processing complex is configured to compare the contents of the first block to the contents of the second block in response to receiving the memory compare command.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the BMC further includes a video frame buffer; and
the VCDE is configured to:
receive a frame buffer compare command; and
compare contents of the video frame buffer with contents of a frame buffer block of the memory in response to receiving the frame buffer compare command.
3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the VCDE is configured to perform compare commands in a memory-to-memory mode and in a frame-buffer-to-memory mode.
4. The information handling system of claim 3 , wherein in comparing the contents of the first block to the contents of the second block, the VCDE is configured to operate in the memory-to-memory mode.
5. The information handling system of claim 3 , wherein in comparing the contents of the video frame buffer to the contents of the frame buffer block, the VCDE is configured to operate in the frame-buffer-to-memory mode.
6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the VCDE is further configured to provide a first indication when the contents of the first block differs from the contents of the second block.
7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a second indication when the contents of the first block differs from the contents of the second block.
8. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the first block of the memory includes first BIOS set-up information and the second block of the memory includes second BIOS set-up information.
9. A method for comparing memory blocks, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a baseboard management controller (BMC) of an information handling system, a memory compare command to compare contents of a first block of a memory of the information handling system with contents of a second block of the memory, the memory compare command including a first pointer to the first block, a second pointer to the second block, and a memory block size;
determining, by the processor, whether the memory block size is greater than a threshold;
forwarding, by the processor, the memory compare command to a video capture and difference engine (VCDE) of the BMC when the memory block size is greater than the threshold;
comparing, by the VCDE, the contents of the first block to the contents of the second block in response to receiving the memory compare command;
forwarding the memory compare command to a host processing complex of the information handling system; and
comparing, by the host processing complex, the contents of the first block to the contents of the second block when the memory block size is not greater than the threshold.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, by the VCDE, a frame buffer compare command to compare contents of a video frame buffer of the BMC with contents of a frame buffer block of the memory; and
comparing, by the VCDE, the contents of the video frame buffer with the contents of the frame buffer block in response to receiving the frame buffer compare command.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the VCDE is configured to perform compare commands in a memory-to-memory mode and in a frame-buffer-to-memory mode.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein in comparing the contents of the first block to the contents of the second block, the method further comprises:
operating, by the VCDE, in the memory-to-memory mode.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein in comparing the contents of the video frame buffer to the contents of the frame buffer block, the method further comprises:
operating, by the VCDE, in the frame-buffer-to-memory mode.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing, by the VCDE, a first indication when the contents of the first block differs from the contents of the second block.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing, by the processor, a second indication when the contents of the first block differs from the contents of the second block.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first block of the memory includes first BIOS set-up information and the second block of the memory includes second BIOS set-up information.
17. A baseboard management controller (BMC) of an information handling system, the BMC comprising:
a video capture and difference engine (VCDE);
a video frame buffer; and
a processor configured to:
receive a memory compare command including a first pointer to a first block of a memory of the information handling system, a second pointer to a second block of the memory, and a memory block size;
determine whether the memory block size is greater than a threshold;
forward the memory compare command to the VCDE when the memory block size is greater than the threshold; and
forward the memory compare command to a host processing complex of the information handling system when the memory block size is not greater than the threshold;
wherein the VCDE is configured to:
compare contents of the first block to contents of the second block in response to receiving the memory compare command;
receive a frame buffer compare command; and
compare contents of the video frame buffer with contents of a frame buffer block of the memory in response to receiving the frame buffer compare command.
18. The BMC of claim 17 , wherein the VCDE is further configured to provide a first indication when the contents of the first block differs from the contents of the second block.
19. The BMC of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a second indication when the contents of the first block differs from the contents of the second block.
20. The BMC of claim 17 , wherein the first block of the memory includes first BIOS set-up information and the second block of the memory includes second BIOS set-up information.