IP Library Granted Patent US 11,500,647
Granted Patent B2
US 11,500,647 · App. 17/087,021 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Systems and methods for achieving faster boot times using BIOS attribute mitigation

Inventors: Balasingh P. Samuel (Round Rock, TX); Vivek Viswanathan Iyer (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F9/4406G06F9/4411G06F9/44505G06F9/44578
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,500,647
App. No.
17/087,021
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A BIOS may include a plurality of BIOS attributes associated with the information handling system, each attribute of the plurality of BIOS attributes having metadata defining a priority for such attribute. The BIOS may also include an attribute engine configured to execute a preboot process prior to booting of an operating system of the information handling system, wherein the preboot process is configured to identify boot-critical attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes based on the metadata and load the boot-critical attributes. The attribute engine may also execute a steady-state process after booting of the operating system of the information handling system, wherein the steady-state process is configured to load attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes other than the boot-critical attributes in an order based on the metadata.

Claims (48)

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor; and

a basic input/output system (BIOS) embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to be the first code executed by the processor when the information handling system is booted and configured to initialize components of the information handling system into a known state, the BIOS comprising:

a plurality of BIOS attributes associated with the information handling system, each attribute of the plurality of BIOS attributes having metadata defining a priority for such attribute; and

an attribute engine configured to:

execute a preboot process prior to booting of an operating system of the information handling system, wherein the preboot process is configured to:

identify boot-critical attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes based on the metadata;

load the boot-critical attributes; and

save a platform level data model (PLDM) completeness flag as incomplete; and

execute a steady-state process after booting of the operating system of the information handling system, wherein the steady-state process is configured to:

access the PLDM completeness flag;

responsive to determining that the PLDM completeness flag indicates incomplete, load attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes other than the boot-critical attributes in an order based on the metadata; and

update the PLDM completeness flag.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the steady-state process is further configured to:

determine if one or more conditions exist for loading additional attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes; and

responsive to the one or more conditions existing, load additional attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes based on the metadata.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise whether all of the plurality of attributes have been loaded.

4. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise whether a user is present or absent at the information handling system.

5. A method comprising, in a basic input/output system (BIOS) embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to be the first code executed by a processor when an information handling system is booted and configured to initialize components of the information handling system into a known state:

executing a preboot process prior to booting of an operating system of the information handling system, wherein the preboot process is configured to:

identify boot-critical attributes of a plurality of BIOS attributes associated with the information handling system based on metadata, wherein each attribute of the plurality of BIOS attributes has metadata defining a priority for such attribute;

load the boot-critical attributes; and

save a platform level data model (PLDM) completeness flag as incomplete; and

executing a steady-state process after booting of the operating system of the information handling system, wherein the steady-state process is configured to:

access the PLDM completeness flag;

responsive to determining that the PLDM completeness flag indicates incomplete, load attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes other than the boot-critical attributes in an order based on the metadata; and

update the PLDM completeness flag.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the steady-state process is further configured to:

determine if one or more conditions exist for loading additional attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes; and

responsive to the one or more conditions existing, load additional attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes based on the metadata.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise whether all of the plurality of attributes have been loaded.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise whether a user is present or absent at the information handling system.

9. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processing device, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processing device to, in a basic input/output system (BIOS) embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to be the first code executed by a processor when an information handling system is booted and configured to initialize components of the information handling system into a known state:

execute a preboot process prior to booting of an operating system of the information handling system, wherein the preboot process is configured to:

identify boot-critical attributes of a plurality of BIOS attributes associated with the information handling system based on metadata, wherein each attribute of the plurality of BIOS attributes has metadata defining a priority for such attribute;

load the boot-critical attributes; and

save a platform level data model (PLDM) completeness flag as incomplete; and

execute a steady-state process after booting of the operating system of the information handling system, wherein the steady-state process is configured to:

access the PLDM completeness flag;

responsive to determining that the PLDM completeness flag indicates incomplete, load attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes other than the boot-critical attributes in an order based on the metadata; and

update the PLDM completeness flag.

10. The article of claim 9 , wherein the steady-state process is further configured to:

determine if one or more conditions exist for loading additional attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes; and

responsive to the one or more conditions existing, load additional attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes based on the metadata.

11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise whether all of the plurality of attributes have been loaded.

12. The article of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise whether a user is present or absent at the information handling system.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2020
From: SAMUEL, BALASINGH P.; IYER, VIVEK VISWANATHAN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054244/0527 →