IP Library Granted Patent US 11,348,620
Granted Patent B1
US 11,348,620 · App. 17/158,482 · Granted May 31, 2022

Systems and methods for power protection on failed memory devices

Inventors: Timothy M. Lambert (Austin, TX); Jordan Chin (Austin, TX); Nihit S. Bhavsar (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G11C5/143G06F11/3037G06F11/3062
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,348,620
App. No.
17/158,482
Granted
May 31, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

An information handling system may include a memory comprising a plurality of memory modules, each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips, a host system comprising a host system processor configured to, during a boot of the information handling system, execute a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules, and control circuitry. The control circuitry may be configured to, in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults, and if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized.

Claims (72)

1. An information handling system comprising:

a memory comprising a plurality of memory modules, each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips;

a host system comprising a host system processor configured to, during a boot of the information handling system, execute a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules; and

control circuitry configured to:

in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults;

if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized; and

cease monitoring of all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the basic input/output system is further configured to monitor for the one or more faults of the one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules only in response to a configuration change of the memory.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to de-assert the power control signal upon a subsequent boot of the information handling system such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized during such subsequent boot.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a logic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of memory modules and configured to selectively assert and de-assert the power control signal.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 , wherein the logic device is further configured to receive an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults.

6. The information handling system of claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry further comprising a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and the logic device and configured for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system, wherein the management controller is further configured to:

receive an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults; and

based on such indication, cause the logic device to de-assert the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

7. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a memory having a plurality of memory modules, and each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips:

during a boot of the information handling system, executing a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory module of the plurality of memory modules;

in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults;

if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized; and

ceasing monitoring of all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising monitoring, by the basic input/output system, for the one or more faults of the one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules only in response to a configuration change of the memory.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising de-asserting the power control signal upon a subsequent boot of the information handling system such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized during such subsequent boot.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising selectively asserting and de-asserting the power control signal with a logic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of memory modules.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the logic device receiving an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, by a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and the logic device and configured for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system, an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults; and

based on such indication, causing, by the management controller, the logic device to de-assert the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

13. An information handling system comprising:

a memory comprising a plurality of memory modules, each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips;

a host system comprising a host system processor configured to, during a boot of the information handling system, execute a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules; and

control circuitry configured to:

in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults;

if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized; and

de-assert the power control signal upon a subsequent boot of the information handling system such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized during such subsequent boot.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the basic input/output system is further configured to monitor for the one or more faults of the one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules only in response to a configuration change of the memory.

15. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a logic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of memory modules and configured to selectively assert and de-assert the power control signal.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein the logic device is further configured to receive an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults.

17. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry further comprising a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and the logic device and configured for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system, wherein the management controller is further configured to:

receive an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults; and

based on such indication, cause the logic device to de-assert the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

18. An information handling system comprising:

a memory comprising a plurality of memory modules, each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips;

a host system comprising a host system processor configured to, during a boot of the information handling system, execute a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules; and

control circuitry configured to:

in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults; and

if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized;

wherein the control circuitry comprises a logic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of memory modules and configured to selectively assert and de-assert the power control signal.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein the basic input/output system is further configured to monitor for the one or more faults of the one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules only in response to a configuration change of the memory.

20. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein the logic device is further configured to receive an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults.

21. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry further comprising a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and the logic device and configured for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system, wherein the management controller is further configured to:

receive an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults; and

based on such indication, cause the logic device to de-assert the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

22. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a memory having a plurality of memory modules, and each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips;

during a boot of the information handling system, executing a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory module of the plurality of memory modules;

in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults;

if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized; and

de-asserting the power control signal upon a subsequent boot of the information handling system such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized during such subsequent boot.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising monitoring, by the basic input/output system, for the one or more faults of the one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules only in response to a configuration change of the memory.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising selectively asserting and de-asserting the power control signal with a logic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of memory modules.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising the logic device receiving an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults.

26. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

receiving, by a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and the logic device and configured for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system, an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults; and

based on such indication, causing, by the management controller, the logic device to de-assert the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

27. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a memory having a plurality of memory modules, and each memory module comprising a plurality of memory chips;

during a boot of the information handling system, executing a basic input/output system of the information handling system configured to monitor for one or more faults of one or more memory module of the plurality of memory modules;

in response to the one or more faults, determine if, all of one or more memory modules associated with a power control signal of such one or more memory modules have experienced faults;

if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults, de-assert the power control signal such that the one or more memory modules are de-energized; and

selectively asserting and de-asserting the power control signal with a logic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of memory modules.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising monitoring, by the basic input/output system, for the one or more faults of the one or more memory modules of the plurality of memory modules only in response to a configuration change of the memory.

29. The method of claim 27 , further comprising the logic device receiving an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults.

30. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:

receiving, by a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and the logic device and configured for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system, an indication from the basic input/output system of which of the plurality of memory modules have experienced the one or more faults; and

based on such indication, causing, by the management controller, the logic device to de-assert the power control signal if all of the one or more memory modules associated with the power control signal have experienced faults.

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 Jan 26, 2021
From: LAMBERT, TIMOTHY M.; CHIN, JORDAN; BHAVSAR, NIHIT S.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 055034/0399 →