IP Library Granted Patent US 11,915,029
Granted Patent B2
US 11,915,029 · App. 17/221,316 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

System and method of managing available memory of an information handling system

Inventors: Wei G. Liu (Austin, TX); Yi-Shu Hung (Taipei, TW)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F9/45558G06F2009/45583
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,915,029
App. No.
17/221,316
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one or more embodiments, one or more systems, one or more methods, and/or one or more processes may receive a first license associated with a first amount of physical storage to permit an operating system (OS) and/or a hypervisor to utilize; initialize a data structure with first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage; retrieve the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage from the data structure; receive a second license associated with a second amount of the physical storage, greater than the first amount, to permit the OS and/or the hypervisor to utilize; update the data structure with second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage; receive a notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage; and retrieve the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage from the data structure.

Claims (70)

1. An information handling system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory medium, coupled to the at least one processor, that stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the information handling system to:

determine, by information handling system firmware, an amount of physical storage of an information handling system;

receive, by the information handling system firmware, a first license associated with a first amount of the physical storage to permit at least one of an operating system (OS) and a hypervisor to utilize;

initialize, by the information handling system firmware, a data structure with first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage;

execute, by the at least one processor, the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor;

retrieve, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage from the data structure;

allocate, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the first amount of the physical storage to a first plurality of applications executing on the information handling system without exceeding the first amount of the physical storage;

receive, by the information handling system firmware, a second license associated with a second amount of the physical storage, greater than the first amount of the physical storage, to permit the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor to utilize;

update, by the information handling system firmware, the data structure with second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage;

receive, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, a notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage;

in response to receiving the notification, retrieve, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage from the data structure; and

allocate, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the second amount of the physical storage to a second plurality of applications executing on the information handling system without exceeding the second amount of the physical storage.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the information handling system to:

provide, by the information handling system firmware, the notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage to the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein, to provide the notification, the instructions further cause the information handling system to generate an interrupt that signals a hot add of additional storage to the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 ,

wherein the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage includes a starting address of the physical storage and a first ending address of the physical storage; and

wherein the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage includes the starting address of the physical storage and a second ending address of the physical storage.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 ,

wherein, to allocate the first amount of the physical storage to the first plurality of applications, the instructions further cause the information handling system to allocate portions of the first amount of the physical storage between the starting address and the first ending address; and

wherein, to allocate the second amount of the physical storage to the second plurality of applications, the instructions further cause the information handling system to allocate portions of the second amount of the physical storage between the starting address and the second ending address.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of applications includes the first plurality of applications.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the physical storage is volatile memory.

8. A method, comprising:

determining, by information handling system firmware, an amount of physical storage of an information handling system;

receiving, by the information handling system firmware, a first license associated with a first amount of the physical storage to permit at least one of an operating system (OS) and a hypervisor to utilize;

initializing, by the information handling system firmware, a data structure with first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage;

executing, by at least one processor of the information handling system, the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor;

retrieving, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage from the data structure;

allocating, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the first amount of the physical storage to a first plurality of applications executing on the information handling system without exceeding the first amount of the physical storage;

receiving, by the information handling system firmware, a second license associated with a second amount of the physical storage, greater than the first amount of the physical storage, to permit the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor to utilize;

updating, by the information handling system firmware, the data structure with second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage;

receiving, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, a notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage;

in response to the receiving the notification, retrieving, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage from the data structure; and

allocating, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the second amount of the physical storage to a second plurality of applications executing on the information handling system without exceeding the second amount of the physical storage.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing, by the information handling system firmware, the notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage to the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the notification includes generating an interrupt that signals a hot add of additional storage to the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor.

11. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage includes a starting address of the physical storage and a first ending address of the physical storage; and

wherein the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage includes the starting address of the physical storage and a second ending address of the physical storage.

12. The method of claim 11 ,

wherein the allocating the first amount of the physical storage to the first plurality of applications includes allocating portions of the first amount of the physical storage between the starting address and the first ending address; and

wherein the allocating the second amount of the physical storage to the second plurality of applications includes allocating portions of the second amount of the physical storage between the starting address and the second ending address.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second plurality of applications includes the first plurality of applications.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the physical storage is volatile memory.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory memory medium that includes instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an information handling system, cause the information handling system to:

determine, by information handling system firmware, an amount of physical storage of an information handling system;

receive, by the information handling system firmware, a first license associated with a first amount of the physical storage to permit at least one of an operating system (OS) and a hypervisor to utilize;

initialize, by the information handling system firmware, a data structure with first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage;

execute, by the at least one processor, the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor;

retrieve, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage from the data structure;

allocate, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the first amount of the physical storage to a first plurality of applications executing on the information handling system without exceeding the first amount of the physical storage;

receive, by the information handling system firmware, a second license associated with a second amount of the physical storage, greater than the first amount of the physical storage, to permit the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor to utilize;

update, by the information handling system firmware, the data structure with second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage;

receive, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, a notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage;

in response to receiving the notification, retrieve, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage from the data structure; and

allocate, by the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor, the second amount of the physical storage to a second plurality of applications executing on the information handling system without exceeding the second amount of the physical storage.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the information handling system to:

provide, by the information handling system firmware, the notification associated with the second amount of the physical storage to the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 16 , wherein, to provide the notification, the instructions further cause the information handling system to generate an interrupt that signals a hot add of additional storage to the at least one of the OS and the hypervisor.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 15 ,

wherein the first information associated with the first amount of the physical storage includes a starting address of the physical storage and a first ending address of the physical storage; and

wherein the second information associated with the second amount of the physical storage includes the starting address of the physical storage and a second ending address of the physical storage.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 18 ,

wherein, to allocate the first amount of the physical storage to the first plurality of applications, the instructions further cause the information handling system to allocate portions of the first amount of the physical storage between the starting address and the first ending address; and

wherein, to allocate the second amount of the physical storage to the second plurality of applications, the instructions further cause the information handling system to allocate portions of the second amount of the physical storage between the starting address and the second ending address.

20. The computer-readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 15 , wherein the physical storage is volatile memory.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0280) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0255 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0001) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062021/0844 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0124) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0012 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058297/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0280 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0124 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE MISSING PATENTS THAT WERE ON THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED SUBMITTED BUT NOT ENTERED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 056250 FRAME: 0541. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 17, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056311/0781 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2021
From: LIU, WEI G.; HUNG, YI-SHU
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 055809/0680 →
Continuity (1)
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