Dell Products Inc.

Alberto David Perez Guevara

Wei G Liu

Mark W Shutt

Fernando Antonio Garcia Castillo

Benjamin Andrew Martinez

Jeffrey Leighton Kennedy

Wei Liu

Kurt Wade Shetler

Seokwoo Lee

A secure multi-Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)-image system includes a BIOS storage system having a first BIOS storage region and a second BIOS storage region. A first BIOS image is stored in the first BIOS storage region and is configured to utilize a plurality of initialization drivers during a first initialization process. A BIOS subsystem is coupled to the BIOS storage system. The BIOS subsystem receives second BIOS storage region write-enablement information and, in response, enables writing to the second BIOS storage region. Subsequent to enabling writing to the second BIOS storage region, the BIOS subsystem writes a second BIOS image to the second BIOS storage region. The BIOS subsystem may then use the second BIOS image that was written to the second BIOS storage region to perform a second initialization process that utilizes a subset of the plurality of initialization drivers.

Secure multi-BIOS-image system

A system for discovery of all devices and drives connected directly or indirectly to a backplane uses a MCU to send a communication to a controller on a platform to determine a type of upstream connection between the backplane and the platform and generate a data structure containing the information. The MCU then searches for ports on the backplane to identify devices directly connected to the backplane. The MCU searches for connectors connected to the ports to identify possible other devices and drives. The MCU searches for slot information for slots connected to the downstream connectors. The connector information, port information and slot information is stored in the data structure and the data structure is communicated to a CPLD on the platform for use by a BIOS.

System and method for automatic identification and bios configuration of drives in a backplane

A BIOS platform configuration system includes a BIOS coupled to hardware subsystems. During initialization operations, the BIOS communicates with each of the hardware subsystems and retrieves respective hardware subsystem information that is associated with each of the hardware subsystems and that describes at least a portion of a communication route between that hardware subsystem and at least one other hardware subsystem. The BIOS then combines the respective hardware subsystem information that is associated with each of the hardware subsystems to generate configuration information that describes complete communication routes between each of the hardware subsystems, and configures at least one of the hardware subsystems using the configuration information. In a specific example, the configuration information may provide a processing subsystem/chipset initialization table that is used initialize a processing subsystem/chipset in order to allow it to communicate with a device connected to a planar subsystem/motherboard that includes the processing system/chipset.

Automated bios platform configuration system

An automated device discovery system includes a chassis defining device slots, with device connectors located adjacent each of the device slots. A bus subsystem and a reset subsystem are coupled to the device connectors. A processing system, which is coupled to each of the at least one bus system and the reset subsystem, causes the reset subsystem to sequentially assert reset instructions through each of the device connectors in a device slot sequence. The processing system then sequentially detects, via bus paths in the bus subsystem, each device that is located in one the device slots and coupled to its respective device connector based on reset operations performed by that device in response to the sequentially asserted reset instructions. The processing system then maps each device that was detected with a respective device slot identifier that corresponds to the device slot sequence in which the reset instructions were asserted.

Automated device discovery system

Automated BIOS platform configuration system

An information handling system includes a memory and a central processing unit. The memory stores a boot image for a boot process of the information handling system. The central processing unit loads the boot image and executes the boot process. During the boot process, the central processing unit performs a pre-EFI initialization phase that configures a socket of the central processing unit during an auto-discovery of the socket, and stores the socket configuration in a memory.

System and method to configure communication lanes of a central processing unit

A lane reversal detection and bifurcation system includes an interface that includes a plurality of lanes that are coupled to an endpoint interface of an endpoint device and a BIOS that bifurcates the interface into a first root port and a second root port, such that the first root port is coupled to a first subset of the plurality of lanes, and the second root port is coupled to a second subset of the plurality of lanes. The BIOS initializes the endpoint device to establish a link between the endpoint device and the interface. The BIOS detects an endpoint presence and a non-functional link at the first root port and an endpoint presence and a functional link at the second root port and, in response, determines that the first subset of the plurality of lanes coupled to the endpoint device are subject to a lane reversal.

Growing community of inventors

Pflugerville, TX, United States of America

Alberto David Perez Guevara