Intel Corporation

Christopher J Spiegel

Andrew H Gafken

Robert N Hasbun

David A Edwards

William A Stevens, Jr

Robert Patrick Hale

John V Lovelace

Alberto J Martinez

Christopher M McAllen

Chris McAllen

Methods of allocating, writing, reading, de-allocating, re-allocating, and reclaiming space within a nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture are described. A method of reliably re-allocating a first object includes the step of storing a location of a first object in a first data structure. A location of the first data structure is stored in a second data structure. A duplicate of the first object is formed by initiating a copy of the first object. An erase of the first object is initiated. A write of a second object to the location of the first object is then initiated. The duplicate object is invalidated. The status of copying, erasing, and writing is tracked. The copy status, erase status, write status, and a restoration status are used to determine a recovery state upon initialization of the nonvolatile memory. The duplicate object is invalidated, if the writing status indicates that the writing of the second object has been completed. The first object is erased, if a restoration status indicates copying of the duplicate object was initiated but not completed. The erasing of the first object is completed, if the erase status indicates that erasure of the first object is not completed. A restoration of the duplicate object to the location of the first object is initiated, if the copying status indicates that copying of the first object was completed. The copying of the duplicate object is tracked as a restoration status.

Method of performing reliable updates in a symmetrically blocked nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture

A Bus Driver implements an arbitration mechanism to allow both the system management interrupt (SMI) and the Bus Driver to cooperatively use a Bus host controller hardware. This mechanism employs a hardware-based semaphore (status bit) to allow either the SMI or the driver to claim ownership of the Bus host controller for an arbitrary period of time. While either the SMI or the driver may own the status bit, the other party must poll the bit until ownership is achieved. For the SMI, this involves scheduling a periodic SMI interrupt. The driver performs self arbitration of claiming the status bit to provide the periodic SMI interrupt the opportunity to claim the bit. The mechanism allows the SMI access to the Bus host controller in a 'timely' manner, while minimizing impact to driver access to the Bus host controller, which could impact driver Bus transaction throughput.

Method for SMI arbitration timeliness in a cooperative SMI/driver use mechanism

The present invention provides for reliably updating a file by making a backup copy of the portion of a file that includes changed data. The revised portion of the file is related to the other file portions through cross-linking of units. Upon completely updating the file and linking the data, old data is deleted. Thus, an entire file need not be duplicated for backing up an update. Furthermore, progress of the update may be tracked by marking the backup copy during the update process. The portions of a data object for the file may be mapped by marking a unit as valid if the data contained therein is current and linked if the unit is related to other portions of the file. In addition, other aspects of the present invention relating to the storage system updating a fragmented file are described.

Updating a file in a fragmented file system

A protected boot sequence in a computer system. A reset vector directs the system to a boot program including a protected program. This protected program verifies the integrity of the BIOS contents before branching to the BIOS for execution of normal bootstrap functions. The protected program can also lock down various blocks of bootstrap code to prevent them from being changed after a certain point in the boot sequence. The protected boot sequence can proceed in layers, with each layer providing some level of validation or security for succeeding layers.

Protected boot flow

A queue, either in software or hardware, with a plurality of layers with each layer having a plurality of locations. The queue receives a command, and compares the command with the pending commands in the queue to determine if the command should be processed, and, if the command should be processed then store the command in one of the plurality of locations in one of the plurality of layers; and forward the command to a system or a memory in response to a priority.

Method and apparatus for processing commands in a queue coupled to a system or memory

The present invention comprises a method, apparatus, and machine-readable medium to pre-allocate a space for data. Embodiments of the present invention are designed to pre-allocate a space for data in nonvolatile memory. More specifically, embodiments may provide a reservation for a data write, so sufficient unallocated space can be confirmed as available for the write prior to actually writing the data to the nonvolatile memory.

Space allocation for data in a nonvolatile memory

A method and apparatus for initializing a computer system, which includes a lockable nonvolatile memory coupled to a processor having maskable address lines and a cache, when a nonvolatile memory update is in process. When an update is in process, the nonvolatile memory is unlocked in response to the initialization event only if address line masking is disabled, and at least a portion of the processor cache is invalidated to ensure the processor will fetch the first instruction from the nonvolatile memory.

Method and apparatus for securing computer firmware wherein unlocking of nonvolatile memory is prohibited unless address line masking Is disabled during an initialization event

A method of securing a boot process for a computer system enables a processor to boot from a location identified by a boot vector. The method includes the step of disabling masking of a maskable address line in response to a processor initialization event. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor coupled to a memory by at least one maskable address line wherein the memory is storing a first initialization instruction. The apparatus includes a mask control wherein the mask control disables masking of the maskable address line before the processor attempts to access the first initialization instruction in response to an initialization event. In one embodiment a processor chipset gates a first address mask control with an inhibit bit to generate a second address mask control. The second address mask control is independent of the first address mask control when the inhibit bit is set to a first value. The processor chipset sets the inhibit bit to the first value in response to a processor initialization event. In various embodiments the initialization event include at least one of an application of power to the processor, a processor RESET, or a processor INIT.

Method and apparatus for initializing a computer system that includes disabling the masking of a maskable address line

Methods of reliably allocating, writing, reading, de-allocating, re-allocating, and reclaiming space within a nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture are described. Allocation, writing, reading, de-allocating, re-allocating, and reclamation are handled by a memory manager. The memory manager tracks the progress of each process during execution in order to detect whether a selected process was interrupted for purposes of recovery. The nonvolatile memory is recovered to a known state during initialization. Initialization includes the step of determining a recovery state from a recovery state lookup table. A selected recovery process is selected in accordance with the recovery state lookup table. A restart level for the selected process is determined from a corresponding restart state lookup table. The selected process is then restarted at the restart level. In one embodiment, a method of managing a nonvolatile memory includes the step of identifying an interrupted process from at least one of an allocation, a reclamation, a configuration header reclaim, and a re-allocation process initiated on the nonvolatile memory. A recovery process is selected for the interrupted process. An entry point into the recovery process is determined. The selected recovery process is then restarted at the entry point.

Methods of reliably allocating, de-allocating, re-allocating, and reclaiming objects in a symmetrically blocked nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture

Methods of allocating, writing, reading, de-allocating, re-allocating, and reclaiming space within a nonvolatile memory having a bifurcated storage architecture are described. A method of reliably re-allocating a first object includes the step of storing a location of a first object in a first data structure. A location of the first data structure is stored in a second data structure. A duplicate of the first object is formed by initiating a copy of the first object. An erase of the first object is initiated. A write of a second object to the location of the first object is then initiated. The duplicate object is invalidated. The status of copying, erasing, and writing is tracked. The copy status, erase status, write status, and a restoration status are used to determine a recovery state upon initialization of the nonvolatile memory. The duplicate object is invalidated , if the writing status indicates that the writing of the second object has been completed. The first object is erased, if a restoration status indicates copying of the duplicate object was initiated but not completed. The erasing of the first object is completed, if the erase status indicates that erasure of the first object is not completed. A restoration of the duplicate object to the location of the first object is initiated, if the copying status indicates that copying of the first object was completed. The copying of the duplicate object is tracked as a restoration status.

Growing community of inventors

Carmichael, CA, United States of America

Christopher J Spiegel