Dell USA L P

Other

Dell Products Inc.

David Computer Corporation

Bell Usa, L.p.

John J Pearce

Kendall C Witte

Clint H O'Connor

Craig S Jones

Charles P Zeller

Jim Walker

Philip Dale Chidester

James L Walker

Anthony L Overfield

Angus McLagan

John C Pate

Chong S Un

Gei-Jon Pao

Leslie Thompson

A system and method for maintaining data integrity in computer systems which have removable hard drives. The system and method of the present invention ensures that a disk drive which is reinserted into the computer system is the drive used to boot the operating system. When the computer system boots, the system reads the unique drive identification information from the hard drive and stores this identification information in memory for later use. Later, the computer system may be powered down or placed in a suspend state where the hard drive may be removed and a new drive inserted. When the computer system resumes and first requires access to the hard drive, the system and reads the drive identification information from the drive and compares the drive identification obtained from the drive with the drive identification information stored in memory at boot time. If the two sets of identification information are identical, then control is returned to the native operating system and access is allowed to the drive. In this case, since the two sets of drive identification information are identical, the same drive is comprised in or has been reinserted in the computer system, and thus operation can proceed. If the two sets of drive identification are not identical, then the system powers off the drive and reports to the user that the drive installed in the computer system is not the expected drive, i.e., is not the drive used to boot the system.

System and method for ensuring data integrity on a removable hard drive

A system which builds an operating system-independent environment for executing utility programs is created by establishing a virtual drive that resides on a physical disk drive within the native file system of a native operating system. A virtual drive is a set of files on a physical disk drive that is configured to emulate a physical disk drive. The virtual drive can be deleted by a computer user and similarly can be re-established by the computer user. The virtual drive is bootable and activates an operating system that makes all system resources accessible to the utility programs and also allows the computer user to use the disk space that is allocated for the virtual drive, if desired.

Operating system independent system for running utility programs in a defined environment

Method and apparatus for optimizing the location of machine-dependent code is disclosed. In a departure from the art, code for implementing an applications program interface (API) or other machine dependent program is divided into a system management mode (SMM) portion and a non-SMM portion, depending on whether the code needs to be implemented in a secure environment or not, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the non-SMM portion of the API maintains a BIOS jump table comprising an indexed array of function addresses, and the SMM portion of the API maintains a parallel, but nonidentical, SMM jump table. For each API function that is to be executed in SMM, that is, for each function that must be executed in a secure environment, the indexed BIOS jump table entry calls an SMM interface (SMI) function, which initiates SMM by generating a system management interrupt and accesses the parallel SMM jump table. The indexed SNM jump table entry is used to call the designated function, which is then executed in SMM.

Mechanism for optimizing location of machine-dependent code

A portable computer including a chargeable battery and an AC line adapter controls the battery and adapter to emulate a full UPS-class device. A controller of the portable computer with the chargeable battery and the AC line adapter emulates the conventional operation of an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) and a serial cable connecting the UPS to the portable computer. The controller includes a software driver and Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) program code to emulate signals to and from the internal battery and the AC charger.

System and method for emulating an uninterruptable power supply (UPS)

Communication interface PCCards are commonly attached, both physically and electrically, to a notebook computer whether the communication interface PCCards are connected to a communication channel or disconnected from the communication channel. It has further been discovered that communication interface PCCards consume power when attached to the notebook computer and that power consumption is advantageously reduced and battery life extended by detecting when the communication channel is disconnected from the communication interface PCCard and terminating power supplied to the communication interface PCCard when the communication channel is disconnected. A power management method in a computer system having a PCCard connected to a communication channel includes detecting a disconnection of the communication channel from the PCCard and terminating power supplied to the PCCard in response to the detection of the disconnection of the communication channel.

Power management apparatus and method for managing power application to

A conversion methodology utilizes increasing microprocessor performance characteristics and System Management Mode ('SMM') to provide transparent support of hardware components that include features unsupported by executing application and operating system programs. In one embodiment, a PC system includes code that supports only conventional but unavailable communication interfaces. However, the PC system is equipped with a universal serial bus ('USB') controller. Although the USB controller is unsupported by the executing code by the application and operating system programs, the conversion methodology utilizes system management mode to facilitate transparent support for the USB controller. In SMM, a CPU executes SMM code independently of the operating system(s). The conversion methodology causes entry of SMM upon any I/O operation intended for the supported but unavailable conventional communication interfaces. The SMM code provides data from the USB controller in a format recognizable to the requesting non-supporting software. SMM code supports providing all da t that would otherwise be provided to supporting software.

Operating system independent apparatus and method for supporting

A computer system having a central processing unit ('CPU'), a main memory divisible into allocable units, a secondary storage unit and an operating system for allocating the allocable units to tasks for use thereby is provided with a suspend circuit for creating an optimized compressed image of data in the main memory. In a first embodiment, the suspend circuit comprises: (1) a circuit for initiating execution of a reducing task on the CPU, the reducing task requesting the operating system to allocate unallocated ones of the allocable units to the reducing task, (2) a circuit for storing a bit pattern in the allocable units allocated to the reducing task, the bit pattern chosen to optimize performance of a data compression process and (3) a circuit for executing the data compression process to store a compressed image of the main memory in the secondary storage unit, the bit pattern allowing a size of the compressed image to be reduced and a time required to compress and store the compressed image to be minimized. In a second embodiment, the unallocated allocable units are neither compression-optimized, compressed nor stored. Rather, the reducing task creates a record of all allocated units and the data compression process acts on only those allocated units identified in the record.

Circuit and method for optimizing creation of a compressed main memory

A method and system of operating a power-managed computer system monitors the life cycle of a hard disk drive attached to the computer system and extends the life span of the hard disk drive by reducing the rate at which hard disk drive spin-up cycles are initiated when the hard drive reaches a predetermined stage it life cycle. Software routines which activate or spin-up the hard drive are extended in capability to read the hard drive serial number and record the serial number in a non-volatile memory in conjunction with an incrementing counter. The incrementing counter counts the number of times the hard drive has been activated from the time of installation of the hard drive. The count of spin-up occurrences is indicative of the operating age of the disk drive. A plurality of age levels are defined, for example medium, old and ancient levels so that, when the hard drive spin-up count reaches one of the defined levels, the power management system changes the operation of the hard drive power management.

Operating system independent method and system for preserving hard disk

An essential utility routine accesses a protected computer system component by making a call to a coprocessor that performs a desired function to avoid security measures imposed by an operating system. Various suitable coprocessors include an additional coprocessor connected to a host processor running the operating system imposing the security measures such as a coprocessor on a add-in card to a computer system, a microcontroller, or a system management mode (SMM) program running on the host processor. The essential utility operates on a computer system having a processor operating under an operating system and a storage. The operating system includes software which limits access to the storage. The utility includes a coprocessor, a software interface and a utility routine. The coprocessor is connected to the storage and operative independent of the operating system for accessing the storage. The software interface is connected to the coprocessor and executes on the processor to control input and output operations on the processor. The utility routine executes on the processor and includes a program code operative via the software interface for activating the coprocessor to access the storage and receiving a response from the coprocessor.

Operating system independent method for avoiding operating system

An emulation methodology utilizes increasing microprocessor performance characteristics and System Management Mode ('SMM') to emulate peripheral device functions in a computer system. The emulation methodology traps addresses associated with I/O between a CPU and one or more peripheral devices. After trapping the I/O instruction address, a system management interrupt issues, and the computer system enters the operating system independent SMM. The CPU executes SMM code which proceeds to pass instructions to the CPU which result in the complete or partial emulation of a peripheral device. When the peripheral device is completely emulated, it can be replaced, for example, with a less expensive, less functional component or possibly even eliminated without substitution. The emulation methodology also responds to asynchronous peripheral device user activity by again trapping an I/O instruction to the peripheral device, and using SMM code to emulate the peripheral device.

Operating system independent apparatus and method for eliminating

A system and method for enabling a computer system to cascade from the suspend state to the zero volt suspend-to-disk state. The system and method uses the computer system's real time clock (RTC) to provide an alarm indicating when the computer system should enter the suspend-to-disk state. The RTC is used because this device is active even when the computer system is in an ultra low power state, such as the suspend state. The present invention also includes a method which prevents the power management or system management software from interfering with other application's use of the RTC alarm.

System and method for cascading from a power managed suspend state to a

A system uses a suspend-to-disk operation to save the total processor state of a computer system. With the processor state saved, utility programs such as diagnostic and setup routines, which access to all computer system resources, are executed without the need to reload executing applications or reboot the native operating system controlling the computer system prior to activating the suspend-to-disk operation.

System for executing utility programs while preserving the state of a

A method of securing CD-ROM data for exclusive retrieval by a specified computer system includes the steps of ordering a computer system designating a selected hardware configuration and selected software components and procuring the selected hardware. A hardware identifier is then associated to the selected hardware. The method further includes the step of producing a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) containing software program files corresponding to the selected software components. This step includes the substeps of encrypting the software program files using the hardware identifier as an encryption key and writing the encrypted software program files to the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM securing method also includes the step of installing the software programs on the selected hardware including the sub steps of retrieving the hardware identifier associated to the selected hardware, decrypting the software program files using the hardware identifier as a decryption key and installing the decrypted software program files on the hardware.

Method of securing CD-ROM data for retrieval by one machine

System management mode (SMM) is utilized, despite operating system security measures, by furnishing a polled interface for SMM. When an application program is to make an XBIOS call, the application program posts an XBIOS request in a storage. SMM is activated periodically by a timer and, during activation, checks the storage for XBIOS requests. When an XBIOS request is posted, SMM processes the request XBIOS command and leaves a response from the XBIOS call in the storage. The application program, which continually loops, monitors the storage and detects replacement of the XBIOS request by the XBIOS result to realize completion of an XBIOS call.

Operation system independent polled interface for extension BIOS (XBIOS)

Method and apparatus for transparently executing in a graphical operating system environment a battery gauge utility that provides accurate battery status information adaptable to different users' needs. In a preferred embodiment, a software battery gauge of the present invention utilizes the primary display of a PC on which it is executing to present information on the exact current charge status of each of one or more batteries of the PC without relying on the presence of a Microsoft/Intel Advanced Power Management driver and compatible BIOS and without continually impinging on the APM or XBIOS interfaces to derive such status information. The battery gauge interfaces with a user through a user interface comprising an animated graphical status indicator and a textual status indicator, which display battery status information continuously such that changes therein can be immediately and conveniently perceived by a user. In addition, the battery gauge comprises a conventional windows system menu, which can be accessed by using the mouse or pointing device, for controlling the appearance of the user interface.

Growing community of inventors

Del Valle, TX, United States of America

John J Pearce