Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Matthew L Fischer

Subramanian Ramesh

Thavatchai Makphaibulchoke

Raghuram Kota

Bradley Gordon Culter

Christopher Philip Ruemmler

Francis J Ginther

Benjamin Preston

Ajay Joshi

A method of balancing input/output (I/O) device interrupt service loading in a computer system comprises: assigning priorities to a plurality of I/O device interrupts of a processing unit of the computer system; servicing the plurality of interrupts according to the assigned priorities thereof; collecting data on the interrupt servicing of the plurality of interrupts over a time interval; reassigning the priorities of the plurality of interrupts based on the collected interrupt service data; and repeating the collecting and reassigning steps to balance input/output (I/O) device interrupt service loading of the processing unit.

Method of balancing I/O device interrupt service loading in a computer system

A system and method for constructing a user application's Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) namespace in a computer platform employing an ACPI-compatible implementation is disclosed. A traversing function is operable to traverse a kernel ACPI namespace nodal tree and provide the name of the node of the tree to the user application's ACPI namespace. The traversing function may withhold a copy of a particular node if that node is a control method object not included in a list of safe control methods. Another embodiment provides a scheme for assisting a user application's access to a control method object.

System and method for constructing a user application's advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) namespace

A computer-implemented method for handling pending interrupt vectors of a pending interrupt list is disclosed. The method includes batch-reading the set of pending interrupt vectors into a working list of working interrupt vectors. The method also includes performing interrupt handling of the working interrupt vectors using an interrupt handling arrangement until the working list is empty. The interrupt handling process permits a first incoming interrupt vector that is received by the pending interrupt list after the batch reading to temporarily interrupt the performing interrupt handling of the working interrupt vectors and to be handled on a priority basis by the interrupt handling arrangement if a priority level of the first incoming interrupt vector is higher than a priority level of a first working interrupt vector being currently handled by the interrupt handling arrangement.

Batch processing of interrupts

A system and method for accessing an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) namespace nodal tree in a computer platform employing an ACPI-compatible implementation is disclosed.

System and method for accessing an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) namespace nodal tree

A system and method for loading an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) original equipment manufacturer (OEM) description table in a computer platform employing an ACPI-compatible implementation is disclosed. In one embodiment of the system, a storage structure is operably associated with the computer platform and contains a copy of an ACPI OEM description table in a packed form. An acquirer is operable to search the storage structure fop the ACPI OEM description table and call a swapper to complete the loading of the ACPI OEM description table by issuing a signature search request.

System and method for loading an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) original equipment manufacturer (OEM) description table

A system and method for implementing a fast reset of a computer system is described. In one implementation, the fast reset is implemented by adding a new ResetType to the EFIResetSystem( ) function. In particular, a third ResetType, i.e., 'EfiResetFast' (FAST option), is added, which is passed as a parameter when calling the EFIResetSystem( ) function. In another implementation, the fast reset is implemented using a new EFI function, referred to herein as 'EFIResetFast( )'. In either implementation, in response to a fast reset, the firmware skips several steps typically performed, including some of the core firmware construction, single cell initialization, memory testing, memory re-initialization, and partition creation, and proceeds directly to transfer of control of the platform to a software interface disposed between an OS and firmware.

System and method for executing a fast reset of a computer system

Computer data is transferred from a packed to an unpacked data structure in a computer that enforces aligned memory access and for which the associated compiler lacks a compile-time directive to pack data structures. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention is employed in the pre-processing of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) tables stored in little-endian format for use by a big-endian operating system.

Method for transferring a packed data structure to an unpacked data structure by copying the packed data using pointer

The bits comprising a computer data structure are reversed rapidly and efficiently using a combination of data partitioning and table look ups. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention is employed in the pre-processing of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) tables stored in little-endian format for use by a big-endian operating system.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Matthew L Fischer