The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 18, 2010
Filed:
Sep. 29, 2006
Bi-chong Wang, Austin, TX (US);
Vijay Nijhawan, Austin, TX (US);
Madhusudhan Rangarajan, Round Rock, TX (US);
Wuxian Wu, Round Rock, TX (US);
Bi-Chong Wang, Austin, TX (US);
Vijay Nijhawan, Austin, TX (US);
Madhusudhan Rangarajan, Round Rock, TX (US);
Wuxian Wu, Round Rock, TX (US);
Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for managing system management interrupts in a multiprocessor system. The system described herein includes multiple processors, each of which may be directly coupled to memory. A primary processor will recognize the initiation of a system management interrupt. The primary processor will write a reason code to a storage location and set a watchdog timer, the expiration of which causes all of the processors of the system to enter a system management mode. After all of the processors have entered system management mode, it is determined if the reason code of the storage location corresponds to certain software-based system management interrupts. If so, the system management interrupt is handled by the local processors. Following the handling of the system management interrupt by the local processor, a signal is sent to each of the other processors to cause the processors to exit system management mode.