Initialization trace of a computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10146657-B2
Application number	US-201414226612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Platform controller, computer-readable storage media, and methods associated with initialization of a computing device. In embodiments, a platform controller may comprise a boot controller and one or more non-volatile memory modules, coupled with the boot controller. In embodiments, the one or more non-volatile memory modules may have first instructions and second instructions stored thereon. The first instructions may, when executed by a processor of a computing device hosting the platform controller, cause initialization of the computing device. The second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, may cause the boot controller to monitor at least a portion of the execution of the first instructions by the computing device and may generate a trace of the monitored portion of the execution of the first instructions. In embodiments, the trace may be stored in the one or more non-volatile memory modules. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A platform controller comprising:
a boot controller with a provision of a read only memory (ROM); and
one or more non-volatile memory modules, coupled with the boot controller, having stored thereon:
first instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device hosting the platform controller after the boot controller is initialized using the ROM, cause initialization of the computing device, wherein the ROM contains initialization instructions for the boot controller to attain an operational state; and
second instructions which, when executed by the boot controller at least in part while the first instructions are executed by the processor, cause the boot controller to monitor at least a portion of the execution of the first instructions by the processor, and to generate a trace of the monitored portion of the execution of the first instructions to be stored in the one or more non-volatile memory modules, wherein to monitor at least the portion of the execution of the first instructions, the boot controller, after its initialization, but before the initialization of the computing device, further establishes a connection with the one or more non-volatile memory modules by initializing a memory interface with the one or more non-volatile memory modules using instructions of the ROM.

2. The platform controller of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, are to monitor execution of the first instructions by the computing device from an initial state prior to execution of a power on self-test (POST) to a subsequent state where an operating system (OS) is instantiated on the computing device, and the boot controller contained within the platform controller included in the computing device is initialized prior to the POST of the computing device.

3. The platform controller of claim 2 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, persist the trace in the one or more non-volatile memory modules upon successful completion of the first instructions.

4. The platform controller of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-volatile memory modules are to store a plurality of traces of a plurality of previously monitored executions of the first instructions, generated by the boot controller.

5. The platform controller of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, further cause the boot controller to:
present, in response to a request, a plurality of previously generated and stored traces to a user of the computing device for selection; and
replay a selected one of the previously generated and stored traces, upon selection, to initialize the computing device.

6. The platform controller of claim 5 , wherein to replay the selected trace further comprises storage of an identifier associated with the selected trace in the one or more non-volatile memory modules to provide the boot controller with access to the identifier upon a next initialization of the boot controller.

7. The platform controller of claim 6 , wherein to replay the selected trace further comprises:
retrieval, upon the next initialization of the boot controller, of the identifier from the one or more non-volatile memory modules;
identification of the selected trace via the identifier; and
utilization of the selected trace to initialize the computing device.

8. The platform controller of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, further cause the boot controller to generate a checksum, based on the trace, upon successful completion of the monitored execution of the first instructions.

9. The platform controller of claim 8 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, further cause the boot controller to compare the checksum with an expected checksum to verify initialization of the computing device.

10. The platform controller of claim 1 , wherein the first instructions comprise a plurality of firmware to initialize a plurality of hardware components residing on the computing device.

11. The platform controller of claim 10 , wherein the second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, further cause the boot controller to:
generate the trace through generation of a trace segment corresponding with each hardware component of the plurality of hardware components; and
make available each trace segment to the corresponding hardware component to access and replay the trace segment.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media embodied thereon instructions which, when executed by a boot controller of a computing device, cause the boot controller to:
monitor an initialization of the computing device by a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computing device, wherein the boot controller and BIOS are independent of each other, the initialization of the computing device is performed by a processor of the computing device, where the processor of the computing device is different from the boot controller, and the boot controller of the computing device is initialized using a read only memory (ROM) before the initialization of the computing device, and the ROM contains initialization instructions for the boot controller to attain an operational state;
generate a trace of the monitored initialization of the computing device; and
store the generated trace of the monitored initialization in one or more non-volatile memory modules, wherein the boot controller, after its initialization, but before the initialization of the computing device, further establishes a connection with the one or more non-volatile memory modules by initializing a memory interface with the one or more non-volatile memory modules using instructions of the ROM.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein to monitor an initialization is to monitor the computing device from an initial state prior to execution of a power on self-test (POST) to a subsequent state where an operating system (OS) is instantiated on the computing device, and the boot controller of the computing device is initialized prior to the POST of the computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the boot controller, further cause the boot controller to:
present, in response to a request, a plurality of previously generated and stored traces to a user of the computing device for selection; and
replay a selected one of the previously generated and stored traces, upon selection, to initialize the computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein to replay the selected trace further comprises storage of an identifier associated with the selected trace in a location accessible by the boot controller during an initialization of the boot controller to provide the boot controller with access to the identifier upon a next initialization of the boot controller.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 ,
wherein to replay the selected trace further comprises:
retrieval, upon the next initialization of the boot controller, of the identifier from the one or more non-volatile memory modules;
acquisition of the selected trace based on the identifier; and
utilization of the acquired trace to initialize the computing device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the boot controller, further cause the boot controller to generate, upon successful completion of the initial

Assignees

• Swanson Robert C
• Traw C Brendan
• Zimmer Vincent J
• Bulusu Mallik
• Lindsley John R
• Natu Mahesh S
• Ziakas Dimitrios
• Cone Robert W
• Rangarajan Madhusudhan
• Nikjou Babak
• Brannock Kirk D
• Wunderlich Russell J
• Schwartz Miles F
• Pawlowski Stephen S
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Swanson Robert C
• Traw C Brendan
• Zimmer Vincent J
• Bulusu Mallik
• Lindsley John R
• Natu Mahesh S
• Ziakas Dimitrios
• Cone Robert W
• Rangarajan Madhusudhan
• Nikjou Babak
• Brannock Kirk D
• Wunderlich Russell J
• Schwartz Miles F
• Pawlowski Stephen S

Classifications

• G06F2201/84

  Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data · CPC title

• G06F9/4403

  Processor initialisation · CPC title

• G06F11/3476 Primary

  Data logging (G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title

• G06F9/4416

  Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL] · CPC title