Memory device update system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10152264-B1
Application number	US-201715675272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 11, 2017
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A memory device update system includes a computing device couple to a management device. While the computing device is in a pre-boot environment, a memory device update engine in the computing device assigns a memory type, which is associated with the storage of memory device update information, to memory region(s) in a memory subsystem in the computing device. Subsequent to a boot of the computing device such that the computing device is in a runtime environment, the memory device update engine retrieves memory device update information from the management device and uses a data communication interface between the memory device update engine and the memory subsystem to write the memory device update information to the memory region(s) that were assigned the memory type. While the computing device is in the runtime environment, the memory subsystem then uses the memory device update information to update the memory subsystem.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A memory device update system, comprising:
a management device; and
a computing device that is coupled to the management device, wherein the computing device includes:
a memory subsystem; and
a memory device update engine that is coupled to the memory subsystem and configured to:
assign, while the computing device is in a pre-boot environment, a memory type to at least one memory region in the memory subsystem, wherein the memory type is associated with storage of memory device update information;
retrieve, from the management device and subsequent to a boot of the computing device such that the computing device is in a runtime environment, the memory device update information; and
write, using a data communication interface between the memory device update engine and the memory subsystem while the computing device is in the runtime environment, the memory device update information to the at least one memory region that was assigned the memory type;
wherein the memory subsystem is configured to:
use, while the computing device is in the runtime environment, the memory device update information to update the memory subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device update engine is configured to:
identify, while the computing device is in the pre-boot environment, at least one memory device in the memory subsystem that is configured to be updated, wherein the at least one memory region in the memory subsystem is located in the at least one memory device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each at least one memory region that is assigned the memory type is located at the end of an address range associated with at least one memory device included in the memory subsystem.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory region is assigned the memory type in a memory map.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one memory region is provided in a contiguous region of the memory map, and wherein the memory device update engine is configured to:
write, in an interleaved write mode to the at least one memory region using the memory map, a copy of the memory device update information to each of a plurality of memory devices in the memory subsystem.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory region in the memory subsystem is located in at least one memory device, and wherein the memory subsystem is configured to:
cause each at least one memory device to enter a refresh mode; and
use the memory device update information to update each at least one memory device while each at least one memory device is in the refresh mode.

7. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a memory subsystem including a memory device and a memory subsystem controller;
a basic input output system (BIOS) subsystem that is coupled to the memory subsystem and configured to:
assign, while the IHS is in a pre-boot environment, a memory type to a memory region in the memory device, wherein the memory type is associated with storage of the memory device update information;

an update subsystem that is coupled to the memory subsystem and configured to:
retrieve memory device update information; and
write, using a data communication interface between the update subsystem and the memory subsystem while the IHS is in a runtime environment, the memory device update information to the memory region that was assigned the memory type;

wherein the memory subsystem controller is configured to:
use, while the IHS is in the runtime environment, the memory device update information to update the memory device.

8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the BIOS subsystem is configured to:
identify, while the IHS is in the pre-boot environment, that the memory device is configured to be updated.

9. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the memory region that is assigned the memory type is located at the end of an address range associated with the memory device.

10. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the memory region is assigned the memory type in a memory map.

11. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the memory region is provided in a contiguous region of the memory map, and wherein the memory device update engine is configured to:
write, in an interleaved write mode to the memory region using the memory map, a copy of the memory device update information to the memory device.

12. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the memory subsystem controller is configured to:
cause the memory device to enter a refresh mode; and
use the memory device update information to update the memory device while the memory device is in the refresh mode.

13. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the memory subsystem includes a memory subsystem controller storage device, and wherein the memory subsystem controller is configured to:
copy the memory device update information from the memory region to the memory subsystem controller storage device; and
use the memory device update information in the memory subsystem controller storage device to update the memory device.

14. A method for updating memory devices, comprising:
assign, by a BIOS subsystem in a computing device while the computing device is in a pre-boot environment, a memory type to at least one memory region in a plurality of memory devices included in a memory subsystem, wherein the memory type is associated with storage of memory device update information;
write, by an update subsystem in the computing device using a data communication interface between the update subsystem and the memory subsystem and while the computing device is in a runtime environment, the memory device update information to the at least one memory region that was assigned the memory type; and
using, by a memory subsystem controller in the memory subsystem while the computing device is in the runtime environment, the memory device update information to update the plurality of memory devices.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying, by the BIOS subsystem while the computing device is in the pre-boot environment, the plurality of memory devices included in the memory subsystem that are configured to be updated.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory region that is assigned the memory type is located at the end of an address range associated with each of the plurality of memory devices.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory region is assigned the memory type in a memory map.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one memory region is provided in a contiguous region of the memory map, and wherein the update subsystem is configured to:
write, in an interleaved write mode to the at least one memory region using the memory map, a copy of the memory device update information to each of the plurality of memory devices.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
causing, by the memory subsystem controller, each of the plurality of memory devices to enter a refresh mode; and
use, by the memory subsystem controller, the memory device update information to update each of the plurality of memory devices while each of the plurality of memory devices is in the refresh mode.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
copy, by the memory subsystem controller, the memory device update information from the at least one memory region to a memory subsystem controller storage device; and
use, by the memory subsystem controller, the memory device update information in the memory subsystem controller storage devi

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Butcher Wade Andrew
• Nijhawan Vijay Bharat
• Sankaranarayanan Vadhiraj

Classifications

• G06F9/4401 Primary

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F11/1417

  Boot up procedures · CPC title

• G06F9/3004

  to perform operations on memory · CPC title

• G06F3/0646 Primary

  Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems · CPC title

• G06F12/0238

  Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory · CPC title