System and Method for Enabling Transportability of a Non Volatile Dual Inline Memory Module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016011802-A1
Application number	US-201414326987-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dual inline memory module includes a local memory and a non-volatile memory. The local memory stores data during normal operation of the dual inline memory module. The non-volatile memory includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion stores the data located in the local memory in response to a power failure of an information handling system in communication with the dual inline memory module. The second portion stores configuration information for the dual inline memory module. The configuration information is utilized to set up the dual inline memory module in a new information handling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
storing, at a local memory of a dual in line memory module, data during normal operation of the dual inline memory module within an information handling system; and storing, at a first portion of a non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module, the data located in the local memory in response to a power failure of the information handling system in communication with the dual inline memory module; and storing, at a second portion of the non-volatile memory, configuration information for the dual inline memory module, wherein the configuration information is utilized to set up the dual inline memory module after a loss of power.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving the configuration information from the second portion of the non-volatile memory after the dual inline memory module regains power, wherein the configuration information includes a dual inline memory module slot identifier, a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number, and a system model number for the dual inline memory module; comparing a current dual inline memory module slot location in the information handling system with the dual inline memory module slot identifier of the dual inline memory module to validate that the dual inline memory module is populated in a correct dual inline memory module slot after the dual inline memory module regains power.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
validating that each dual inline memory module identified in the a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number are present in the information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power; and validating that the information handling system is a compatible system for the dual inline memory module based on the system model number after the dual inline memory module regains power.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the configuration information to the new information handling system via a system management bus prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in a new information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes training values of communication speeds and timing for the dual inline memory module; and determining timing and communication speeds between the new information handling system and the dual inline memory module based on utilizing the training values for the dual inline memory module as a starting point.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving the configuration information from the second portion of the non-volatile memory after the dual inline memory module regains power, wherein the configuration information includes a reliability availability and serviceability mode for the dual inline memory module; and validating that a reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system matches the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module after the dual inline memory module regains power.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the configuration information to the new information handling system via a system management bus prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in a new information handling system, wherein the configuration information includes an encryption key for the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module; and accessing the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory via the encryption key after the dual inline memory module regains power.

7 . A dual inline memory module comprising:
a local memory to store data during normal operation of the dual inline memory module; and a non-volatile memory including a first portion configured to store the data located in the local memory in response to a power failure of an information handling system in communication with the dual inline memory module, and a second portion configured to store configuration information for the dual inline memory module, wherein the configuration information is utilized to set up the dual inline memory module in a new information handling.

8 . The dual inline memory module of claim 7 , further comprising:
a control module configured to communicate with the local memory and the flash memory, the control module configured to copy the data located in the local memory to the flash memory in response to the power failure.

9 . The dual inline memory module of claim 8 , wherein the control module is configured to communicate with the new information handling system via a system management bus to provide the new information handling system with the configuration information prior to the dual inline memory module being powered on in the new information handling system.

10 . The dual inline memory module of claim 9 , wherein the configuration information includes a dual inline memory module slot identifier, a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number, and a system model number for the dual inline memory module, and a Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to compare a current dual inline memory module slot location in the information handling system with the dual inline memory module slot identifier of the dual inline memory module to validate that the dual inline memory module is populated in a correct dual inline memory module slot of the new information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power.

11 . The dual inline memory module of claim 10 , wherein the Basic Input/Output System is further configured to validate that each dual inline memory module identified in the a non-volatile dual inline memory module set sequence number are present in the information handling system after the dual inline memory module regains power, and to validate that the information handling system is a compatible system for the dual inline memory module based on the system model number after the dual inline memory module regains power.

12 . The dual inline memory module of claim 9 , wherein the configuration information includes training values of communication speeds and timing for the dual inline memory module, and a Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to determine timing and communication speeds between the new information handling system and the dual inline memory module based on utilizing the training values for the dual inline memory module as a starting point.

13 . The dual inline memory module of claim 9 , wherein the configuration information includes a reliability availability and serviceability mode for the dual in line memory module, and a Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to validate that a reliability availability and serviceability mode of the information handling system matches the reliability availability and serviceability mode of the dual inline memory module after the dual inline memory module regains power.

14 . The dual inline memory module of claim 9 , wherein the configuration information includes an encryption key for the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory of the dual inline memory module, and a Basic Input/Output System of the new information handling system is configured to access the data located in the first portion of the non-volatile memory via the encryption key after the dual inline memory module regains power.

15 . A method comprising:
detecting a connection of a dual inline memor

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Berke Stuart Allen

Classifications

• G06F3/0673

  Single storage device · CPC title

• G06F3/0632

  by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0619 Primary

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/0679

  Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP] · CPC title

• G06F3/0631

  by allocating resources to storage systems · CPC title