Method and system for optimal boot path for a network device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021286692-A1
Application number	US-202016820367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2020
Priority date	Mar 16, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for providing multiple options for booting-up a remote computing device is disclosed. The system has a remote management station, in network communication with a computing device. The computing device has hardware components and a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) basic input output system (BIOS), including multiple power-on self-test (POST) routines. A controller is in communication with the UEFI BIOS and in network communication with the remote management station. The controller receives a selection of one of the plurality of POST routines from the management station. The controller boots up the computing device with the selected POST routine. The POST routines include a normal POST and other specialized routines such as a fast boot option, a safety boot option, a diagnostic boot option and a factory boot option.

First claim

1 . A system having multiple options for booting a remote computing device, the system comprising:
a remote management station; a network in communication with the remote management station; a computing device having hardware components and a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) basic input output system (BIOS) including a plurality of power-on self-test (POST) routines; and a controller in communication with the UEFI BIOS and in network communication with the remote management station, wherein the controller is operable to: receive a selection of one of the plurality of POST routines from the management station; and boot-up the computing device with the selected POST routine, wherein the plurality of POST routines including a normal POST routine having a security phase, a pre-EFI initialization environment phase to initialize and configure hardware components of the computing device, a driver execution environment phase, a boot device selection phase and a transient system load phase, and a second and a third, different POST routine that each result in a faster boot-up of the computing device than the boot-up with the normal POST routine, wherein the second POST routine is a fast boot that bypasses the initialization and configuration of at least some hardware components, and the third POST routine is a safety boot that disables hardware components with faults.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a baseboard management controller.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a server.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the POST routine is received from an in-band communication.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the management station sends the selection of the POST routine with an out-of-band communication with the computing device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection is made by a UEFI variable.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fast boot includes:
using data structures stored in a persistent memory from the normal POST routine to restore registers of the computing device.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the safety boot includes:
reading an estimation report of hardware components with faults to determine functional hardware components; and initializing the functional hardware components.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of POST routines includes a factory provision boot including:
loading a firmware configuration; disabling an error correction mechanism; and allowing a stress test to be performed on the hardware components.

10 . A system having multiple options for booting a remote computing device, the system comprising:
a remote management station; a network in communication with the remote management station; a computing device having hardware components and a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) basic input output system (BIOS) including a plurality of power-on self-test (POST) routines; and a controller in communication with the UEFI BIOS and in network communication with the remote management station, wherein the controller is operable to: receive a selection of one of the plurality of POST routines from the management station; and boot-up the computing device with the selected POST routine, wherein the plurality of POST routines including a normal POST routine having a security phase, a pre-EFI initialization environment phase to initialize and configure hardware components of the computing device, a driver execution environment phase, a boot device selection phase and a transient system load phase, and a diagnostic option POST routine including: collecting debugging messages from safe tests of the computing device; and collecting hardware error status data of the hardware components.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the debugging messages are generated by a JTAG master interfacing with a JTAG scan chain.

12 . A method of selecting a boot routine for a computer device, the method comprising:
transmitting a selection of one of a plurality of power-on self-test (POST) routines from a remote management station to a computing device over a network, wherein the computing device includes a controller, hardware components and a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) basic input output system (BIOS) including the plurality of power-on self-test (POST) routines; receiving the selection of one of the plurality of POST routines from the management station on the controller; and booting up the computing device with the selected POST routine, wherein the plurality of POST routines includes a normal POST routine having a security phase, a pre-EFI initialization environment phase to initialize and configure hardware components of the computing device, a driver execution environment phase, a boot device selection phase and a transient system load phase, and a second, and a third, different POST routine that each result in a faster boot-up of the computing device than the boot-up with the normal POST routine, wherein the second POST routine is a fast boot that bypasses the initialization and configuration of at least some hardware components, and the third POST routine is a safety boot that disables hardware components with faults.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the controller is a baseboard management controller and the computing device is a server.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection of the POST routine is sent with an in-band communication to the computing device.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection of the POST routine is sent with an out-of-band communication with the computing device.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection is made by setting a UEFI variable.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the fast boot includes:
using data structures stored in a persistent memory from the normal POST routine to restore registers of the computing device.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the safety boot includes:
reading an estimation report of hardware components with faults to determine functional hardware components; and initializing the functional hardware components.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of POST routines includes a factory provision boot including:
loading a firmware configuration; disabling an error correction mechanism; and allowing a stress test to be performed on the hardware components.

20 . A method of selecting a boot routine for a computer device, the method comprising:
transmitting a selection of one of a plurality of power-on self-test (POST) routines from a remote management station to a computing device over a network, wherein the computing device includes a controller, hardware components and a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) basic input output system (BIOS) including the plurality of power-on self-test (POST) routines; receiving the selection of one of the plurality of POST routines from the management station on the controller; and booting up the computing device with the selected POST routine, wherein the plurality of POST routines including a normal POST routine having a security phase, a pre-EFI initialization environment phase to initialize and configure hardware components of the computing device, a driver execution environment phase, a boot device selection phase and a transient system load phase, and a diagnostic POST routine option including: collecting debugging messages from safe tests of the computing device; and

Assignees

• Quanta Comp Inc

Inventors

• Chien Wei-Yu

Classifications

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• H04L12/12 Primary

  Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof · CPC title

• G06F11/1417

  Boot up procedures · CPC title

• G06F11/2284

  by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST] · CPC title