Display method and computing device

Abstract

The invention discloses a display method and computing equipment, and relates to the technical field of computers. The method comprises the steps of detecting a current running state of a server in a power-on starting process of the server; based on the current running state of the server, reading a target picture which is stored in the first memory and corresponds to the current running state of the server to a frame cache region in the second memory; and sending the target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server and stored in the frame cache region to a display device connected with the server, so that the display device displays the target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server. In response to the detection of the running state, the target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server is displayed through the display device without waiting for an operating system to start running, so that the time of the display device in a blank screen state is shortened to a certain extent, and the user experience is improved. And the user can perceive the running state of the power-on starting of the server as soon as possible according to the display of the display equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a display method and a computing device. Background Art

[0002] During the power-on process of the server, it is necessary to sequentially perform processes such as firmware loading, power-on self-test (POST), hardware initialization, loading the boot loader (Bootloader), and operating system loading. During the power-on process of the server, after the operating system is loaded, the server will load the login interface or command line interface, and display the login interface or command line interface through the display device connected to the server to complete the power-on of the server. It can be seen that after the server starts to power on, its display device is in a black screen state for a period of time, that is, no picture is displayed. During this period of time, the user cannot perceive the current power-on operation status of the server through the display device. Summary of the invention

[0003] A display method and a computing device provided in an embodiment of the present application can sense the running status of the server power-on as soon as possible after the server starts to power on.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] In the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application provides a display method, including: during the power-on startup process of the server, detecting the current running state of the server; based on the current running state of the server, reading the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory, wherein the first memory is a memory for storing the target image corresponding to the running state of the server, and the second memory is the system memory of the server; sending the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the frame buffer area to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server. During the power-on startup process of the server, in response to the detection of the running state, the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory is displayed through the connected display device, without waiting for the operating system to start running, and the preset to-be-displayed image can be displayed as early as possible during the power-on startup process, which shortens the time when the display is in a black screen state to a certain extent, so that the user can perceive the server as soon as possible to start powering on, and when the server is in different running states, the target image corresponding to the current running state is displayed through the connected display device, so that the user can perceive the running state of the server as soon as possible.

[0006] In one possible implementation, when it is detected that the current operating state of the server is the first operating state, based on the first operating state, the first image corresponding to the first operating state stored in the first memory is read into the frame buffer area in the second memory, wherein the first image corresponding to the first operating state is a to-be-displayed image used to represent that the server is in the first operating state; when it is detected that the current operating state of the server is the second operating state, based on the second operating state, the second image corresponding to the second operating state stored in the first memory is read into the frame buffer area in the second memory, wherein the second image corresponding to the second operating state is a to-be-displayed image used to represent that the server is in the second operating state; the power-on process includes a first stage, a second stage and a third stage, the first stage is a system initialization stage, the second stage is a system loading stage, and the third stage is a system operation stage, the first operating state represents that the server is in the first stage of the power-on startup process, and the second operating state represents that the server is in the second stage of the power-on startup process. When the current operating state of the server is the first operating state, the display device displays a first picture corresponding to the first operating state; when the current operating state of the server is the second operating state, the display device displays a second picture corresponding to the second operating state, so that the user can perceive the power-on operating state of the server based on the picture displayed by the display device.

[0007] In a possible implementation, during the power-on startup process of the server, the current running state of the server is detected by detecting a startup command of a basic input and output system BIOS, wherein the startup command of the BIOS is a command for starting the server to execute the second stage of the power-on startup process; when the startup command of the BIOS is not detected, the current running state of the server is the first running state; when the startup command of the BIOS is detected, the current running state of the server is the second running state. By detecting whether the server is started to execute the command of the second stage of the power-on startup process, it is detected whether the current running state of the server is the first running state or the second running state.

[0008] In a possible implementation, during the power-on startup process of the server, an IPMI command for querying the current running state of the server is sent to the baseboard management controller BMC, so that the BMC queries the current running state of the server based on the IPMI command and returns a corresponding running state identifier; when the corresponding running state identifier is a first identifier, the current running state of the server is determined to be a first running state; when the corresponding running state identifier is a second identifier, the current running state of the server is determined to be a second running state. The monitoring and management functions of the BMC on the hardware state of the server are used to detect the current running state of the server.

[0009] In one possible implementation, based on the current running state of the server, a target image corresponding to the current running state of the server is read from the first memory, and the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server is rendered to the frame buffer area corresponding to the GPU in the second memory through the graphics processing unit GPU of the server.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: detecting the startup type of the server; when it is detected that the startup type of the server is a cold start, initializing the second memory. When the startup type of the server is a cold start, that is, before the server is powered on, the operating system of the server has been shut down, and the power supply unit of the server no longer supplies power to any component of the server, that is, at this time all components of the server, including the second memory, are in an unpowered state. When the second memory is powered off, the data in the second memory will be lost, so during the power-on process of the server, the second memory must be initialized to ensure that the data in the second memory is clean and predictable. And when the second memory is powered off, the hardware configuration of the second memory will be reset, so when the server is powered on, the hardware configuration of the second memory needs to be reconfigured (that is, the second memory is initialized) to ensure that the second memory can work as expected.

[0011] In a possible implementation, U-Boot in the server is called to read the flag bit corresponding to the startup type in the hardware register of the server; based on the flag bit corresponding to the startup type, the startup type of the server is determined, where the startup type includes cold start and hot start. Exemplarily, when the flag bit corresponding to the startup type is 1, it indicates that the startup type of the server is hot start; when the flag bit corresponding to the startup type is 0, it indicates that the startup type of the server is cold start.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: reading the target image corresponding to the startup type of the server stored in the first memory into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory; sending the target image corresponding to the startup type of the server stored in the frame buffer area to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the startup type of the server, so that the user can perceive the startup type of the server according to the image displayed by the display device.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a modification command carrying a replacement image, wherein the modification command is used to instruct the image corresponding to the target operating state of the server to be modified to the replacement image; based on the modification command, modifying the image corresponding to the target operating state of the server in the first memory to the replacement image. Subsequently, when the server is in the target operating state, the replacement image is displayed by a display device connected to the server, and the replacement of the image corresponding to the target operating state can be achieved without updating or upgrading the corresponding firmware, which simplifies the steps for replacing the image displayed on the display of the server, and can also achieve dynamic switching of the display of the display device connected to the server.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computing device, comprising: a processor, a first memory and a second memory; the first memory is used to store a target image corresponding to the running state of the computing device; the second memory is the system memory of the computing device, used to store computer program instructions; and the second memory includes a frame buffer area; the processor is used to execute the computer program instructions stored in the second memory, so as to implement the display method in the above-mentioned first aspect and its possible implementation methods.

[0015] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon. When the computer program instructions are executed on a computing device, the computing device implements the display method in the above-mentioned first aspect and its possible implementation methods.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are executed on a computing device, the computing device implements the display method in the above-mentioned first aspect and its possible implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 An example diagram of an application scenario of a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 A flow chart of a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a method of storing a target image corresponding to the current running state of a service provided in an embodiment of the present application into a first memory;

[0020] Figure 4 A flowchart of another display method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 5This is an example diagram of a display interface of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in the specification, claims and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects rather than to limit a specific order.

[0023] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0024] In order to make the description of the following embodiments clear and concise, a brief introduction to the related technology is first given:

[0025] The server power-on startup process includes: firmware loading, power-on self-test, hardware initialization, loading the boot loader, and loading the operating system.

[0026] It should be noted that the server performs a power-on startup process in response to a power-on operation. The power-on operation is used to turn on / activate the power of the server. When the power of the server is turned on, the power management controller starts to supply power to key components of the server (such as memory bars, CPUs, motherboards, etc.) so that the key components can start normally.

[0027] Firmware loading: When the server is powered on, it starts loading the firmware, which can be BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

[0028] Power-On Self-Test (POST): When the firmware is loaded, the firmware performs a series of hardware self-tests to check whether the key hardware components of the server, such as the CPU, memory, and disk drives, are working properly to ensure that the hardware devices are operating normally. After the POST is completed, if no serious hardware problems are found, the server system continues the power-on startup process.

[0029] Hardware initialization: When the power-on self-test does not find serious hardware problems, the firmware begins to initialize the hardware components in the server to prepare for the loading of the boot loader and the loading of the operating system. For example: setting the CPU operating mode (such as cache size, operating frequency), setting the speed of the memory controller, timing and other parameters.

[0030] Loading the boot loader: The server system determines the boot device (such as hard disk, optical drive, network or USB device) according to the preset boot sequence, and reads and loads the boot loader from the determined boot device.

[0031] Operating system loading: The boot loader loads the operating system kernel into the memory and hands over control to the operating system, that is, the kernel begins to initialize hardware device drivers and other core services; after the kernel is initialized, it loads and starts various system services and background processes, user space services and applications (such as Web servers, database services, etc.).

[0032] Through the above power-on startup process, the server completes the power-on startup and enters the normal operating state.

[0033] The embodiment of the present application provides a display method, including: during the power-on startup process of the server, detecting the current running state of the server; based on the current running state of the server, reading the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory (system memory); sending the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the frame buffer area to a display device connected to the server, and the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server. In the embodiment of the present application, in response to the detection of the running state, the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server is displayed by the display device, without waiting for the operating system (OS) to start running, and the preset to-be-displayed image can be displayed as early as possible during the power-on startup process, which shortens the time when the display is in a black screen state to a certain extent, so that the user can perceive the server starting to power on as early as possible; and when the server is in different running states, the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state, so that the user can perceive the running state of the server in the power-on startup process.

[0034] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 3 , a display method provided by an embodiment of the present application is introduced in detail.

[0035] Before introducing a display method provided by an embodiment of the present application, first Figure 1 An application scenario of a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application is introduced with examples.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, a server 10, a display 11 and a KVM (keyboard, display, mouse) 12. The server 10 includes: a central processing unit 110, a baseboard management controller 120, a graphics processing unit 130, a first memory 140 and a second memory 150; the display 11 and the KVM 12 are connected to the server 10. The server 10 is a computing device, and the display 11 and the KVM 12 can be collectively referred to as display devices connected to the server 10.

[0037] The central processing unit (CPU) is one of the core components of the server system, responsible for executing computer instructions and processing data. The CPU controls the main operations of the server and is the execution component of most computing tasks.

[0038] Among them, the baseboard management controller (Baseboard Management Controller, BMC) is a dedicated microcontroller for monitoring and managing the hardware status of the server. BMC is an important part of the server remote management and monitoring system, which allows administrators to remotely monitor and control the status of the server through the network. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the baseboard management controller 120 is integrated with a graphics processing unit 130 and a first memory 140.

[0039] Wherein, the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a microprocessor specifically used for processing graphics calculations. In the embodiment of the present application, the Graphics Processing Unit 130 is used to process and output image data for display through the display 11 and / or KVM 12.

[0040] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the graphics processing unit 130 remains powered on and is not reset, so as to ensure that the graphics processing unit 130 can process image data normally. The graphics processing unit 130 remaining powered on means that the graphics processing unit 130 will always remain powered on and will not enter the sleep or node mode even when the server system is idle; the graphics processing unit 130 remaining non-reset means that the graphics processing unit 130 will not automatically restart due to software errors, hardware failures or other reasons.

[0041] In one possible implementation, in order to ensure that the graphics processing unit 130 remains powered on and is not reset, an independent power supply is provided for the graphics processing unit 130 so that it is not affected by the server power supply. For example, an independent power adapter is used to directly power the graphics processing unit 130.

[0042] The first memory 140 is a memory for storing a target image corresponding to the running state of the server. The target image corresponding to the running state of the server is a preset image to be displayed, that is, the preset image to be displayed is an image displayed by the display 11 and / or KVM 12 during the power-on startup process of the server 10.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the first memory 140 is an embedded Multi-Media Card (eMMC). eMMC is an embedded flash storage solution that combines NAND flash memory and a controller to provide a compact and reliable storage solution. Specifically, eMMC provides non-volatile storage for storing operating systems, applications, and personal data; eMMC supports high-speed data reading and writing, which is suitable for frequent data access scenarios; eMMC also provides a standardized interface for easy integration with other hardware components.

[0044] It should be noted that, in addition to this, the first memory 140 can also be universal flash storage (Universal Flash Storage, UFS), solid-state universal flash storage (Embedded Universal Flash Storage, eUFS), etc., and this application does not make specific limitations.

[0045] The second memory 150 is the main memory / system memory of the server 10. The main memory / system memory (System Memory) refers to a volatile memory used by the server system to temporarily store data and programs, which provides the central processing unit CPU with the ability to quickly access data.

[0046] The second memory 150 includes a frame buffer, which is an area allocated in the system memory / main memory for storing pixel colors and other related information (such as depth values, template values, etc.) to be displayed on the display 11 and / or KVM 12. Each pixel has a one-to-one corresponding position in the frame buffer, and this position contains the data of the pixel. That is, when the graphics processing unit 130 completes the rendering process, it will write the image data into the corresponding frame buffer, and then display the content in the frame buffer on the display 11 and / or KVM 12.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the second memory 150 may be a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (Double Data Rate SDRAM, DDR), which is a special dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that achieves a higher data transmission rate by transmitting data on the rising and falling edges of each clock cycle; and due to the characteristics of double data transmission, DDR also provides a higher data bandwidth.

[0048] It should be noted that, in addition to DDR, the second memory 150 may also be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), etc., and this application does not make any specific limitation.

[0049] The display 11 is a display connected to the server 10 for displaying system information, performing system management or troubleshooting. Exemplarily, the display 11 is connected to the server 10 using an interface such as VGA, DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the server 10 may be equipped with a built-in display screen for displaying system status or performing simple management tasks.

[0051] Among them, KVM12 is a keyboard, a display, and a mouse (Keyboard, Video, Mouse), which can also be called a KVM switch. A KVM switch is a device for controlling multiple servers, which allows multiple servers to be managed through a set of keyboards, mice, and displays.

[0052] The above combination Figure 1 The application scenario of a display method provided by an embodiment of the present application is described in detail below. Figure 2 A display method provided in an embodiment of the present application is described in detail. A display method provided in an embodiment of the present application is applied to a server. For example, Figure 1 The server 10 is shown.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0054] S201: In response to a power-on startup operation on a server, start power-on startup.

[0055] The power-on startup operation is an operation for starting up or restarting the server. Exemplarily, the power-on startup operation may be that the user directly presses a power button on the front panel or rear panel of the server to power on the server from a shutdown state.

[0056] Specifically, in response to a power-on startup operation for the server, a power management controller of the server supplies power to various components of the server, and the server starts to execute a power-on startup process.

[0057] S202: During the power-on startup process of the server, detect the current running status of the server.

[0058] The running state includes a first running state and a second running state. The first running state indicates that the server is in the first stage of the power-on startup process, and the second running state indicates that the server is in the second stage of the power-on startup process.

[0059] The server power-on process can be divided into three stages, namely the first stage, the second stage and the third stage. The first stage is the system initialization stage, that is, the first stage includes the firmware loading, power-on self-test, and hardware initialization process during the power-on process; the second stage is the system loading stage, which can also be called the basic input and output system BIOS loading stage, that is, the second stage includes the loading of the boot loader and the operating system loading process during the power-on process; the third stage is the system running stage, which can also be called the operating system OS running stage, that is, the third stage is the process of the operating system starting to initialize the hardware device driver and other core services after the operating system is loaded and the control is handed over to the operating system during the power-on process.

[0060] It should be noted that, during the power-on startup process of the server, the operating state of the server includes a third operating state in addition to the first operating state and the second operating state, and the third operating state indicates that the server is in the third stage of the power-on startup process. Since the operating system OS is loaded and the control right is handed over to the operating system when the server is in the third operating state, the operating system OS controls the display of the display device connected to the server, and does not execute a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the specific implementation method when the server is in the third operating state is not limited in the present application.

[0061] In a possible implementation, during the power-on startup process of the server, the current running state of the server is detected by detecting a startup command of a basic input and output system BIOS (i.e., a BIOS Bootup command). Specifically, when the startup command of the BIOS is not detected, the current running state of the server is determined to be the first running state; when the startup command of the BIOS is detected, the current running state of the server is determined to be the second running state.

[0062] The BIOS startup command is a command used to start / begin the second stage (system loading stage) of the power-on startup process. Specifically, the initial startup parameters and hardware devices of the configuration system are completed through the BIOS setup interface, thereby inputting the BIOS startup command.

[0063] In another possible implementation, the current running state of the server is detected by sending an IPMI command to the BMC. Specifically, the IPMI command is sent to the BMC to query the current running state of the server, so that the BMC queries the current running state of the server based on the IPMI command and returns a running state identifier, and determines the current running state of the server based on the running state identifier returned by the BMC. Specifically, when the corresponding running state identifier is a first identifier, the current running state of the server is determined to be a first running state; when the corresponding running state identifier is a second identifier, the current running state of the server is determined to be a second running state.

[0064] IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) is a standard hardware management specification that provides a way to monitor and manage servers independent of the operating system. It can be managed even if the server is not turned on or the operating system is not started.

[0065] S203: Based on the current running state of the server, read the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory.

[0066] Among them, the target image is a preset image to be displayed, that is, the target image is the image displayed by the display device (display screen, KVM) connected to the server during the power-on startup process of the server. Furthermore, the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server is a preset image to be displayed corresponding to the current running state, which is used to represent the current running state of the server.

[0067] In a possible implementation, the format of the target image (image to be displayed) is an image format supported by the graphics processing unit, such as BMP (Bitmap) format, PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format, and the like.

[0068] Specifically, based on the current running state of the server, the graphics processing unit GPU of the server reads the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server from the first memory, and renders the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server to the frame buffer area corresponding to the GPU in the second memory.

[0069] For ease of understanding, a target picture in BMP format is used as an example to describe how to read a target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server in the first memory into a corresponding frame buffer in the second memory. For ease of explanation, the "target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server" is referred to as "target picture A" below.

[0070] BMP (Bitmap) format is a bitmap file format used to store bitmap image data. A specific BMP file consists of a file header, an information header, and actual pixel data. Specifically, the target image A in the BMP format usually refers to the image content represented by the BMP file. The target image A in the BMP format is actually stored in the first memory in the form of pixel data, so that the GPU can process the pixel information and complete the rendering of the target image A in the BMP format.

[0071] Specifically, the server's central processing unit (CPU) creates a texture object on the GPU, and reads the target image A (i.e., the corresponding pixel data) in the BMP format stored in the first memory into the texture object; and sets texture parameters, such as filtering mode, surround mode, etc., which are configuration options for controlling texture behavior; then the GPU uses the vertex shader and fragment shader to render the target image A, and writes the rendered target image A into the frame buffer area corresponding to the GPU in the second memory.

[0072] The texture object is a data structure used to store image data. It stores image data for use in the rendering process. Texture parameters refer to the configuration options related to the texture object, which can control the behavior of the texture.

[0073] Among them, the vertex shader is a program running on the GPU, which is used to process vertex data, such as position, normal, and texture coordinates. The fragment shader, also known as the pixel shader, is another program running on the GPU, which is responsible for determining the color of each pixel (fragment).

[0074] Specifically, after U-Boot is loaded into the system memory of the server, the central processing unit executes U-Boot, that is, U-Boot runs in the central processing unit of the server. Exemplarily, the server (central processing unit) creates a texture object on the GPU through / calls U-Boot, and reads the target image A in the BMP format stored in the first memory (i.e., the corresponding pixel data) into the texture object; and sets texture parameters, such as filtering mode, surround mode, etc., for controlling the configuration options of texture behavior.

[0075] Among them, U-Boot (Universal Boot Loader) is a universal boot loader used in a variety of embedded and server environments. It is responsible for initializing the hardware and loading the operating system kernel before the operating system starts, that is, it basically participates in the entire power-on startup process of the server, such as: firmware loading, power-on self-test, hardware initialization, operating system loading, etc., and may also participate in the process of loading the boot loader. Furthermore, U-Boot is versatile and supports multiple processor architectures (such as: x86, ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, etc.) and various types of embedded systems; U-Boot is flexible and supports customization according to specific hardware requirements.

[0076] In one possible implementation, when it is detected that the current operating state of the server is the first operating state, the first picture corresponding to the first operating state stored in the first memory is read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory.

[0077] The first picture corresponding to the first operating state is a to-be-displayed picture used to indicate that the server is in the first operating state, that is, when the display device connected to the server displays the first picture, it indicates that the server is currently in the first operating state.

[0078] In another possible implementation, when it is detected that the current operating state of the server is the second operating state, the second picture corresponding to the second operating state stored in the first memory is read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory.

[0079] The second picture corresponding to the second operating state is a to-be-displayed picture used to indicate that the server is in the second operating state, that is, when the display device connected to the server displays the second picture, it indicates that the server is currently in the second operating state.

[0080] S204: Send the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the frame buffer to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server.

[0081] Specifically, the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server in the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory is exchanged to the front buffer area of ​​the display device, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server based on its own front buffer area. In this way, during the power-on startup process of the server, the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server is displayed by the display device connected to the server, and the user can perceive the running state of the server during the power-on startup according to the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server displayed by the display device.

[0082] Exemplarily, in the first stage of the server's power-on startup process, that is, when the server is in the first operating state, a first picture corresponding to the first operating state is displayed by a display device connected to the server, and the user can perceive that the server's current operating state is the first operating state based on the first picture displayed by the display device; in the second stage of the server's power-on startup process, that is, when the server is in the second operating state, a second picture corresponding to the second operating state is displayed by a display device connected to the server, and the user can perceive that the server's current operating state is the second operating state based on the second picture displayed by the display device.

[0083] Further, the following combination Figure 3 How the target image corresponding to the running state of the server is stored in the first memory is described in detail. The target image corresponding to the running state of the server stored in the first memory may be: a first image corresponding to the first running state, a second image corresponding to the second running state, etc.

[0084] In one possible implementation, Figure 3 As shown in (a), before executing a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application, a target image corresponding to the running state of the server is burned into the first memory. Exemplarily, a first image corresponding to the first running state and a second image corresponding to the second running state are burned into the eMMC through a burning tool suitable for the server system, that is, the target image corresponding to the running state of the server includes: the first image and the second image pre-burned into the first memory.

[0085] In another possible implementation, Figure 3As shown in (b) in the figure, the first memory provides some additional standard interfaces. The first memory can receive a storage command carrying a target image corresponding to the running state of the server through the standard interface, and store the target image corresponding to the running state of the server in the first memory based on the storage command. That is, the target image corresponding to the running state of the server includes: the target image stored in the first memory by the storage command carrying the target image corresponding to the running state of the server received through the standard interface of the first memory.

[0086] Further, in a possible implementation, the first memory provides an additional standard interface, and when the picture corresponding to the target operating state needs to be replaced, the picture corresponding to the target operating state can be replaced in the form of a command. Specifically, by receiving a modification command carrying a replacement picture, wherein the modification command is used to indicate that the picture corresponding to the target operating state of the server is modified to the replacement picture; based on the modification command, the picture corresponding to the target operating state of the server in the first memory is modified to the replacement picture, so that when the server is in the target operating state later, the replacement picture is displayed by a display device connected to the server. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the replacement of the picture corresponding to the target operating state can be achieved without updating or upgrading the corresponding firmware, which simplifies the steps for replacing the picture displayed on the display of the server, and can also achieve dynamic switching of the display of the display device connected to the server.

[0087] Exemplarily, the picture corresponding to the first operating state of the server is picture D1. If a modification command carrying picture D2 is received, where the modification command is used to indicate that picture D1 corresponding to the first operating state is modified to picture D2, based on the modification command, picture D1 corresponding to the first operating state in the first memory is modified to picture D2. Subsequently, when it is detected during the server startup process that the current operating state of the server is the first operating state, picture D2 is displayed through a display device connected to the server.

[0088] In a possible implementation, after the power-on startup is started in response to the power-on startup operation for the server, it is also necessary to detect the startup type of the server based on the execution of the power-on startup. When it is detected that the startup type of the server is a cold start, the second memory is initialized so that the second memory is in an initialization completion state; when it is detected that the startup type of the server is a hot start, the second memory is in an initialization completion state.

[0089] For ease of understanding, the following Figure 4 , another display method provided in an embodiment of the present application is introduced by way of example.

[0090] S401: In response to a power-on startup operation on a server, start power-on startup.

[0091] S402: Based on the execution of power-on startup, detect the startup type of the server.

[0092] Specifically, when the power-on startup operation is started and U-Boot is loaded, the startup type of the server is detected.

[0093] The startup type of the server may also be the power-on state of the server before it is powered on or when it is shut down.

[0094] Specifically, the startup type of the server includes: cold start and hot start, that is, detecting whether the startup type of the server is cold start or hot start.

[0095] If the server startup type is cold start, then before the server starts to power on (i.e. when the server is shut down), its operating system has been shut down, and the server's power supply unit (PSU) no longer supplies power to any of the server's components. This means that the server is safely powered off, and no component inside the server receives direct current (DC) power. Furthermore, the power-on state before the server is powered on / when it is shut down corresponding to a cold start is the AC state, which means that the server is completely powered off.

[0096] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the server remains connected to / connected to the AC power supply, that is, the power plug of the server remains connected to the power socket.

[0097] If the server startup type is hot start, the server operating system has been shut down before the server starts to power on (that is, when the server is shut down), but the server's power supply unit still supplies power to the server's components. This means that when the server is shut down, the server's power supply unit still supplies power to the baseboard management controller BMC, that is, the baseboard management controller remains powered on. Furthermore, the power-on state before the server is powered on / shutdown corresponding to the hot start is the DC state, which refers to the direct current (DC) power state inside the server, and usually refers to the state in which the power supply unit inside the server converts AC power into DC power to supply power to the server's components.

[0098] The power supply unit (PSU) is a component in the server system that is responsible for converting AC power to DC power. The PSU provides stable DC power to meet the power requirements of various components inside the server (such as the CPU, memory, etc.).

[0099] In a possible implementation, the startup type of the server is sensed by / calling U-Boot in the server.

[0100] Among them, during the power-on startup process, U-Boot participates in firmware loading, power-on self-test, hardware initialization, loading the boot loader or operating system kernel, passing startup parameters, and starting the operating system kernel, so that the operating system kernel can continue the power-on startup process after the power-on startup process.

[0101] Exemplarily, the power-on startup process of a server deployed with U-Boot can be divided into: loading U-Boot, firmware loading, power-on self-test, U-Boot initialization hardware, loading the operating system kernel, and starting the operating system kernel, so as to complete the power-on startup of the server. Specifically, when the power of the server is turned on, the firmware (ie, BIOS / UEFI) starts to be loaded; after the firmware is loaded, the firmware performs a power-on self-test (POST); when the power-on self-test does not find a serious hardware problem, U-Boot is loaded (U-Boot is loaded from the non-volatile memory into the memory); U-Boot starts to initialize the hardware components and prepares the server system to load the operating system kernel; once the hardware initialization is completed, U-Boot loads the operating system kernel from a predetermined location (such as flash memory, hard disk or network), and passes the necessary startup parameters to the operating system kernel (such as memory layout, startup options, etc.); then U-Boot starts the operating system kernel and hands over the control to the operating system kernel, which then takes over and continues to complete the power-on startup process of the server.

[0102] Specifically, U-Boot in the server is called to read a flag bit corresponding to the startup type in a hardware register or non-volatile memory in the server; based on the flag bit corresponding to the startup type, the startup type of the server is determined. Exemplarily, U-Boot reads a flag bit in a hardware register, which is set by a baseboard management controller to indicate the startup type of the server. When the flag bit corresponding to the startup type is set to 1, it indicates that the startup type of the server is a hot start; when the flag bit corresponding to the startup type is set to 0, it indicates that the startup type of the server is a cold start.

[0103] When the detected startup type of the server is a cold start, S404 is performed after S403 is performed.

[0104] When the detected startup type of the server is hot startup, directly proceed to S404.

[0105] S403: Initialize the second memory.

[0106] The second memory is the main memory / system memory of the server, that is, the system memory of the server is initialized during the power-on startup process.

[0107] When the server startup type is a cold start (i.e., the power-on state before the server is powered on / when it is shut down is in AC state), the server's operating system has been shut down, and the server's power supply unit no longer supplies power to any component of the server, i.e., at this time, all components of the server, including the second memory, are in an unpowered state. When the second memory is powered off (i.e., reset), the data in the second memory will be lost, so during the server power-on process, the second memory (system memory) must be initialized to ensure that the data in the second memory is clean and predictable. And when the second memory is powered off, the hardware configuration of the second memory will be reset, so when the server is powered on, the hardware configuration of the second memory needs to be reconfigured (i.e., the second memory is initialized) to ensure that the second memory can work as expected.

[0108] In a possible implementation, during the power-on startup process, the second memory is initialized by / calling U-Boot.

[0109] Further, when the startup type of the server is a hot start (i.e., the power-on state before the server is powered on / when it is shut down is a DC state), the server's operating system has been shut down, but the server's power supply unit continues to supply power to the various components of the server, i.e., the power supply unit still supplies power to the second memory. When the second memory remains powered on (i.e., powered on), the second memory is not reset, which means that the data in the second memory will not be lost, i.e., the data in the second memory remains unchanged, so during the server power-on process, the second memory does not need to be initialized. And in the hot shutdown state, the various components in the server are not reset, which means that the hardware configuration of the second memory remains unchanged, so the hardware configuration of the second memory does not need to be reconfigured (i.e., the second memory does not need to be reconfigured), i.e., the second memory is in an initialized state, so during the server power-on process, the second memory does not need to be initialized, and the second memory can also work as expected.

[0110] S404: During the power-on startup process of the server, detect the current running status of the server.

[0111] It should be noted that the execution order of S402-S403 and S404 is not specific, and the current running state of the server may be detected first, or the startup type of the server may be detected first, or the current running state of the server and the startup type of the server may be detected simultaneously or almost simultaneously. However, the detection of the current running state of the server and the detection of the startup type of the server are performed before the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server in the first memory is read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory.

[0112] S405: Based on the current running state of the server, read the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory.

[0113] S406: Send the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the frame buffer to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server.

[0114] The specific implementation of the above S404-S406 is the same as that of S202-S204, so for the specific implementation of S404-S406, please refer to the specific implementation of S202-S204, which will not be repeated here.

[0115] In a possible implementation, when the current running state of the server is detected, before executing S405, the method further includes: reading the target image corresponding to the startup type of the server stored in the first memory into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory; sending the target image corresponding to the shutdown state of the server stored in the frame buffer area to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the shutdown state of the server. The target image corresponding to the startup type of the server is used to characterize the startup type of the server, that is, the target image corresponding to the cold start and the target image corresponding to the hot start.

[0116] In one possible implementation, while a target image corresponding to the startup type of the server stored in a first memory is read into a corresponding frame buffer area in a second memory, the moment at which the image is currently read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory is recorded as a first moment; when the time difference between the first moment and the current moment reaches a preset time difference, the target image corresponding to the current operating state of the server stored in the first memory is read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory; and the target image corresponding to the current operating state of the server stored in the frame buffer area is sent to a display device connected to the server, so that the display of the display device switches from the target image corresponding to the shutdown state of the server to the target image corresponding to the current operating state of the server. Exemplarily, taking the preset time difference as 1s, the target picture corresponding to the startup type of the server is target picture B, and the target picture corresponding to the first operating state is target picture C as an example for description, 1s after the target picture B in the first memory is read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory, the target picture C stored in the first memory is read into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory, and the target picture C stored in the frame buffer area is sent to the display device connected to the server, so that the display of the display device switches from target picture B to target picture C.

[0117] Further, for ease of understanding, the following is combined Figure 5 The interface diagram of the display device shown is used as an example to introduce a display method in an embodiment of the present application.

[0118] When the server starts to power on and the second memory is in the initialization completion state, the display device displays the following Figure 5 The target image corresponding to the startup type of the server shown in (a) of FIG. Figure 5 The target image shown in (a) is a target image corresponding to a cold start, and the text in the target image corresponding to a cold start directly indicates that the startup type of the server is a cold start.

[0119] The display device shows Figure 5 After a preset period of time, for example, after displaying the target image corresponding to the cold start for 1 second, the display device displays the target image corresponding to the cold start. Figure 5 The target image corresponding to the current running state of the server (i.e., the first image corresponding to the first running state) shown in (b) is used to indicate that the current running state of the server when it is powered on is the first running state, that is, the server is in the first stage of power-on startup.

[0120] When it is detected that the running state of the server is the second running state, that is, when the server is executed from the first stage of power-on startup to the second stage of power-on startup, the display device displays the following Figure 5The target image corresponding to the current running state of the server (i.e., the second image corresponding to the second running state) shown in (c) is used to indicate that the current running state of the server after power-on is the second running state, that is, the server is in the second stage of power-on startup, until the operating system OS starts running, and the operating system OS automatically inputs the corresponding image or animation into the corresponding frame buffer area.

[0121] In a display method provided in an embodiment of the present application, during the power-on startup process of the server, the current operating status of the server is detected; based on the current operating status of the server, a target image corresponding to the current operating status of the server stored in a first memory is read into a frame buffer area in a second memory; and the target image corresponding to the current operating status of the server stored in the frame buffer area is sent to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current operating status of the server. A display method provided by an embodiment of the present application, in response to the detection of the operating status during the power-on startup process, displays a target image stored in a first memory and corresponding to the current operating status of the server through a display device, without waiting for the operating system to start running, and can display the preset image to be displayed as early as possible during the power-on startup process, thereby shortening the time that the display is in a black screen state to a certain extent, so that the user can perceive the server starting to power on as early as possible; and when the server is in different operating states, the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current operating status, that is, when the current operating status of the server is the first operating status, the display device displays the first image corresponding to the first operating status; when the current operating status of the server is the second operating status, the display device displays the second image corresponding to the second operating status, so that the user can perceive the operating status of the server when it is powered on as early as possible.

[0122] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computing device, which includes a processor, a first memory and a second memory, the first memory is used to store a target image corresponding to the operating state of the computing device; the second memory is the system memory / main memory of the computing device, which is used to store computer execution instructions, and the second memory includes a frame buffer area; the processor is used to implement the steps of the display method in the above embodiment when executing the computer execution instructions.

[0123] Specifically, the computer-executable instructions stored in the second memory include a loaded U-Boot, and the processor implements the steps of the display method in the above embodiment when executing the U-Boot.

[0124] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer executes the display method in the above embodiment.

[0125] For the explanation of the relevant contents and description of the beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned computer-readable storage media, reference may be made to the above-mentioned corresponding embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0126] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product including instructions, when the instructions are run on a computer, the computer performs any one of the display methods in the above embodiments. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on the computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, a computer, a server, or a data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means to another website site, computer, server, or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more servers that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., an SSD), etc.

[0127] It should be noted that the above-mentioned devices for storing computer instructions or computer programs provided in the embodiments of the present application, such as but not limited to the above-mentioned memories, computer-readable storage media and communication chips, etc., are all non-transitory.

[0128] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loading and executing computer program instructions on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. Computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains one or more servers that can be integrated with a medium. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0129] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0130] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application as defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to have covered any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

[0131] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A display method, characterized in that: include: During the power-on startup process of the server, detecting the current running status of the server; Based on the current running state of the server, reading the target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory; The first memory is a memory for storing a target image corresponding to the running state of the server, and the second memory is a system memory of the server; The target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the frame buffer is sent to a display device connected to the server, so that the display device displays the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method of reading the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory based on the current running state of the server includes: When it is detected that the current running state of the server is the first running state, based on the first running state, the first picture corresponding to the first running state stored in the first memory is read into the frame buffer area in the second memory; wherein the first picture corresponding to the first running state is a to-be-displayed picture used to represent that the server is in the first running state; the first running state represents that the server is currently in the first stage of the power-on startup process, the power-on startup process includes the first stage, the second stage and the third stage, the first stage is the system initialization stage, the second stage is the system loading stage, and the third stage is the system running stage; When it is detected that the current operating state of the server is the second operating state, based on the second operating state, the second picture corresponding to the second operating state stored in the first memory is read into the frame buffer area in the second memory; wherein, the second picture corresponding to the second operating state is a picture to be displayed for representing that the server is in the second operating state; the second operating state represents that the server is currently in the second stage of the power-on startup process.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that During the power-on startup process of the server, detecting the current running state of the server includes: During the power-on startup process of the server, the current running state of the server is detected by detecting a startup command of a basic input and output system BIOS; wherein the startup command of the BIOS is a command for starting the server to execute the second stage of the power-on startup process; When the startup command of the BIOS is not detected, the current running state of the server is the first running state; When the startup command of the BIOS is detected, the current running state of the server is the second running state.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: During the power-on startup process of the server, detecting the current running state of the server includes: During the power-on startup process of the server, an IPMI command for querying the current running status of the server is sent to a baseboard management controller BMC, so that the BMC queries the current running status of the server based on the IPMI command and returns a corresponding running status identifier; When the corresponding running state identifier is the first identifier, determining that the current running state of the server is the first running state; When the corresponding running state identifier is the second identifier, it is determined that the current running state of the server is the second running state.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method of reading the target image corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory based on the current running state of the server includes: Based on the current running status of the server, a target image corresponding to the current running status of the server is read from the first memory, and the target image corresponding to the current running status of the server is rendered to a frame buffer area corresponding to the GPU in the second memory through the graphics processing unit (GPU) of the server.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before reading the target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory, the method further includes: Detecting the startup type of the server; When it is detected that the startup type of the server is a cold start, the second memory is initialized.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The detecting the startup type of the server includes: Calling U-Boot in the server to read a flag bit corresponding to a startup type in a hardware register in the server; wherein the startup type includes a cold start and a hot start; Based on the flag bit corresponding to the startup type, the startup type of the server is determined.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before reading the target picture corresponding to the current running state of the server stored in the first memory into the frame buffer area in the second memory based on the current running state of the server, the method further includes: Reading the target image corresponding to the startup type of the server stored in the first memory into the corresponding frame buffer area in the second memory; The target image corresponding to the startup type of the server stored in the frame buffer is sent to a display device connected to the server.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving a modification command carrying a replacement picture; wherein the modification command is used to instruct to modify the picture corresponding to the target operating state of the server to the replacement picture; Based on the modification command, the picture in the first memory corresponding to the target operating state of the server is modified to the replacement picture.

10. A computing device, characterized in that: include: A processor, a first memory and a second memory; The first memory is used to store a target image corresponding to the operating state of the computing device; The second memory is a system memory of the computing device for storing computer program instructions; and, the second memory includes a frame buffer; The processor is used to execute computer program instructions stored in the second memory to implement the display method described in any one of claims 1-9.

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