BIOS Attribute Engine for Faster Boot Times

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current information handling systems face prolonged boot times due to the traditional method of parsing all BIOS attributes during the preboot phase, which increases the initialization time and affects productivity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a BIOS with attribute metadata that prioritizes attributes, using an attribute engine to load only boot-critical attributes during the preboot phase and other attributes based on priority after the operating system has booted, optimizing the initialization process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all BIOS attributes are parsed during the preboot phase, then complete system initialization is achieved, but boot time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem initialization completenessVSAvoidboot time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The BIOS attribute loading process is segmented into two distinct phases: preboot phase and steady-state phase. During the preboot phase, only boot-critical attributes are loaded and processed, enabling the system to boot quickly. The remaining non-critical attributes are loaded subsequently during the steady-state phase after the operating system has started, thus resolving the contradiction between complete initialization and fast boot time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of time

If boot-critical attributes are prioritized and loaded first, then boot time is reduced, but attribute loading complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboot timeVSAvoidattribute loading process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

BIOS attributes are pre-tagged with metadata indicating their criticality level (boot-critical, important, standard, optional) during the attribute definition phase. This preliminary classification enables the attribute engine to automatically prioritize loading without requiring complex real-time analysis during boot, thus reducing boot time while managing complexity through advance preparation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The attribute engine uses metadata feedback from attribute definitions to automatically determine loading priority and timing. The system continuously monitors which attributes have been loaded and dynamically adjusts the loading sequence based on the metadata priorities, enabling intelligent attribute management without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11500647B2Systems and methods for achieving faster boot times using BIOS attribute mitigation

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

A BIOS may include a plurality of BIOS attributes associated with the information handling system, each attribute of the plurality of BIOS attributes having metadata defining a priority for such attribute. The BIOS may also include an attribute engine configured to execute a preboot process prior to booting of an operating system of the information handling system, wherein the preboot process is configured to identify boot-critical attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes based on the metadata and load the boot-critical attributes. The attribute engine may also execute a steady-state process after booting of the operating system of the information handling system, wherein the steady-state process is configured to load attributes of the plurality of BIOS attributes other than the boot-critical attributes in an order based on the metadata.