BIOS Hash Lookup Tables for Rapid Boot Failure Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information handling systems lack efficient methods to track and debug system boot phase failures, leading to time-consuming and costly troubleshooting processes due to opaque boot process execution and coarse fault detection schemes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a function progress hash generator in the BIOS/UEFI to create and store a path hash for each boot process, generating a boot path hash table that can be used to rapidly identify the specific boot path and diagnose failures, enabling rapid debugging by comparing stored hash values with a pre-generated table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional boot process tracking method is used, then the system structure remains simple, but the fault detection precision is poor and debugging time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores hash values for all possible boot process paths in a lookup table before actual boot failures occur. When a failure happens, the system only needs to compute the hash of the actual boot path and compare it against the pre-stored table, enabling rapid identification of the problematic path without time-consuming analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual code single-stepping and traditional debugging mechanisms with an automated hash-based identification system. Instead of mechanically stepping through code to find failures, the system uses cryptographic hash functions to automatically identify the exact boot path that caused the failure, significantly reducing debugging time and improving precision.
2Measurement precision
If detailed boot process tracking is implemented, then the measurement precision of boot path identification improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for boot path identification - the sequence of boot process names - and transforms it into a hash value. This extraction approach provides precise boot path identification without capturing unnecessary detailed information about boot processes, thereby avoiding excessive system complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the complex boot process execution trace into a simplified hash parameter. Instead of storing and analyzing the entire boot process sequence with all its details, the system uses hash functions to convert the boot path into a compact, unique identifier, reducing data complexity while preserving complete path information for identification purposes.
3Productivity
If manual code single-stepping is used for debugging, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the productivity of fault resolution decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to self-diagnose boot failures by automatically computing the hash of the actual boot path and comparing it against the pre-stored lookup table. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual code single-stepping and expert intervention, allowing the system to rapidly identify boot path issues independently and significantly improve fault resolution speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors the actual boot path executed, computes its hash value, and compares it against the expected paths stored in the lookup table. When a mismatch occurs, the system immediately identifies the problematic boot path, providing rapid feedback that accelerates fault resolution without requiring complex manual debugging operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system includes a memory device and a BIOS. The memory device includes a location to store a path hash value. The BIOS executes a plurality of processes to boot the information handling system. Each process has a unique identifier (ID). When the BIOS executes a first process, the BIOS calculates a first hash value of a first ID of the first process and stores the first hash value in the location. Each time the BIOS executes a second process, the BIOS calculates a second hash value of the path hash value and a second ID of the second process and stores the second hash value in the location.