In-Kernel Boot Loader for Faulty Hardware Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer systems face challenges in identifying and excluding faulty hardware components during the boot process, particularly those with intermittent errors that may function intermittently, which can cause issues during the execution of the operating system.
Innovation Solution
An in-kernel boot loader populates an initialization data structure with system data, including information about faulty hardware components, allowing a subsequent operating system to access this data and execute on only available, functioning hardware, thereby preventing faulty components from causing problems during booting and execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If firmware performs hardware testing during boot process, then faulty hardware components can be identified and disabled, but intermittent error-prone components may still function during the test and not be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the initial operating system perform hardware testing and populate an initialization data structure with faulty component information before the subsequent operating system boots. This allows the subsequent OS to access pre-collected hardware status data and avoid using faulty components from the start, rather than discovering them during its own boot process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an initialization data structure as an intermediary that bridges the initial operating system and the subsequent operating system. This data structure stores hardware component status information and is accessible to both OS instances, allowing the subsequent OS to inherit hardware awareness without direct communication with the initial OS or firmware.
2Productivity
If the boot loader loads the subsequent operating system with complete hardware information, then the OS can utilize all available hardware, but faulty components may cause errors during execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting faulty hardware components from the available hardware list in the initialization data structure. The initial operating system identifies problematic components and excludes them from the hardware inventory that the subsequent operating system can access, ensuring that only functional components are presented to the new OS while maintaining access to all working hardware.
3Reliability
If the firmware disables non-functioning hardware components, then the operating system cannot detect or use faulty components, but error-prone components with intermittent errors remain undetected and may cause issues later
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the initial operating system continuously monitor hardware components, detect errors, and update the initialization data structure with current hardware status. This creates a feedback loop where hardware performance information is collected, processed, and made available to the subsequent operating system, ensuring accurate hardware awareness without permanent disabling.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for transferring execution to a subsequent operating system. The method includes rebooting a computer system. Rebooting the computer system includes initializing an in-kernel boot loader. The in-kernel boot loader executes in a kernel of an initial operating system. Rebooting the computer system further includes populating, by the in-kernel boot loader, an initialization data structure using system data gathered during the execution of the initial operating system, loading, by the in-kernel boot loader, the subsequent operating system, and transferring control of the computer system from the initial operating system to the subsequent operating system. The subsequent operating system accesses the initialization data structure to identify available hardware. The method further includes executing the subsequent operating system on the available hardware of the computer system.