Virtual Machine OS Reboot via Selective Module Loading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing reboot process for computer systems is time-consuming, often taking tens of minutes, due to the need to run platform firmware and retrieve the entire boot image, which slows down software development and testing.
Innovation Solution
A method to reboot a computer system without running platform firmware, by reloading a boot loader module, shutting down all processing units except one, and selectively loading updated modules into system memory, thereby avoiding a power-on self-test and reducing the need to retrieve the entire boot image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conventional reboot process is used (running platform firmware and retrieving entire boot image), then hardware reliability is ensured through power-on self-test, but reboot time becomes excessively long (tens of minutes)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the boot image into multiple modules (kernel, drivers, utilities, etc.) that can be selectively loaded. Instead of retrieving the entire boot image during reboot, only the necessary modules are loaded into memory, significantly reducing reboot time while maintaining system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by maintaining boot image modules in a readily accessible state (e.g., in memory or pre-loaded on storage) before reboot is needed. This allows the system to skip the time-consuming steps of running platform firmware and retrieving the entire boot image from external storage during actual reboot operations.
2Reliability
If the conventional reboot process is used (retrieving entire boot image from external source), then complete system initialization is ensured, but the process becomes time-consuming and stalls software development pipeline
Solution Approach 1:
The boot image is divided into functional modules that can be independently managed and loaded. This segmentation enables selective reloading of only the modules that have been updated, rather than retrieving the entire boot image, thus maintaining initialization completeness while improving development productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of boot image delivery from 'entire image retrieval' to 'selective module loading'. By modifying this parameter, the system maintains the necessary initialization completeness while dramatically reducing the time required for reboot operations during software development and testing.
3Reliability
If platform firmware is run during reboot, then hardware devices are tested through power-on self-test, but reboot time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hardware testing function from the platform firmware execution path during reboot. By taking out the power-on self-test from the mandatory reboot sequence and performing it only when necessary (e.g., during initial boot or when hardware issues are suspected), the system maintains hardware reliability while significantly reducing routine reboot time.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system is rebooted after updating a boot image without running platform firmware with its power-on self-test of system hardware devices and without retrieving all of the modules included in a boot image from an external source and reloading them into system memory. The reboot process includes the steps of loading one or more updated modules of the boot image into the system memory, executing the boot loader module to load for execution modules of the boot image including a system software kernel and the updated modules, and transferring execution control to the system software kernel.