System and method for sharing a non-volatile memory element as a boot device
US5848367A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 8, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 13, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/1417
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for multiple processors operating independently from one another to share memory as a boot device. The system includes a plurality of computing systems each including a processor and a local memory element. In response to a boot condition for a selected computing system, its processor begins a boot sequence in which it uses operational code contained within a non-volatile memory element that is shared by each of the computing systems. Arbitration for ownership of a memory bus interconnecting the non-volatile memory element to the processors and organization of a direct memory access transfer between the non-volatile memory element and local memory associated with the processor of the selected computing system is controlled by a memory access coordination circuit coupled between the computing systems and the memory bus.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.