System and method for system surveillance using firmware progress code
US6968477B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 7, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/2284
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for monitoring a host computer using a service processor is provided. A shared nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM) area is used to store progress information from the host computer system. The host computer system writes progress information corresponding to the initialization step being performed to the shared NVRAM and also updates a host pointer in the NVRAM. The service processor reads the shared NVRAM and compares its pointer with the host pointer to determine whether new host initialization activity has been reported. The service processor sets a timer so that if host activity is not reported during a set amount of time an error condition occurs causing the service processor to handle the host computer error. An optional service processor routine determines whether the host computer is stuck in an initialization loop whereupon the service processor once again handles the host computer error.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.