Patent ID: 7284084
Filing Date: 2007-10-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for configuring and enabling multiple peripheral devices to participate in booting, such that a quantity of bootable peripheral devices is not limited by an amount of computer system memory that is dedicated to storing executable boot code for the multiple peripheral devices, the computer-implemented method comprising: inserting an Over Commit Read Only Memory (ROM) scan header into a boot ROM in an add-in device adapter, wherein the Over Commit ROM scan header identifies the boot ROM of the add-in device adapter as being capable of supporting a process of paging out, from a ROM scan area, a previously stored boot ROM for an earlier peripheral device with a new boot ROM for a new peripheral device, and wherein each add-in device adapter provides an interface logic for a peripheral device; loading and executing add-in boot ROMs for peripheral devices that are coupled to the computer by add-in device adapters until the ROM scan area is recognized by the computer as being full; setting an overcommit flag to indicate to a Power On Self Test (POST) that an Over Commit module of a System Memory Interrupt (SMI) handler needs to be loaded into a System Management Memory (SMM) and linked to the SMI handler, wherein the overcommit flag signals a ROM scan process to determine which interrupt vectors each add-in boot ROM uses, and wherein a set overcommit flag enables a building of a table for the SMI handler to be able to recognize which add-in boot ROM is to be loaded into the ROM scan area during boot time; in response to the computer detecting an overcommit condition in which the ROM scan area is unable to load add-in boot ROMs for all of the multiple peripheral devices, determining a next available address for allocation in an upper portion of a system memory's address space; and paging ROM data in and out of the ROM scan area by: