Patent ID: 6052800
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for monitoring a computer system with an external status monitor during booting of the computer system, the computer system having tasks to be performed during booting, each task having a message token corresponding to a message, each message being an original message or a subsequently added message, each subsequently added message being stored in the computer system, the external status monitor storing the message token and corresponding message for each original message, the method comprising:under the control of the computer system,identifying a task for the computer system to perform;retrieving the message token for the identified task;determining whether the retrieved message token corresponds to an original message or a subsequently added message;when the retrieved message token corresponds to an original message, sending the retrieved message token to the external status monitor;when the retrieved message token corresponds to a subsequently added message,sending the retrieved message token to the external status monitor;retrieving the stored message for the retrieved message token; andsending the retrieved message to the external status monitor; andperforming the identified task on the computer system; andunder the control of the external status monitor,receiving the message token sent from the computer system;determining whether the received message token corresponds to an original message or a subsequently added message;when the received message token corresponds to an original message,retrieving the corresponding message for the received message token; anddisplaying the retrieved message; andwhen the received message token corresponds to a subsequently added message,receiving the message sent from the computer system; anddisplaying the received message at the external status monitor.