Patent ID: 8566573
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A machine-implemented method for enabling an adapter coupled to a computing system to be initialized according to one or more of a plurality of initialization sequences stored at adapter storage, the computing system including a processor for executing processor-executable instructions and a plurality of registers for storing information, the adapter including a plurality of functions, wherein more than one of the plurality of initialization sequences is associated with a first one of the functions, the method comprising: executable system BIOS (basic input/output system) of the computing system loading an initialization selector module (ISM) into memory of the computing system from the adapter storage, wherein the ISM is read prior to any of the initialization sequences; the system BIOS executing the ISM and saving the information stored in the registers in the system memory; the ISM allocating a portion of the system memory and copying itself to the allocated memory portion; the ISM presenting a user with options to choose one or more of the initialization sequences to be executed; the ISM reading a user selection of one of the plurality of initialization sequences; the ISM reading code of the selected initialization sequence and copying the code to the system memory; the ISM restoring the information stored in the registers and executing the selected initialization sequence; the selected initialization sequence removing the ISM from the system memory; and the selected initialization sequence beginning normal execution; wherein any one of the initialization sequences may be executed regardless of how the initialization sequences are stored, and regardless of how many of the functions use a same one of the initialization sequences.