Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to computer system software. More particularly, the invention relates to basic input-output services (“BIOS”) software or firmware for supporting Intel Corporation (“Intel”) processors.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     System management mode (“SMM”) is a special-purpose operating mode available on Intel&#39;s IA-32 processors. Its purpose is to provide an alternate operating environment that can be used by firmware to execute proprietary OEM code or to handle system-wide functions like power management or system hardware control. The main benefit of SMM is that it offers an isolated environment so that these types of functions may be performed in a manner that is transparent to the operating system and application software.  
         [0003]     SMM may be invoked only by a system management interrupt (“SMI”) presented either at the SMI# pin of the processor or via an SMI message on the processor&#39;s advanced programmable interrupt controller (“APIC”) bus. When an SMI occurs, the processor exits its current operating mode to enter SMM mode and then returns to the previous operating mode upon execution of a resume (“RSM”) instruction. Upon entry into SMM, the processor writes its register contents or “state” to a state save area within a segment of memory known as system management RAM (“SMRAM”). Upon returning from SMM, the processor restores its register contents according to information found in the state save area.  
         [0004]     An internal SMBASE register is provided in the processor to store the base address of the SMRAM. Thus, SMI interrupt handler code may be stored at SMBASE+8000h in SMRAM, for example, while the state save area may be located at SMBASE+FE00h. While the absolute location of SMRAM may be modified by modifying the value in the SMBASE register, specific offsets within the state save area corresponding to particular register contents depend on the particular processor model and family. In general, they are fixed by Intel and are published by Intel in its IA-32 architecture software developer&#39;s manuals. For example, for one Intel processor, CR0 contents are stored at SMBASE+FFFCh in the state save area, EFLAGS contents are stored at SMBASE+FFF4h, and so on.  
         [0005]     Some of the more recent IA-32 processors offer Intel&#39;s “extended memory 64 technology.” An IA-32 processor that is equipped with extended memory 64 technology (hereinafter “a memory-extended processor”) is capable of running a 64-bit operating system and accessing a 64-bit address space. In addition, such a memory-extended processor&#39;s general-purpose registers and instruction pointers are 64-bits wide. While extended memory 64 technology represents progress for the IA-32 architecture, one aspect of extended memory 64 technology is that the map of the state save area to be used during SMM has been changed relative to the map that existed for non-memory-extended IA-32 processors. For example, the offsets for saving the state of particular registers in the state save area have been changed to account for the fact that the registers to be saved are now 64 bits in length rather than 32 bits in length. In addition, memory-extended processors have been equipped with additional registers that non-memory-extended processors did not have.  
         [0006]     As a consequence of these changes to the state save area memory map, BIOS firmware designed for non-memory-extended processors will not function properly in memory-extended platforms, and BIOS firmware designed for memory-extended processors will not function properly in non-memory extended platforms. To date, the solution to this problem for PC and workstation manufacturers has been to make at least two different versions of BIOS firmware available so that one version may be installed in non-memory-extended platforms and the other version may be installed in memory-extended platforms. Unfortunately, this solution increases cost because it requires that at least two different versions of the BIOS be maintained and supported.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A technique according to the invention enables a single BIOS to support processors with or without 64-bit extensions efficiently.  
         [0008]     In general, a BIOS according to the invention creates a data structure having entries that correspond to elements stored in a state save area. The state save area elements themselves may be located at different addresses depending on whether or not the host processor includes 64-bit extensions. But the corresponding entries in the data structure are located at the same offsets within the data structure in either case. During execution of an SMI handler routine, the BIOS accesses the data structure whenever it needs to access elements of the state save area.  
         [0009]     According to a first preferred embodiment, the data structure is a register contents table. The BIOS copies memory contents from the state save area to the register contents table upon entering SMM. Addresses of elements in the state save area may differ depending on whether or not the host processor is memory extended. But offsets of the entries in the register contents table are the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended. When executing SMI handling routines while in SMM, the BIOS accesses the register contents table in lieu of the state save area whenever it needs to read from or write to register values that normally would be found in the state save area. Prior to exiting SMM, the BIOS copies contents from the register contents table back to the state save area.  
         [0010]     According to a second preferred embodiment, the data structure is a register address table. The BIOS may create the register address table during a boot procedure. Depending on whether or not the host processor is memory extended, the register address table contains either those addresses that correspond to a memory-extended state save area or those addresses that correspond to a non-memory-extended state save area. In either case, offsets into the register address table are the same for the contents of any given register. Whenever the BIOS executes an SMI handler routine, the SMI handler resolves addresses for saved register contents via the register address table before accessing those contents in the state save area.  
         [0011]     A BIOS implemented according to the invention provides a number of advantages over those of the prior art. First, it enables a single BIOS to support host processors with or without 64-bit extensions. This results in cost savings because it eliminates the need for manufacturers to maintain and support two different BIOS images. Second, it eliminates the need for BIOS code to determine whether or not the processor is memory-extended each time it requires access to saved register contents while in SMM. This results in a dramatic simplification of SMI handler code, which in turn makes the BIOS easier to debug and maintain. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating memory structures of a computer configured according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the computer does not include a memory-extended processor.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating memory structures of a computer configured according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the computer includes a memory-extended processor.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating preferred computer program code for utilizing the memory structures of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating memory structures of a computer configured according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating preferred computer program code for initializing the memory structures of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating preferred computer program code for utilizing the memory structures of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate exemplary SMRAM memory maps according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention. Memory map  100  corresponds to a computer having a non-memory-extended processor. Memory map  200  corresponds to a computer having a memory-extended processor. State save areas  102 ,  202  are for the purpose of storing the state of a host processor while it is in SMM. These state save areas should be located at Intel-prescribed offsets from SMBASE so that the host processor may correctly store and retrieve its state information upon entering and exiting SMM, respectively. In the case of the non-memory-extended processor, state save area  102  contains 32-bit register contents. (A location for the contents of the EAX register is shown by way of example.) In the case of the memory-extended processor, state save area  202  is larger than state save area  102  and contains 64-bit register contents. (A location for the contents of the RAX register is shown by way of example. The low-order 32-bits of the RAX register correspond to the contents of the EAX register, but the offsets of the EAX and RAX register contents within state save areas  102  and  202  may differ.)  
         [0019]     SMI handler code  104  may be the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory-extended. It may be located anywhere in memory so long as its first instruction is stored at an Intel-prescribed location so that the host processor may successfully find a proper starting point upon entering SMM. The SMI handler code is for the purpose of implementing a variety of SMI utility functions exported by the BIOS firmware. In addition to implementing those functions, it may also implement method  300  to be described below in relation to  FIG. 3 .  
         [0020]     Data structure  106  is a register contents table. Like the SMI handler code, it may be the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended. It may be located anywhere in SMRAM. Its purpose is to contain a copy of all or a portion of the contents of state save area  102 / 202  during the handling of an SMI. In a preferred embodiment, SMI handler code  104  may be written so that it uses only 32-bit register values and 32-bit addresses. In this manner, the same SMI handler code may be used on both memory-extended and non-memory-extended platforms. Thus, in memory map  100 , register contents table  106  may contain, for example, a copy of the entire contents of the EAX register at offset  108  from the beginning of the table. In memory map  200 , the location at offset  108  in register contents table  106  would contain just the low-order 32-bits of the RAX register. The specific registers shown in the drawings (RAX and EAX) are shown by way of illustration only. In actual embodiments of the invention, registers other than those shown in the drawings may be chosen for copying into register contents table  106  as appropriate.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates a preferred method for utilizing the memory structures of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Whenever an SMI occurs (step  300 ), the host processor will save its register contents into its state save area in step  302 . Next, the BIOS determines in step  306  whether or not the host processor is memory-extended. It may do so in a variety of ways. For example, it may check the “extended feature” flag after executing a CPUID instruction. Alternatively, it may check the SMM revision ID number stored in state save area  102 / 202 . (This revision ID number is stored at an Intel-specified offset within the state save area. The offset is the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended.) After the determination of step  306  has been made, the BIOS copies all or a portion of the contents of state save area  102 / 202  into register contents table  106 . If step  306  indicated that the host processor was memory extended, then the BIOS will use the addresses of state save area  202  to perform this function (step  308 ) and will copy only the low-order 32 bits of whichever register contents are chosen for copying. But if step  306  indicated that the host processor was not memory extended, then the BIOS will use the addresses of state save area  102  to perform this function (step  310 ) and will copy the entire 32 bits of whichever register contents are chosen for copying.  
         [0022]     In step  312 , SMI handler  104  performs whichever function was requested by the SMI. In doing so, the SMI handler may have a need to read from or write to saved register content elements normally found in state save area  102 / 202 . But if so, in the method of  FIG. 3 , the SMI handler does not access that information directly in the state save area. Instead, the SMI handler reads from or writes to corresponding entries within register contents table  106  in lieu of those in the state save area. After the SMI handler has performed the requested function, and upon exiting SMM, BIOS behavior once again depends on whether or not the host processor is memory extended (step  314 ). If the host processor is memory extended, then the BIOS will copy contents from register table  106  back into state save area  202 . If the host processor is not memory extended, then the BIOS will copy contents from register table  106  back into state save area  102 . Finally, the processor exits SMM upon executing a RSM instruction in step  320 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a memory diagram illustrating SMRAM according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. In the diagram of  FIG. 4 , state save areas  102 / 202  are the same as those in the diagrams of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . But instead of a register contents table  106 , the embodiment of  FIG. 4  uses a register address table  404 . Register address table  404  may be located anywhere in SMRAM. SMI handler  402  may be the same as SMI handler  104  except that the BIOS differs from that of  FIG. 3  regarding initialization and utilization of register address table  404 . SMI handler  402  may be located anywhere in memory (provided the host processor can find the first instruction), and may be the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates a preferred method  500  for initializing the memory structures of  FIG. 4 . Method  500  may be performed when the host computer is booted, during an SMM initialization procedure (step  502 ), or at any other suitable time. In step  504 , the BIOS determines whether or not the host processor is memory extended. It may do so using any of the above-described techniques. If the host processor is memory extended, then the BIOS loads register address table  404  with addresses of all or a portion of the elements in state save area  202 . But if the host processor is not memory extended, then the BIOS loads register address table  404  with address of all or a portion of the elements in state save area  102 . In either case, the entries of table  404  are stored at the same offsets within the table. The embodiment of  FIG. 4  is to be distinguished from that of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in the following sense: table  404  stores the addresses of elements in the state save area, not their contents, while table  106  stores the contents of elements in the state save area, not their addresses.  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  illustrates a preferred method  600  for utilizing the memory structures of  FIG. 4 . Whenever an SMI occurs (step  602 ), the host processor will save its register contents into its state save area in step  604 . In step  606 , SMI handler  402  performs whichever function was requested by the SMI. In doing so, the SMI handler may have a need to read from or write to a saved register content element normally found in state save area  102 / 202 . But if so, in the method of  FIG. 6 , the SMI handler accesses that element by first looking up the element&#39;s address from table  404  and then accessing the element in the state save area using the looked-up address. Because the entries in table  404  are stored at the same offsets in table  404  regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended, the same code for SMI handler  404  handles either case correctly and efficiently. Finally, the processor exits SMM upon executing a RSM instruction in step  608 .  
         [0026]     While the invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, the described embodiments have been presented by way of example and not by way of limitation. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form and details of the described embodiments without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Category: 3