Transaction generator for initialization, rebuild, and verify of memory

A memory control circuit for a computer system, the computer system having a processor and a memory subsystem coupled to the processor, the processor generating memory transactions to the memory subsystem, the memory subsystem having a memory controller and a plurality of memory modules coupled to the memory controller, the memory subsystem adapted for replacing and adding memory modules during operation of the computer system, the transaction generator comprising:

• a transaction generator, adapted to generate memory transactions to the memory controller, the memory transactions interpreted by the memory controller identically to memory transactions generated by the processor, the memory transactions comprising:
• read transactions;
• and
• write transactions,
• wherein the transaction generator generates the memory transactions to rebuild data in memory modules replaced during operation of the computer system.

A computer system adapted for replacing and adding memory during operation of the computer system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a processor bus coupled to the processor;
• a memory subsystem coupled to the processor bus, comprising:
• a memory controller coupled to the processor bus, adapted to execute memory transactions generated by the processor;
• a plurality of memory modules;
• and
• a memory control circuit coupled to the memory subsystem, comprising:
• a transaction generator, adapted to generate memory transactions to the memory controller, the memory transactions interpreted by the memory controller identically to memory transactions generated by the processor, the memory transactions comprising:
• read transactions;
• and
• write transactions,
• wherein the transaction generator generates the memory transactions to rebuild data in memory modules replaced during operation of the computer system.

A memory control circuit in a memory subsystem of a computer system having a processor, the memory subsystem having a memory controller and a plurality of memory modules, the memory subsystem allowing insertion and deletion of memory modules during operation of the computer system, the transaction generator comprising:

• means for generating memory transactions, the memory transactions comprising:
• read transactions;
• and
• write transactions,
• wherein the means for generating memory transactions generates memory transactions to rebuild data in memory modules replaced during operation of the computer system.

A method of initializing memory modules inserted into a memory subsystem of a computer system during operation of the computer system, comprising the steps of:

• determining a range of addresses corresponding to the memory modules to be initialized;
• generating write transactions for the memory subsystem, the write transactions writing a predetermined value into the range of addresses determined in the determining step;
• and
• verifying successful completion of the write transactions.

A method of rebuilding data in memory modules replaced in a memory subsystem of a computer system during operation of the computer system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining a range of addresses corresponding to the memory modules to be rebuilt;
• (b) generating read transactions for the memory subsystem to determine the memory values associated with the range of addresses determined in step (a);
• (c) generating write transactions for the memory subsystem, writing the memory values obtained in step (b) to the range of addresses determined in step (b);
• and
• (d) verifying successful completion of the write transactions generated in step (c).