Reducing memory fragmentation

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a machine-accessible medium including a plurality of instructions which when executed perform operations comprising:
• allocating memory by a firmware memory manager to a firmware module during a preboot phase of a computer system, wherein the memory is allocated from a plurality of memory types in response to a request from the firmware module;
• initiating a retrieve fragmentation protocol to determine fragmentation of memory described by a preboot memory map, wherein a fragment includes a contiguous block of memory of the same type;
• initiating a coalesce protocol to coalesce at least a portion of memory allocated to the firmware module based on the plurality of memory types if the fragmentation is greater than a threshold;
• and
• booting an operating system on the computer system.

A computer system, comprising:

• a processor;
• an Synchronized Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) unit coupled to the processor;
• and
• a storage unit coupled to the processor, wherein the storage unit including a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor perform operations comprising:
• allocating SDRAM to a firmware module during a preboot phase of the computer system, wherein the SDRAM is allocated based on a plurality of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) memory types;
• initiating a retrieve fragmentation protocol to determine fragmentation of the SDRAM described by a preboot memory map, wherein a fragment includes a contiguous block of SDRAM of the same ACPI memory type;
• initiating a coalesce protocol to coalesce at least a portion of SDRAM allocated to the firmware module based on the plurality of ACPI memory types if the fragmentation is greater than a threshold;
• and
• booting an operating system on the computer system.