System and method for boot loading of programs within a host operating environment having one or more linked guest operating systems

A method comprising:

• storing predetermined data of a plurality of application programs from one or more guest operating systems (GOS) in a storage medium of a memory of a host operating system (HOS), wherein the HOS and GOS are operational and in communication with one another within a computing environment including a Type 1 hypervisor;
• storing a redundant copy of the stored predetermined data at a predetermined area of available GOS memory of the GOS;
• shutting down said computing environment;
• subsequently re-starting said computing environment by initiating a boot;
• initializing the redundant copy of the stored predetermined data in GOS memory by providing the stored data in the memory of a file system of the HOS by executing a bootstrap loader prior to HOS operation;
• loading the predetermined data in the storage medium of the HOS at a location determined from the loader;
• identifying the memory space location to be utilized by the GOS;
• copying the predetermined data to the identified memory space location;
• and
• obtaining the predetermined data by GOS accessing the predetermined data at the identified memory space location;
• and
• completing the initializing of the redundant copy of the predetermined data, wherein the identified memory space location is at a predetermined offset location and is identified using a table of contents (TOC).

A computer system comprising:

• a processor connected to a processor bus;
• a cache used to stage data to and from the processor;
• a memory controller function;
• a memory-mapped graphics adapter;
• and a graphic bus controller, wherein the computer system is capable of storing predetermined data of a plurality of application programs from a guest operating system (GOS) in a storage medium of a memory of a host operating system (HOS), wherein the HOS and GOS are in communication via a shared memory means;
• storing a redundant copy of the stored predetermined data at a predetermined area of available GOS memory of the GOS;
• initiating a boot sequence of computing environment having the GOS and HOS prior to their operation;
• initializing the redundant copy of the stored predetermined data in GOS memory by providing the stored data in the storage medium of the HOS by executing a bootstrap loader;
• loading the predetermined data in the storage medium of the HOS at a location determined from the loader;
• identifying the memory space location to be utilized by the GOS;
• copying the predetermined data to the identified memory space location;
• obtaining the predetermined data by GOS accessing the predetermined data at the identified memory space location;
• and completing the start up sequence by completing initializing of the redundant copy of the predetermined data.

A computer system comprising:

• at least one hard disk drive (HDD) containing:
• at least one table of contents (TOC) including at least one image entry corresponding to a program on the HDD;
• at least one main solid state memory;
• at least one processor having access to a basic input/output system (BIOS) for booting programs from the HDD into the main solid state memory;
• at least one non-volatile solid state memory accessible to the BIOS, the non-volatile solid state memory including a pointer to the TOC;
• a logic accessing the TOC using the pointer;
• and logic accessing the program using the TOC to boot the program into the main solid state memory, wherein system is capable of:
• storing predetermined data of a plurality of application programs from a GOS in a storage medium of a memory of a HOS, wherein said HOS is in communication with the GOS;
• storing a redundant copy of the stored predetermined data at a predetermined area of available GOS memory of the GOS;
• initiating a subsequent boot sequence of computing environment having the GOS and HOS;
• initializing the redundant copy of the stored predetermined data in GOS memory by providing the stored data in the memory of a file system of the HOS by executing a bootstrap loader;
• loading the predetermined data in the storage medium of the HOS at a location determined from the loader;
• identifying the memory space location to be utilized by the GOS;
• copying the predetermined data to the identified memory space location;
• obtaining the predetermined data by GOS accessing the predetermined data at the identified memory space location;
• and
• completing the start up of the computing environment by completing initializing of the redundant copy of the predetermined data.

A method comprising the steps of:

• storing predetermined data of a plurality of application programs from a guest system in a memory means of a host system, wherein the host system is in communication with the guest system and each is operational;
• storing a redundant copy of the stored predetermined data at a predetermined area of available guest system memory means;
• shutting down said guest system and said host system;
• initiating a subsequent boot sequence of computing environment having the guest system and host system;
• executing an initializing means for the redundant copy of the stored predetermined data in guest system memory means by providing the stored data in the memory means of the host system by executing a bootstrap loader means;
• loading the predetermined data in the storage means at a location determined from the loader means;
• identifying the memory space location to be utilized by the guest system;
• copying the predetermined data to the identified memory space location;
• obtaining the predetermined data by guest system accessing the predetermined data at the identified memory space location;
• and
• completing said start-up of said computing environment by completing the initializing means, wherein the identified memory space location is at a predetermined offset location and is identified using a table of contents (TOC).

A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium comprising:

• computer readable program means for causing a computer to control an execution of an application;
• the computer program product including program instructions for:
• causing the computer to implement a commit procedure;
• causing the computer to store predetermined data of one or more application programs from a guest operating system (GOS) in memory of a file system of a host operating system (HOS) accessible by the BIOS when said GOS and HOS are operational, wherein said HOS and GOS are capable of communication with one another, and said HOS and GOS are within an operational computing environment;
• storing a redundant copy of the stored predetermined data at a predetermined area of available GOS memory of the GOS;
• shutting down said computing environment;
• restarting said computing environment by initiating a boot sequence;
• initializing the redundant copy of the stored predetermined data in GOS memory by providing the stored data in the memory of a file system of said HOS, thereby completing the boot sequence of computing environment, wherein the memory of the file system of the HOS includes a storage medium;
• computer readable program means to notify the application to continue to run in the event the commit procedure fails before completion, whereby the application need not wait for the commit procedure to be completed;
• causing the computer to resynchronize the incomplete commit procedure asynchronously relative to the application;
• and
• causing said computing environment to return to an operational setting.

A computer system comprising:

• at least one hard disk drive (HDD) containing:
• at least one table of contents (TOC) including at least one image entry corresponding to a program on a storage medium (SM);
• at least one main solid state memory;
• at least one processor having access to a basic input/output system (BIOS) for booting programs from the SM into the main solid state memory;
• at least one non-volatile solid state memory accessible to the BIOS, the non-volatile solid state memory including a pointer to the TOC;
• a logic accessing the TOC using the pointer;
• and logic accessing the program using the TOC to boot the program into the main solid state memory, wherein system is capable of:
• storing predetermined data of a plurality of application programs from one or more GOS in said SM of a HOS, wherein said HOS and said one or more GOS are in communication with one another and are operational with a computing environment having a Type 1 hypervisor;
• storing a redundant copy of the stored predetermined data at a predetermined area of available GOS memory of the GOS;
• shutting down said computing environment such that said one or more GOS and said HOS are not operational;
• restarting said computing environment by:
• initiating a subsequent boot sequence of said computing environment for operation of said one or more GOS and said HOS;
• initializing the redundant copy of the stored predetermined data in GOS memory by providing the stored data in SM of the HOS by executing a bootstrap loader;
• loading the predetermined data in the SM of the HOS at a location determined from the loader;
• identifying the memory space location to be utilized by the GOS;
• copying the predetermined data to the identified memory space location;
• obtaining the predetermined data by GOS accessing the predetermined data at the identified memory space location;
• and
• completing the start up of the computing environment by completing initializing of the redundant copy of the predetermined data.