Hiding logical processors from an operating system on a computer
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorDerek Schumacher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hiding logical processors from an operating system (OS) of a computer is described. In an example, a method of hiding at least one logical processor in a computer having a plurality of logical processors includes: initializing the plurality of logical processors by executing a pre-boot routine in system firmware; identifying at least one logical processor of the plurality of logical processors to be hidden from an operating system (OS) of the computer to provide at least one hidden logical processor and at least one visible logical processor; placing each of the at least one hidden logical processor into a system management mode (SMM) by executing a park routine in the system firmware; and booting the OS of the computer to use the at least one visible logical processor.
Claims16
A method of hiding at least one logical processor in a computer having a plurality of logical processors, comprising:
- initializing the plurality of logical processors by executing a pre-boot routine in system firmware;
- identifying at least one logical processor of the plurality of logical processors to be hidden from an operating system (OS) of the computer to provide at least one hidden logical processor and at least one visible logical processor;
- placing each of the at least one hidden logical processor into a system management mode (SMM) by executing a park routine in the system firmware;
- and
- booting the OS of the computer to use the at least one visible logical processor.
A computer, comprising:
- at least one central processor unit (CPU) integrated circuit (IC) collectively having a plurality of logical processors;
- a memory storing an operating system (OS);
- system firmware having:
- a pre-boot routine executable to initialize the plurality of logical processors;
- a park routine to place at least one logical processor of the plurality of logical processors into a system management mode (SMM) to define at least one hidden logical processor and at least one visible logical processor;
- and
- a bootstrap routine to boot the OS of the computer to use the at least one visible logical processor.
A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one central processing unit (CPU), cause the at least one CPU to perform a method of hiding at least one logical processor of a plurality of logical processors, comprising:
- executing a pre-boot routine to initialize the plurality of logical processors;
- executing a park routine to place at least one of the plurality of logical processors into a system management mode (SMM) to define at least one hidden logical processor and at least one visible logical processor;
- and
- executing a bootstrap routine to boot an operating system (OS) to use the at least one visible logical processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.