Generic kernel modification for the dynamic configuration of operating systems in a multi-processor system

An apparatus for configuring an operating system on a multi-processor computer system, comprising:

• (a) a computer;
• (b) means, performed by the computer, for creating a generic kernel of the operating system for use on all of the processors of the multi-processor computer system;
• (c) means, performed by the computer, for allocating tables within the generic kernel of the operating system that are large enough to be used with any of the processors of the multi-processor computer system;
• (d) means, performed by the computer, for copying the generic kernel of the operating system to a plurality of data storage devices of the multi-processor computer system, wherein each of the data storage devices is associated with a different, specified one of the processors;
• and
• (e) means, performed by the computer, for modifying each of the copied generic kernels to ensure that the allocated tables therein are correctly configured for the specified one of the processors of the multi-processor computer system, wherein values are stored into the allocated tables to identify a hardware and software configuration of the specified one of the processors to the generic kernel.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for configuring an operating system on a multi-processor computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a generic kernel of the operating system for use on all of the processors of the multi-processor computer system;
• (b) allocating tables within the generic kernel of the operating system that are large enough to be used with any of the processors of the multi-processor computer system;
• (c) copying the generic kernel of the operating system to a plurality of data storage devices of the multi-processor computer system, wherein each of the data storage devices is associated with a different, specified one of the processors;
• and
• (d) modifyng each of the copied generic kernels to ensure that the allocated tables therein are correctly configured for the specified one of the processors of the multi-processor computer system, wherein values are stored into the allocated tables to identify a hardware and software configuration of the specified one of the processors to the generic kernel.