Back to results
US 6,289,448 B1Granted
Method, apparatus and computer program product for debugging a computer's boot process
AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorTim P. Marsland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for temporarily including bootstrap debugging code for use with a client program. The invention improves a user's ability to debug the computer boot process by providing an efficient mechanism for interposing additional or replacement functionality between the client program and bootstrap services. A bootstrap service invocation made by the client program is intercepted and the computer performs the interposed functionality before providing the invoked service.
Claims47
A computer controlled method for debugging a boot process executing on a computer, said method comprising:
- (a) executing, on said computer, a bootstrap program providing one or more services;
- (b) initiating a bootstrap debug program by said bootstrap program executing on said computer, including using a re-vector operation vector to replace an original operation vector;
- (c) intercepting, by said bootstrap debug program, a service invocation of said one or more services;
- (d) capturing service information related to said service invocation of said one or more services;
- and
- (e) said bootstrap debug program causing performance of said service invocation of said one or more services, wherein the bootstrap debug program is configured such that said one or more services may be selectively invoked through the bootstrap debug program.
3 more elements
An apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory coupled to said CPU for debugging a boot process executed by said apparatus, said apparatus comprises:
- a boot mechanism configured to execute, using said CPU and said memory, a bootstrap program providing one or more services;
- a debug initiation mechanism configured to initiate a bootstrap debug program by said bootstrap program, the debug initiation mechanism using a re-vector operation vector to replace an original operation vector;
- a service interception mechanism configured to intercept, by said bootstrap debug program, a service invocation of said one or more services;
- an information acquisition mechanism configured to capture service information related to said service invocation of said one or more service;
- and
- a service invocation mechanism configured to perform said service invocation of said one or more services, wherein the service invocation mechanism is initiated by the bootstrap debug program and wherein the service interception mechanism and service invocation mechanism work together to allow selective invocation of the one or more services.
3 more elements
A computer program product comprising:
- a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to debug a boot process executed by said computer, said computer readable code comprising:
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a boot mechanism configured to execute, using said CPU and said memory, a bootstrap program providing one or more services;
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a debug initiation mechanism configured to initiate a bootstrap debug program by said bootstrap program, the debug initiation mechanism using a re-vector operation vector to replace an original operation vector;
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a service interception mechanism configured to intercept, by said bootstrap debug program, a service invocation of said one or more services;
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect an information acquisition mechanism configured to capture service information related to said service invocation of said one or more services;
- and
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a service invocation mechanism configured to perform said service invocation of said one or more services.
4 more elements
A computer program product comprising:
- a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to debug a boot process executed by said computer, said computer readable code comprising:
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a boot mechanism configured to execute, using said computer, a bootstrap program providing one or more services;
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a debug initiation mechanism configured to initiate a bootstrap debug program by said bootstrap program executing on said computer, including using a re-vector operation vector to replace an original operation vector;
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a service interception mechanism configured to intercept, by said bootstrap debug program, a service invocation of said one or more services;
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect an information acquisition mechanism configured to capture service information related to said service invocation of said one or more services;
- and
- computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a service invocation mechanism configured to said bootstrap debug program causing performance of said service invocation of said one or more services, wherein the bootstrap debug program is configured such that said one or more services may be selectively invoked through the bootstrap debug program.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.