Quick starting for microprocessor-based system by retrieving a target state memory image and a target state data structure from an image storage medium

A system for restoring a microprocessor-based system having a volatile memory to a target state booted with operating system software, comprising:

• a target state image saving routine for creating an image of the target state and storing the target state image as a target state data structure and a target state memory image in a non-volatile image storage medium, wherein the target state memory image corresponds to pages in linear address space that are mapped into page frames of physical address space by a paging mechanism in the target state, and further wherein the target state data structure contains information derived from page tables defining the mapping of the page frames in the target state and values of processor registers in the target state;
• an operating system return routine for returning control of the system to the operating system software after execution of the target state image saving routine;
• a restore routine for restoring volatile memory and processor registers to correspond to the target state by loading processor registers with the values contained in the target state data structure and storing the memory image in volatile memory in a manner that restores the page frames of the target state using the information derived from page tables contained in the target state data structure;
• and,
• wherein the operating system return routine is executed subsequent to execution of the restore routine.

A method for starting a microprocessor-based system, comprising:

• executing a restore routine located in a nonvolatile memory, wherein the steps performed by the restore routine include:
• (a) retrieving a memory image created by a target state image saving routine from an image storage medium, the memory image corresponding to pages in linear address space that are mapped to page frames in physical address space by a paging mechanism in a target state of the system after booting of operating system software, (b) storing the retrieved memory image in volatile memory in a manner that restores the page frames in accordance with information derived from paging tables, and (c) retrieving a target state data structure from the image storage medium, the data structure containing values of processor registers that correspond to the target state, and restoring the processor registers to the retrieved values;
• and,
• transferring processor execution to an operating system return routine in volatile memory.