Initialization of a data processing system

A computer program stored into internal memory of a digital computer system, the computer program comprising software code portions for performing a method when said computer program is executed on said computer system, the method comprising:

• defining sequences of initialization steps for selected hardware elements, wherein each sequence of initialization steps is defined for a single selected hardware element of said selected hardware elements;
• determining dependencies among said initialization steps;
• generating a control flow table representing said sequences of initialization steps and said dependencies;
• generating a system configuration database representing a list of all active functional hardware elements in said computer system;
• during an initialization phase of said computer system, executing on a system management controller the steps:
• analyzing said control flow table and said system configuration database,
• based on said analyzing said control flow table and said system configuration database, assigning said sequences of initialization steps to said selected hardware elements;
• and
• generating and executing a parallel thread of execution for each of said assigned sequences of initialization steps, wherein said sequences of initialization steps are executed in parallel;
• and
• wherein said dependencies between said initialization steps are represented by trigger and wait steps that are inserted in said sequences of initialization steps, and a first parallel thread of execution signals a second parallel thread of execution that a dependency is resolved when performing a trigger step, and wherein said second parallel thread of execution stops its execution when performing a wait step until receiving a signal from said first thread of parallel execution.

A data processing system comprising:

• functional hardware elements;
• and
• a system management controller for controlling said functional hardware elements, where said system management controller is configured to:
• define sequences of initialization steps for selected hardware elements of said functional hardware elements, wherein each sequence of initialization steps is defined for a single selected hardware element of said selected hardware elements;
• determine dependencies among said initialization steps;
• generate a control flow table representing said sequences of initialization steps and said dependencies;
• generate a system configuration database representing a list of all active functional hardware elements in said data processing system;
• and
• during an initialization phase of said data processing system, execute on said system management controller the steps:
• analyzing said control flow table and said system configuration database;
• based on said analyzing said control flow table and said system configuration database, assigning said sequences of initialization steps to said selected hardware elements;
• and
• generating and execute executing a parallel thread of execution for each of said assigned sequences of initialization steps, wherein said sequences of initialization steps are executed in parallel;
• and
• wherein said dependencies between said initialization steps are represented by trigger and wait steps that are inserted in said sequences of initialization steps, and a first parallel thread of execution signals a second parallel thread of execution that a dependency is resolved when performing a trigger step, and wherein said second parallel thread of execution stops its execution when performing a wait step until receiving a signal from said first thread of parallel execution.