Abstract: An IBM PC compatible processing system typically has a BIOS installed as system firmware. During a boot process of the processing system, the BIOS loads a boot loader from one of the boot media, i.e., hard drives, floppy disks, CDs, USB flash memories, taps, etc. and passes control of the boot loader, the boot loader then loads an OS from the boot media. The present invention takes advantage of the higher reliability and availability provided by the system flash memory and stores a boot loader as system firmware in the system flash memory. Further, it provides changes in the BIOS boot process to load the boot loader from system memory, the ROM, for example, without relying on boot media. With this new process, the boot loader can be loaded even when the boot media is corrupt, defective or un-initialized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a first thread to “share” its remaining time quantum with a second thread when the first thread is blocked. A thread may be blocked, for example, if it is waiting for a resource such as a data file or a lock. A thread may also be blocked if it is waiting for an event, such as a user keystroke. If there is a thread on the run queue that “owns” the resource needed by the consumer thread, the blocked consumer thread transfers its right to execute for a remaining time quantum to the owner thread, and the owner thread executes next. If the threads are in a same process, this transfer means that no process context switch is required, since the consumer thread and the owner thread are threads of the same process. In addition, this transfer means that the time before the resource becomes available to the blocked consumer thread will be short.