Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for concisely identifying the hardware configuration of a computer system through a single signature value. This signature value is computed by passing specific hardware configuration information through a hashing function. The hardware configuration information may include, among other things, selected elements of the SMBIOS system description as well as PCI topology and PCI bus type information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using a graphics processor to perform RAID parity functions may improve disk access performance. A method is provided for configuring a graphics processor to perform XOR parity computations when data is written to the RAID array. Another method is provided for configuring the graphics processor to perform the XOR parity computations to restore data when a disk is damaged. Using the graphics processor as a coprocessor to offload parity computations from a central processing unit may improve disk access performance and overall system performance.

Abstract: A software or hardware agent running on a personal computing (PC) device provides allows a consumer electronic device connected to the PC device over a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) network to control the PC device using standardized commands. This enables a user to control the PC device and other consumer electronic devices that are connected to the HDMI network using a single interface. The agent responds as a consumer electronic device and translates the standardized commands as universal serial bus (USB) human interface device (HID) input reports to the PC device operating system. The agent represents the specific capabilities of the PC device as standard consumer electronic device controls.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for emulating a floppy disk drive using network storage services. An application executing on a diskless computing device generates INT 13 access requests to gain access to a floppy disk image residing on a storage server. The INT 13 access requests are directed to a translation function that maps cylinder head sector (CHS) addresses and commands native to floppy disk media to linear block addresses (LBA) and commands used to access data within SCSI devices. An iSCSI initiator residing within the diskless computing device directs the LBA requests to an iSCSI target residing within the storage server to access a LUN residing on the storage server that contains a floppy disk image. The application is then able to conduct access requests to the floppy disk image as though a physical floppy disk drive were present on the diskless computing device.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of determining the optimal RAID level to implement for a given disk drive array, and to the extent applicable, making unallocated disk space available to the user in the form of unprotected disk space. The method efficiently allocates appropriate RAID volumes for the given disk drive array, and, by making the unallocated disk space available to users, allows disk drives of unequal sizes to be effectively used in the disk drive array. Another embodiment of the present invention reconfigures an existing RAID array such that the storage space available on various disk drives in the disk drive array may be used in the most efficient manner. The alternative embodiment is especially useful if an existing RAID array is upgraded by adding a disk drive to, or modified by replacing one or more disk drives in, the existing disk drive array.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of determining the optimal RAID level to implement for a given disk drive array, and to the extent applicable, making unallocated disk space available to the user in the form of unprotected disk space. The method efficiently allocates appropriate RAID volumes for the given disk drive array, and, by making the unallocated disk space available to users, allows disk drives of unequal sizes to be effectively used in the disk drive array. Another embodiment of the present invention reconfigures an existing RAID array such that the storage space available on various disk drives in the disk drive array may be used in the most efficient manner. The alternative embodiment is especially useful if an existing RAID array is upgraded by adding a disk drive to, or modified by replacing one or more disk drives in, the existing disk drive array.

Abstract: A method and system for implementing a serial enclosure management interface is disclosed. In one embodiment, the LED indicators for a storage device in an external enclosure are managed. First, a set of bit patterns for driving the LED indicators is repeatedly placed on a serial bus that is connected to an external enclosure for transmission by varying the states of the serial bus. This process continues until a change to this set of bit patterns is detected. In one embodiment, the change is captured in a memory mapped register, which is typically accessible by a storage device controller. The detected change prompts accesses to a virtualized register, which generally resides in system memory, to generate a different set of bit patterns to place on the serial bus.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for concisely identifying the hardware configuration of a computer system through a single signature value. This signature value is computed by passing specific hardware configuration information through a hashing function. The hardware configuration information may include, among other things, selected elements of the SMBIOS system description as well as PCI topology and PCI bus type information.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for automatically provisioning a diskless computing device and an associated server system. A diskless computing device client incorporates an iSCSI initiator that is used to access resources provided by an iSCSI target that is resident on a server computing device. The iSCSI initiator is implemented in the client firmware, providing INT13 disk services entry points, thereby enabling the client to transparently access virtual storage devices at boot time. The client device conducts an apparently local installation using the virtual storage devices provided by the server computing device. A short signature value is associated with the boot image, uniquely associating the boot image with the specific client hardware configuration. When the client device boots normally, the signature value of the client device is presented to the server computing device to automatically reference the appropriate boot image.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for mapping an iSCSI target name to a virtual disk on an iSCSI storage server, based on a hardware class identifier that is included in an iSCSI login request. The hardware class identifier is unique to the particular hardware configuration of the diskless computing device. An iSCSI initiator residing within a diskless computing device includes the hardware class identifier as a vendor-specific parameter in the iSCSI login request to a generic virtual disk. An iSCSI target that resides on the storage server matches the hardware class identifier in the iSCSI login request with a particular virtual disk that contains the boot image for the hardware class of the diskless computing device. In this fashion, an iSCSI initiator-target nexus between the iSCSI initiator and the appropriate virtual disk may be established.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for automatically provisioning a diskless computing device and an associated server system. A diskless computing device client incorporates an iSCSI initiator that is used to access resources provided by an iSCSI target that is resident on a server computing device. The iSCSI initiator is implemented in the client firmware, providing INT13 disk services entry points, thereby enabling the client to transparently access virtual storage devices at boot time. The client device conducts an apparently local installation using the virtual storage devices provided by the server computing device. A short signature value is associated with the boot image, uniquely associating the boot image with the specific client hardware configuration. When the client device boots normally, the signature value of the client device is presented to the server computing device to automatically reference the appropriate boot image.