IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`PATENTS
`
`8011-15 CON2
`
`Applicants
`
`Application No.
`
`Confirmation No.
`
`Filed
`
`For
`
`Group Art Unit
`
`Examiner
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`James J. Fallon
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Herewith
`
`SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCELERATED
`
`LOADING OF OPERATING SYSTEMS AND
`
`APPLICATION PROGRAMS
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Hon. Commissioner for Patents
`
`New York, NY 10020
`
`P.O. Box 1450
`
`October 19, 2006
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313—1450
`
`PRELIMINARY AMENDMENT
`
`Sir:
`
`Prior to the examination of this application,
`
`applicants amend the application as follows:
`
`Amendments to the Specification are reflected in the
`
`listing of claims which begins on page 2 of this paper.
`
`Amendments to the Claims are reflected in the listing
`
`of claims which begins on page 3 of this paper.
`
`Remarks/Arguments begin on page 6 of this paper.
`
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`
`
`PATENTS
`
`8011-15 CON2
`
`Applicants
`
`Application No.
`
`Confirmation No.
`
`Filed
`
`For
`
`Group Art Unit
`
`Examiner
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`:
`
`James J. Fallon
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Herewith
`
`SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCELERATED
`
`LOADING OF OPERATING SYSTEMS AND
`
`APPLICATION PROGRAMS
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Not Yet Assigned
`
`Hon. Commissioner for Patents
`
`New York, NY 10020
`
`P.O. Box 1450
`
`October 19, 2006
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313—1450
`
`PRELIMINARY AMENDMENT
`
`Sir:
`
`Prior to the examination of this application,
`
`applicants amend the application as follows:
`
`Amendments to the Specification are reflected in the
`
`listing of claims which begins on page 2 of this paper.
`
`Amendments to the Claims are reflected in the listing
`
`of claims which begins on page 3 of this paper.
`
`Remarks/Arguments begin on page 6 of this paper.
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`
`
`Amendments to the Specification
`
`Please replace the paragraph after the title of the
`
`specification and starting on line 4, page 1 of the
`
`specification with the following paragraph showing amendments:
`
`——CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APP-Em APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a continuation of United Stated
`
`patent application No. 09/776,267, filed on February 2, 2001,
`
`
`which is based on a United States provisional application Serial
`
`No. 60/180,114, filed on February 3, 2000, both of which is are
`
`hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.——
`
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`Amendments to the Claims
`
`This listing of claims will replace all prior
`
`versions, and listings, of claims in the application.
`
`Listing of the Claims
`
`1—16.
`
`(cancelled)
`
`17.
`
`(new) A method for providing accelerated loading of an
`
`operating system comprising:
`
`maintaining a boot data list, wherein at least a
`
`portion of boot data is associated to said boot data list;
`
`preloading said at least a portion of boot data into a
`
`memory upon initialization of said computer system;
`
`accessing said at least a portion of boot data in a
`
`compressed form from said memory;
`
`decompressing said at least a portion of boot data in
`
`compressed form accessed from said memory at a rate that
`
`increases the effective access rate of said memory; and
`
`utilizing said decompressed at least a portion of boot
`
`data in loading said operating system for said computer system.
`
`18.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, wherein said at least a
`
`portion of boot data comprises program code associated with an
`
`application program.
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`19.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, wherein said preloading
`
`comprises retrieving said at least a portion of boot data from a
`
`memory device and storing said retrieved at least a portion of
`
`boot data into said memory.
`
`20.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, wherein said preloading
`
`is controlled by a data storage controller.
`
`21.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`updating said boot data list.
`
`22.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`updating said boot data list by associating additional boot data
`
`to said boot data list.
`
`23.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`updating said boot data list by removing the association of
`
`additional boot data from said boot data list.
`
`24.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`receiving a request for additional boot data not previously
`
`associated with said boot data list.
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`25.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising:
`
`receiving a request for additional boot data not
`
`previously associated with said boot data list; and
`
`adding to the list any boot data requested by the
`
`computer system not previously stored in the list.
`
`26.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`removing the association of additional boot data from said boot
`
`data list not requested by said computer system.
`
`27.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`compressing said at least a portion of boot data to provide said
`
`at least a portion of boot data in compressed form.
`
`28.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`compressing said at least a portion of boot data to provide said
`
`at least a portion of boot data in compressed form, wherein said
`
`compressing is performed by a data compression engine.
`
`29.
`
`(new) The method of claim 17, further comprising
`
`compressing said at least a portion of boot data to provide said
`
`at least a portion of boot data in compressed form, wherein said
`
`compressing is performed by a data compression engine and sad
`
`data compression engine performs said decompressing.
`
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`
`REMARKS/ARGUMENTS
`
`Summary of Applicant's Amendments
`
`Applicants have cancelled claims 1—16.
`
`Applicants have added new claims 17—29.
`
`Applicants reserve the right to claim any subject
`
`matter lost by any claim amendment or cancellation at any time
`
`in one or more divisional or continuation applications.
`
`Parent Application No. 09/776,267
`
`Applicants direct the Examiner's attention to the
`
`prosecution history of parent U.S. Application No. O9/776,267
`
`filed on February 2, 2001 and,
`
`for example, all Office Actions
`
`contained therein.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Applicants respectfully submit that this application,
`
`including the pending claims,
`
`is in condition for allowance. An
`
`early and favorable action is respectfully requested.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Jeffrey D. Mullen/
`Jeffrey D. Mullen
`
`Registration No. 52,056
`
`Agent for Applicants
`FISH & NEAVE IP GROUP
`
`ROPES & GRAY LLP
`
`Customer Number 1473
`
`1251 Avenue of the Americas
`
`New York, New York 10020—1105
`Tel.
`:
`(212) 596—9000
`
`Fax
`
`:
`
`(212) 596—9090
`
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`ABSIRACLQEEHEJIISQLQSHRE
`
`Systems and methods for providing accelerated loading of operating system and
`
`application programs upon system boot or application launch. In one aspect, a method for
`
`providing accelerated loading of an operating system comprises the steps of: maintaining
`
`a list of boot data used for booting a computer system; preloading the boot data upon
`
`initialization of the computer system; and servicing requests for boot data from the
`
`computer system using the preloaded boot data. The boot data may comprise program
`
`code associated with an operating system of the computer system, an application
`
`program, and a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the boot data is
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`retrieved from a boot device and stored in a cache memory device. In another aspect, the
`
`method for accelerated loading of an operating system comprises updating the list of boot
`
`data during the boot process, wherein updating comprises adding to the list any boot data
`
`requested by the computer system not previously stored in the list and/or removing from
`
`the list any boot data previously stored in the list and not requested by the computer
`
`system. In yet another aspect, the boot data is stored in a compressed format on the boot
`
`device and the preloaded boot data is decompressed prior to transmitting the preloaded
`
`boot data to the requesting system. In another aspect, a method for providing accelerated
`
`launching of an application program comprises the steps of: maintaining a list of
`
`application data associated with an application program; preloading the application data
`
`upon launching the application program; and servicing requests for application data from
`
`a computer system using the preloaded application data.
`
`
`
`8011-15
`
`57
`
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`
`
`W 1
`
`. A method for providing accelerated loading of an operating system, comprising
`
`the steps of:
`
`maintaining a list of boot data used for booting a computer system;
`
`preloading the boot data upon initialization of the computer system; and
`
`servicing requests for boot data from the computer system using the preloaded
`
`boot data.
`
`2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot data comprises program code
`
`associated with one of an operating system of the computer system, an application
`
`program, and a combination thereof.
`
`3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preloading the boot data comprises
`
`retrieving boot data from a boot device and storing the retrieved data in a cache memory.
`
`4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method steps are performed by a data
`
`storage controller connected to the boot device.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`
`
`
`
`5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of updating the list of boot
`
`20
`
`data during the boot process.
`
`6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of updating comprises adding to the
`
`list any boot data requested by the computer system not previously stored in the list.
`
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`7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of updating comprises removing from
`
`the list any boot data previously stored in the list and not requested by the computer
`
`system.
`
`8. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot data is compressed and further
`
`comprising the step of decompressing the preloaded boot data.
`
`9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method steps are program instructions that
`
`are tanginy embodied on a program storage device and readable by a machine to execute
`
`10
`
`the method steps.
`
`10. A method for providing accelerated launching of an application program,
`
`comprising the steps of:
`
`maintaining a list of application data associated with an application program;
`
`preloading the application data upon launching the application program; and
`
`servicing requests for application data from a computer system using the
`
`preloaded application data.
`
`11. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data is compressed and
`
`further comprising the step of decompressing the preloaded application data.
`
`15
`
`20
`
`
`
`12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method steps are program instructions
`
`that are tangibly embodied on a program storage device and readable by a machine to
`
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`
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`
`
`
`
`execute the method steps.
`
`13. A boot device controller for providing accelerated loading of an operating
`
`system of a host system, the boot device controller comprising:
`
`a digital signal processor (DSP);
`
`a programmable logic device, wherein the programmable logic device is
`
`programmed by the digital signal processor to (i) instantiate a first interface for
`
`operatively interfacing the boot device controller to a boot device and to (ii) instantiate a
`
`second interface for operatively interfacing the boot device controller to the host system;
`
`10
`
`and
`
`a non-volatile memory device, for storing logic code associated with the DSP, the
`
`first interface and the second interface, wherein the logic code comprises instructions
`
`executable by the DSP for maintaining a list of boot data used for booting the host
`
`system, preloading the boot data upon initialization of the host system, and servicing
`
`15
`
`requests for boot data from the host system using the preloaded boot data.
`
`14. The boot device controller of claim 13, further comprising a cache memory
`
`device for storing the preloaded boot data.
`
`20
`
`15. The boot device controller of claim 13, wherein the logic code in the non-
`
`volatile memory device further comprises program instructions executable by the DSP for
`
`maintaining a list of application data associated with an application program; preloading
`
`the application data upon launching the application program, and servicing requests for
`
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`the application data from the host system using the preloaded application data.
`
`16. The boot device controller of claim 12, wherein the boot data is compressed
`
`and wherein the DSP comprises a data compression engine (DCE) for decompressing the
`
`5
`
`preloaded boot data.
`
`
`
`8011-15
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`
`
`
`
`
`
`50
`
`ASSERT DSP
`RESET SIGNAL
`
`ENSURE ENOUGH
`DECAY FOR VOLATILE
`LOGIC DEVICE
`INITIALIZATION TO BE
`COMPLETE
`
`
`51
`
`
`
`COPY DSP BOOT LOADER
`FROM NON VOLATILE
`LOGIC DEVICE
`
`LATCH DATA BYTE INTO
`VOLATILE LOGIC DEVICE
`
`DSP BEGINS
`EXECUTION
`
`53
`
`CONFIGURE I/O PORTS
`k FOR VOLATILE LOGIC
`DEVICE PROGRAMMING
`
`
`
`INITIALIZE VOLATILE
`
`LOGIC DEVICE
`
`
`
`
`READ
`\— CONFIGURATION
`DATA
`
`
`
`54
`
`55
`
`55
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`and
`
`
`
`
`READ IST
`
`CONFIGURATION
`
`DATA BYTE
`
`CLEAN BYTE
`COUNTER
`
`
`
`LOAD 1ST
`CONFIGURATION
`DATA BYTE INTO DSP I/O
`
`
` CHECK BYTE
`COUNT LESS THAN
`
`
`PRESPECIFIED
`
`VALUE?
`
`A
`
`“0* B
`
`YES
`
`DSP READS NEXT DATA 6 /
`
`BYTE OF DEVICE
`PROGRAM DATA
`
`INCREMENT BYTE
`COUNTER
`
`LOAD DATA BYTE
`INTO DSP we
`
`DELAY 20 nsec
`
`4/) 5f
`
`éa
`
`G
`3
`
`/ G l/
`
`A <—*
`
`LATCH INTO
`PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC
`_ DEVICE
`
`FIG. 6a
`
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`
`
`
`
`
`
` DSP READ LAST DATA
`BYTE & LATCH lNTO
`VOLATILE LOGIC
`DEVICE
`
`
`and
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`POLL VOLATILE LOGIC
`DEVICE TO ENSURE
`PROGRAMMING
`COMPLETE
`
`
`
`PROGRAMMING
`SUCCESSFUL?
`
`CONTINUE DATA
`STORAGE
`CONTROLLER
`INITIALIZATTON
`
`
`
`
`VES
`
`
`
`FLAG ERROR
`REPEAT
`ENTIRE PROCESS
`
`Q7
`
`FIG. 6b
`
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`
`
`NO
`
`Realtime 2016
`
`PW
`
`RECEIVE REQUEST FOR BOOT DATA
`
`RETREVEDBOOTDATAHQALST
`
`RETRIEVE REQUESTED BOOT DATA FROM DISK
`
`RECORDDATABLOCKNUMBERCW
`
`
`
`
`
`
`BOOTPROCESS
`COMPLETE '?
`
`73
`
`YES
`
`74
`
`STORE LIST
`
`FIG. 7a
`
`71
`
`72
`
`
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`
`
` NO
`
`POWER-UP OR
`SYSTEM RESET?
`
`
`
`
`
`
`YES
`
`RETRIEVE & READ LIST
`
`PREFETCH DATA
`BLOCKS
`
`
`
`SPECIFIED IN LIST
`
`
`COMM ENCE BOOT
`PROCESS
`
`
`
`
`
`RECEIVE READ
`REQUEST FOR
`
`BOOT DATA
`
`
`
`
`
`IS REQUESTED
`BOOT DATA
`
`SI
`SERVICE REQUEST
`
`USING PRELOADED
`
`BOOT DATA
`
`
`PRELOADED
`
`76
`
`77
`
`78
`
`79
`
`
`
`
`
`NO
`
`
`
`UPDATE LIST TO
`UPDATE LIST TO
`EXCLUDE BOOT DATA
`INCLUDE BOOT DATA
`PREVIOUSLY
`
`NOT PREVIOUSLY
`SPECIFIED IN LIST
`
`SPECIFIED IN LIST
`
`
`
`
`
`83
`
`
`
`FIG. 7b
`
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`
`
`IS ANY BOOT
`DATA NOT
`REQUESTED DURING
`OOT PROCESS 7
`
`
`
`
`RETRIEVE
`REQUESTED BOOT
`DATA FROM BOOT
`DEVICE
`
`
`
`82
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`
`
`START
`
`
`
`RECEIVE REQUEST FOR APPLICATION
`DATA ASSOCIATED
`WITH LAUNCHED APPLICATION
`
`
`
`90
`
`RETRIEVE REQUESTED
`APPLICATION DATA FROM DISC
`
`RETRIEVED APPLICATION DATA IN A LIST
`
`RECORD DATA BLOCK NUMBER OF
`
`
`
`93
`
`
`
`
`
`LAUNCH
`PROCESS
`COMPLETE?
`
`
`\/d3
`
`94
`
`STORE LIST
`
`FIG. 8a
`
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`
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`
`
`APPLICATION
`LAUNCHED?
`
`
`
`
`96
`
`RETRIEVE & READ LIST
`
`
`
`
`
`PREFETCH DATA
`BLOCKS
`SPECIFIED IN LIST
`
`97
`
`
`
`
`
`RECEIVE READ
`REQUESTS FOR
`APPLICATION DATA
`
`103
`
`100
`SERVICE REQUEST
`
`USING PRELOADED
`APPLICATION DATA
`
`
`
`
`
`IS REQUESTED
`APPLICATION DATA
`PRELOADED?
`
`
`
`
`
`UPDATE LIST TO
`
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`SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCELERATED LOADING OF
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`OPERATING SYSTEMS AND APPLICATION PROGRAMS
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`This application is based on a United States provisional application Serial No.
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`60/1 80,1 14, filed on February 3, 2000, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
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`11].]E.”
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`BACKGRQIDED
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`The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for providing
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`accelerated loading of operating system and application programs upon system boot or
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`application launch and, more particularly, to data storage controllers employing lossless
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`and/or lossy data compression and decompression to provide accelerated loading of
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`operating systems and application programs.
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`2 D
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`I.
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`E I B l
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`l
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`!
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`Modern computers utilize a hierarchy of memory devices. To achieve maximum
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`performance levels, modern processors utilize onboard memory and on board cache to
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`obtain high bandwidth access to both program and data. Limitations in process
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`technologies currently prohibit placing a sufficient quantity of onboard memory for most
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`20
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`25
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`applications. Thus, in order to offer sufficient memory for the operating system(s),
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`application programs, and user data, computers often use various forms of popular off-
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`processor high speed memory including static random access memory (SRAM),
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`synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), synchronous burst static ram
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`(SBSRAM). Due to the prohibitive cost of the high-speed random access memory,
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`coupled with their power volatility, a third lower level of the hierarchy exists for non-
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`volatile mass storage devices.
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`Furthermore, mass storage devices offer increased capacity and fairly economical
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`data storage. Mass storage devices (such as a “hard disk”) typically store the operating
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`system of a computer system, as well as applications and data and rapid access to such
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`data is critical to system performance. The data storage and retrieval bandwidth of mass
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`storage devices, however, is typically much less as compared with the bandwidth of other
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`elements of a computing system. Indeed, over the last decade, although computer
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`processor performance has improved by at least a factor of 50, magnetic disk storage
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`performance has only improved by a factor of 5. Consequently, memory storage devices
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`10
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`severely limit the performance of consumer, entertainment, office, workstation, servers,
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`and mainframe computers for all disk and memory intensive operations.
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`The ubiquitous Internet combined with new multimedia applications has put
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`tremendous emphasis on storage volumetric density, storage mass density, storewidth,
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`and power consumption. Specifically, storage density is limited by the number of bits
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`that are encoded in a mass storage device per unit volume. Similarly mass density is
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`defined as storage bits per unit mass. Storewidth is the data rate at which the data may be
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`accessed. There are various ways of categorizing storewidth in terms, several of the more
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`prevalent metrics include sustained continuous storewidth, burst storewidth, and random
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`access storewidth, all typically measured in megabytes/sec. Power consumption is
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`canonically defined in terms of power consumption per bit and may be specified under a
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`number of operating modes including active (while data is being accessed and
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`transmitted) and standby mode. Hence one fairly obvious limitation within the current art
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`is the need for even more volume, mass, and power efficient data storage.
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`Magnetic disk mass storage devices currently employed in a variety of home,
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`business, and scientific computing applications suffer from significant seek-time access
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`delays along with profound read/write data rate limitations. Currently the fastest available
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`disk drives support only a sustained output data rate in the tens of megabytes per second
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`data rate (MB/sec). This is in stark contrast to the modern Personal Computer’s
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`Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Bus’s low end 32 bit / 33Mhz input/output
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`capability of 264 MB/sec and the PC's internal local bus capability of 800 MB/sec.
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`Another problem within the current art is that emergent high performance disk
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`interface standards such as the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI-3), Fibre
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`Channel, AT Attachment UltraDMA/66/ 100, Serial Storage Architecture, and Universal
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`Serial Bus offer only higher data transfer rates through intermediate data buffering in
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`random access memory. These interconnect strategies do not address the fundamental
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`problem that all modern magnetic disk storage devices for the personal computer
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`marketplace are still limited by the same typical physical media restrictions. In practice,
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`faster disk access data rates are only achieved by the high cost solution of simultaneously
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`accessing multiple disk drives with a technique known within the art as data striping and
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`redundant array of independent disks (RAID).
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`RAID systems often afford the user the benefit of increased data bandwidth for
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`data storage and retrieval. By simultaneously accessing two or more disk drives, data
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`bandwidth may be increased at a maximum rate that is linear and directly proportional to
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`the number of disks employed. Thus another problem With modern data storage systems
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`utilizing RAID systems is that a linear increase in data bandwidth requires a proportional
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`number of added disk storage devices.
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`Another problem with most modern mass storage devices is their inherent
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`unreliability. Many modern mass storage devices utilize rotating assemblies and other
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`types of electromechanical components that possess failure rates one or more orders of
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`magnitude higher than equivalent solid-state devices. RAID systems employ data
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`redundancy distributed across multiple disks to enhance data storage and retrieval
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`reliability. In the simplest case, data may be explicitly repeated on multiple places on a
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`single disk drive, on multiple places on two or more independent disk drives. More
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`complex techniques are also employed that support various trade-offs between data
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`bandwidth and data reliability.
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`Standard types of RAID systems currently available include RAID Levels 0, 1,
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`and 5. The configuration selected depends on the goals to be achieved. Specifically data
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`reliability, data validation, data storage /retrieva1 bandwidth, and cost all play a role in
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`defining the appropriate RAID data storage solution. RAID level 0 entails pure data
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`striping across multiple disk drives. This increases data bandwidth at best linearly with
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`the number of disk drives utilized. Data reliability and validation capability are
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`decreased. A failure of a single drive results in a complete loss of all data. Thus another
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`problem with RAID systems is that low cost improved bandwidth requires a significant
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`decrease in reliability.
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`RAID Level 1 utilizes disk mirroring where data is duplicated on an independent
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`disk subsystem. Validation of data amongst the two independent drives is possible if the
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`data is simultaneously accessed on both disks and subsequently compared. This tends to
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`decrease data bandwidth from even that of a single comparable disk drive. In systems
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`that offer hot swap capability, the failed drive is removed and a replacement drive is
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`inserted. The data on the failed drive is then copied in the background while the entire
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`system continues to operate in a performance degraded but fully operational mode. Once
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`the data rebuild is complete, normal operation resumes. Hence, another problem with
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`RAID systems is the high cost of increased reliability and associated decrease in
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`performance.
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`RAID Level 5 employs disk data striping and parity error detection to increase
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`both data bandwidth and reliability simultaneously. A minimum of three disk drives is
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`required for this technique. In the event of a single disk drive failure, that drive may be
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`rebuilt from parity and other data encoded on disk remaining disk drives. In systems that
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`offer hot swap capability, the failed drive is removed and a replacement drive is inserted.
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`The data on the failed drive is then rebuilt in the background while the entire system
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`continues to operate in a performance degraded but fillly operational mode. Once the
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`data rebuild is complete, normal operation resumes.
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`Thus another problem with redundant modern mass storage devices is the
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`degradation of data bandwidth when a storage device fails. Additional problems with
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`bandwidth limitations and reliability similarly occur within the art by all other forms of
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`sequential, pseudo-random, and random access mass storage devices. These and other
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`limitations within the current art are addressed by the present invention.
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`W
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`The present invention is directed to systems and methods for providing
`
`accelerated loading of operating system and application programs upon system boot or
`
`application launch and, more particularly, to data storage controllers employing lossless
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`and/or lossy data compression and decompression to provide accelerated loading of
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`operating systems and application programs.
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`In one aspect of the present invention, a method for providing accelerated loading
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`of an operating system comprises the steps of: maintaining a list of boot data used for
`
`booting a computer system; preloading the boot data upon initialization of the computer
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`system; and servicing requests for boot data from the computer system using the
`
`preloaded boot data. The boot data may comprise program code associated with an
`
`operating system of the computer system, an application program, and a combination
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`thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the boot data is retrieved from a boot device and
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`stored in a cache memory device.
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`In another aspect, the method for accelerated loading of an operating system
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`comprises updating the list of boot data during the boot process. The step of updating
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`comprises adding to the list any boot data requested by the computer system not
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`previously stored in the list and/or removing from the list any boot data previously stored
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`in the list and not requested by the computer system.
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`In yet another aspect, the boot data is stored in a compressed format on the boot
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`device and the preloaded boot data is decompressed prior to transmitting the preloaded
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`boot data to the requesting system.
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`In another aspect, a method for providing accelerated launching of an application
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`program comprises the steps of: maintaining a list of application data associated with an
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`application program; preloading the application data upon launching the application
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`program; and servicing requests for application data from a computer system using the
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`preloaded application data.
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`In yet another aspect, a boot device controller for providing accelerated loading of
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`an operating system of a host system comprises: a digital signal processor (DSP); a
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`programmable logic device, wherein the programmable logic device is programmed by
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`the digital signal processor to (i) instantiate a first interface for operatively interfacing the
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`boot device controller to a boot device and to (ii) instantiate a second interface for
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`operatively interfacing the boot device controller to the host system; and a non—volatile
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`memory device, for storing logic code associated with the DSP, the first interface and the
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`second interface, wherein the logic code comprises instructions executable by the DSP for
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`maintaining a list of boot data used for booting the host system, preloading the boot data
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`upon initialization of the host system, and servicing requests for boot data from the host
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`10
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`system using the preloaded boot data. The boot device controller further includes a
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`cache memory device for storing the preloaded boot data.
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`The present invention is realized due to recent improvements in processing speed,
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`inclusive of dedicated analog and digital hardware circuits, central processing units, (and
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`any hybrid combinations thereof), that, coupled with advanced data compression and
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`decompression algorithms are enabling of ultra high bandwidth data compression and
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`decompression methods that enable improved data storage and retrieval bandwidth
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`These and other aspects, features and advantages, of the present invention will
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`become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments that
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`is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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`Fig. l is a block diagram of a data storage controller according to one embodiment
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`of the present invention;
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`Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a data storage controller according to another
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`embodiment of the present invention;
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`Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a data storage controller according to another
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`embodiment of the present invention;
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`Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a data storage controller according to another
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`embodiment of the present invention;
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`Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a data storage controller according to another
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`embodiment of the present invention;
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`Figs. 6a and 6b comprise a flow diagram of a method for initializing a data
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`storage controller according to one aspect of the present invention;
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`Figs. 7a and 7b comprise a flow diagram of a method for providing accelerated
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`loading of an operating system and/or application programs upon system boot, according
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`to one aspect of the present invention;
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`Figs. 8a and 8b comprise a flow diagram of a method for providing accelerated
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`15
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`loading of application programs according to one aspect of the present invention;
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`Fig. 9 is a diagram of an exemplary data compression system that may be
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`employed in a data storage controller according to the present invention; and
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`Fig. 10 is a diagram of an exemplary data decompression system that may be
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`employed in a data storage controller according to the present invention.
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`In the following description, it is to be understood that system elements having
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`equivalent or similar functionality are designated with the same reference numerals in the
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`Figures. It is to be further understood that the present invention may be implemented in
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`various forms of hardWare, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Preferably, the
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`present invention is implemented on a computer platform including hardware such as one
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`or more central processing units (CPU) or digital signal processors (DSP), a random
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`access memory (RAM), and input/output (1/0) interface(s). The computer platform may
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`also include an operating system, microinstruction code, and dedicated processing
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`hardware utilizing combinatorial logic or finite state machines. The various processes
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`and functions described herein may be either part of the hardware, microinstruction code
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`or application programs that are executed via the operating system, or any combination
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`thereof.
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`It is to be further understood that, because some of the constituent system
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`components described herein are preferably implemented as software modules, the actual
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`system connections
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