Firmware description language for accessing firmware registers

Abstract

The present invention provides for a firmware description language for accessing firmware registers. Computer-readable media store a data structure representing a firmware description language that includes at least a blade type field containing a blade type value that represents a blade type and a register description field containing a one or more register configuration values for accessing a register at a blade of the blade type represented in the blade type field. In some embodiments, a computer system receives application instructions for accessing a firmware register. The computer system refers to the firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register. The computer system generates low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language. The computer system issues the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register.

1 . At a computer system, a method for accessing a firmware registers, the method comprising: 
 an act of receiving application instructions for accessing a firmware register;    an act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register;    an act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language; and    an act of issuing the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register.    
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of receiving application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprises an act of receiving application XML instructions.  
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of receiving application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprises an act of receiving application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.  
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to a firmware description language that abstracts firmware register values from the underlying firmware registers such that different types of firmware registers can be accessed with essentially the same application instructions.  
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to a register description field for a register type corresponding to the firmware register.  
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to application to firmware XML instructions to identify attributes of the firmware register.  
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of referring to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprises an act of referring to firmware description XML instructions to identify attributes of the firmware register.  
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprises an act of generating register access and configuration commands.  
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprises an act of generating low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.  
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the act of generating low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function comprises an act of generating low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function, the network diagnostic function selected from among a network analyzer, a jammer, a generator, and a bit error rate tester.  
   
   
       11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of generating low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprises an act of a firmware access module utilizing the firmware description language to convert the application instructions into low-level instructions of a format compatible with the firmware register.  
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of issuing the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register comprises an act of issuing register access and configuration commands to a firmware register at a blade.  
   
   
       13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the act of issuing the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register comprises an act of issuing low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.  
   
   
       14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the act of issuing low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function comprises an act of issuing low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function, the network diagnostic function selected from among a network analyzer, a jammer, a generator, and a bit error rate tester.  
   
   
       15 . A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for accessing a firmware registers, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following: 
 receive application instructions for accessing a firmware register;    refer to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register;    generate low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language; and    issue the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register.    
   
   
       16 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application XML instructions.  
   
   
       17 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for accessing a firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.  
   
   
       18 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a firmware description language that abstracts firmware register values from the underlying firmware registers such that different types of firmware registers can be accessed with essentially the same application instructions.  
   
   
       19 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a firmware description language to identify register attributes of the firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a register description field for a register type corresponding to the firmware register.  
   
   
       20 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.  
   
   
       21 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register in accordance with register attributes referred to in the firmware description language comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a firmware access module to utilize the firmware description language to convert the application instructions into low-level instructions of a format compatible with the firmware register.  
   
   
       22 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 15 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to issue the low-level instructions for accessing the firmware register comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to issue low-level instructions to configure a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.  
   
   
       23 . One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure representing a firmware description language, the data structure comprising: 
 a blade type field containing a blade type value that represents a blade type; and    a register description field containing one or more register configuration values, the one or more register configuration values for accessing a register at a blade of the blade type represented in the blade type field.    
   
   
       24 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the register description field is comprised of: 
 a register identifier field containing a register identifier value, the register identifier value representing a register identifier used in application instructions to refer to the register represented in the register description field.    
   
   
       25 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the register description field is comprised of: 
 an address field containing an address value, the address value representing an address used to access the register represented in the register description field.    
   
   
       26 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the register description field is comprised of: 
 an attributes field containing one or more attribute values, the one or more attribute values used to access the register represented in the register description field.    
   
   
       27 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the attributes field is comprised of: 
 a register attribute field containing a register attribute value, the register attribute value representing at least one attribute for accessing the register description field.    
   
   
       28 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the register attribute field is comprised of: 
 a register attribute field containing a register attribute value, the register attribute value selected from among a register type value, a bit mask value, a bit value, a field type value, a shift value, and an increment.    
   
   
       29 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the register attribute field is comprised of: 
 a register attribute field containing a reference to one or more other registers related to the register represented in the register description field.    
   
   
       30 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the firmware description language is further comprised of: 
 a second blade type field containing a second blade type value that represents a second blade type.    
   
   
       31 . The data structure representing a firmware description language as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the firmware description language is further comprised of: 
 a second register description field containing one or more second register configuration values, the one or more second register configuration values for accessing a second register at a blade of the second blade type represented in the second blade type field.    
   
   
       32 . One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure representing a firmware description language, the data structure comprising: 
 a plurality of blade type fields containing a plurality of corresponding blade type values, each blade type value representing a different blade type; and    each blade type field including a plurality of a register description fields containing a one or more corresponding register configuration values, each of the one or more register configuration values for accessing a register at a blade of the blade type represented in the blade type field such that similar application instructions can be used to implement similar functionality at different blade types.