Method and apparatus to minimize computer apparatus initial program load and exit/shut down processing

Abstract

A method to reduce and thereby improve the initial program load time of a computing apparatus operating system and thus provides for near instantaneous user interaction. When practicing the instant invention, a computing apparatus operating system or application processing component is loaded neither sequentially nor completely, but rather on an as required basis. The invention's “required only” loading of processing components persist through subsequent operation and shut down of the computing apparatus with each loaded task creating a checkpoint record of processing modifications to non-volatile memory. Such checkpointing allows shut down processing of the apparatus to consist of merely flushing memory buffers in the apparatus checkpointed non-volatile memory of the apparatus to permanent storage and powering off of the apparatus, with subsequent initial program load (IPL) sequencing referencing the checkpointed records to minimize future system initialization elapsed time.

1 . A method for initializing start up of a computer apparatus, the method comprising:
 loading and executing a first portion of an initialization routine from a non-volatile memory to a first portion of a volatile memory;   identifying a first one of a plurality of operating systems and application programs to initially run on the computer apparatus, the identifying based upon interrogation of a device dependent audit reference that has appended thereto a most recent first occurrence of one of the application programs that is minimally essential to the computer apparatus;   loading the identified first one of the plurality of operating systems and application programs into a second portion of the volatile memory at startup if the computer apparatus is idle and a user has not requested an application program to start; and   executing the loaded first one of the plurality of operating systems and application programs,   wherein the loading and the executing of the first one of the plurality of operating systems and application programs is performed prior to executing a second portion of the initialization routine, and   wherein subsequent to initializing start up of a computer apparatus, recording in the audit reference the first application program the user requests.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the initialization routine is associated with establishing interactive communications between a user and the computer apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the first one of the plurality of operating systems and application programs comprises:
 interrogating an audit reference to identify the first one of the plurality of operating systems and application programs, wherein the plurality of operating systems and application programs initially run on the computer apparatus.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the audit reference specifies a relative priority of the plurality of operating systems and application programs. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 loading and executing the plurality of identified operating systems and application programs in an order based upon the relative priority specified in the audit reference.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying minimally essential operating systems and application programs from the plurality of operating systems and application programs based upon the interrogation of the audit reference.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 bypassing at least a portion of instructions of the initialization routine, wherein the portion of bypassed initialization routine instructions includes at least one routine that establishes interactive communication between a user and the computer apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein after the plurality of operating systems and application programs are executed, further comprising:
 executing the bypassed initialization routine instructions.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 error checking the first portion of the volatile memory prior to loading the initialization routine from the non-volatile memory to the first portion of the volatile memory.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the volatile memory is random access memory (RAM). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initialization routine is a built in operation system (BIOS) initialization routine. 
     
     
         12 . A method for loading software elements of a computer apparatus comprising:
 initiating a initialization routine residing in a non-volatile memory;   validating a portion of a volatile memory sufficient to load at least the initialization routine;   loading the initialization routine from the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory portion;   identifying a plurality of programs to initially run on the computer apparatus; and   executing the plurality of programs in a prioritized order at startup if the computer apparatus is idle and a user has not requested an application program to start,   wherein the prioritized order is based upon interrogation of a device dependent audit reference that has appended thereto a most recent first occurrence of one of the plurality of operating systems and application programs that is minimally essential to the computer apparatus, and   wherein subsequent to initializing the computer apparatus, a first application program the user requests is recorded in the audit reference.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising loading the identified plurality of programs into the volatile memory in the prioritized order. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the audit file is a history table with the priority order of the plurality of programs, and further comprising:
 accessing the history table for the prioritized order of the plurality of programs.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the initialization routine is a built in operation system (BIOS) initialization routine.