/Patent Tracker
MicrosoftGranted patentChips & hardwareInterest 4/10

Microsoft patents system that auto-fixes server memory errors

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Microsoft has been granted a patent for a system that automatically detects when a server's memory component stops responding. The system's basic input/output software checks the memory status, alerts a central control agent if a part is missing, and then applies fixes like restarting the hardware or updating firmware.

Why it mattersThis improves the reliability of large computer clusters by automatically resolving hardware glitches without requiring a human technician to manually diagnose and restart the server.

In the filing’s own words

Systems and methods are provided for automatic recovery of node resource memory devices. A platform basic input/output system (“BIOS”) of a node collects, from a node resource of the node, operational state information for memory components of a memory device, and determines whether at least one memory component is undetected. If so, the platform BIOS sends a notification of the undetected memory component(s) to a controller of the node that relays the notification to a control plane fabric (“CPF”) agent in a control plane. The CPF agent automatically determines a potential cause and a potential resolution, including memory device reset, firmware updates, etc. The CPF agent sends commands to the controller that cause the platform BIOS to initiate a recovery process for the plurality of memory components of the memory device, based on the potential resolution.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A system, comprising: a node, comprising: a node resource; a memory device communicatively coupled to and controlled by the node resource, the memory device comprising a plurality of memory components; and a platform basic input/output system (“BIOS”) that executes first code that causes the platform BIOS to perform first operations comprising: collecting, from the node resource, first information associated with operational states of the plurality of memory components of the memory device; determining whether at least one memory component among the plurality of memory components is undetected, by comparing the first information with second information associated with a resource inventory corresponding to the plurality of memory components of the memory device; based on a determination that at least one memory component is undetected, sending a first notification to a controller of the node, the first notification indicating that the at least one memory component is undetected; and initiating a recovery process for the plurality of memory components of the memory device, based on a first set of commands received from the controller, the first set of commands being based on a correlation between recovery options and a potential cause of the at least one memory component being undetected that is determined by a control plane fabric (“CPF”) agent in a control plane, wherein the recovery process includes pursuing a resolution option among a plurality of resolution options, wherein the plurality of resolution options includes at least one of: causing the memory device to restart and to initiate an immediate reset of the plurality of memory components; causing the memory device to restart and to initiate an immediate retraining of the plurality of memory components; causing a firmware update of the memory device, followed by restarting of the memory device; causing the node resource to restart and to initiate an immediate reset of the node resource; causing the node resource to restart and to initiate an immediate retraining of the plurality of memory components coupled to the node resource; or causing a firmware update of the node resource, followed by restarting of the node resource.

Facts

Company
Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
Official title
Automatic recovery of node resource memory devices
Patent number
US12748649B2
Application number
18783172
Filed
Jul 24, 2024
Granted
Sep 29, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
20

Classified under

G06F 11/0772 Physics & computingG06F 11/079 Physics & computingG06F 11/1417 Physics & computing

More from Microsoft in Chips & hardware

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.