CN102789397B - Multi-operating system switching method in computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

A switching method of multiple operating systems in a computer system is used for rapidly switching the multiple operating systems, and comprises the following steps: under the first operating system, triggering system management interruption to enable the computer system to enter a system management mode, and transferring the control right of the computer system from the first operating system to a basic input and output system; backing up a first environment parameter of a first operating system; judging whether the computer system has a second environment parameter; when the second environment parameter does not exist, normally starting a second operating system; and when the second environment parameter exists, starting the second operating system according to the second environment parameter.

Description

Multi-operating system switching method in computer system

technical field

The present invention relates to a computer system, and in particular to a method for switching multiple operating systems in the computer system.

Background technique

Generally speaking, multiple operating systems may exist in a computer system. After the computer system is turned on, the computer system can display multiple operating systems in the form of a menu for the user to choose. After the user selects a specific operating system, the computer system loads the specific operating system. After the loading of the specific operating system is completed, the computer system can execute related application programs in the environment of the specific operating system.

Because the user needs to decide the operating system to load when booting. Once selected, if the user wants to enter another operating system, the computer system must be shut down and restarted to select another operating system. In other words, except for shutting down and re-selecting the operating system, the known computer system cannot achieve a method of switching between operating systems. Moreover, the waiting time of the operating system switching process will be too long.

Contents of the invention

The present invention proposes a method for switching multiple operating systems in a computer system, which includes the following steps: under the first operating system, triggering a system management interruption so that the above-mentioned computer system enters the system management mode, and transfers the control right of the computer system from the first operating system The operating system is transferred to the basic input and output system; the first environmental parameter of the first operating system is backed up; whether the computer system has the second environmental parameter is judged; and when there is no second environmental parameter, the second operating system is started normally; In case of the second environment parameter, the second operating system is started according to the second environment parameter.

The present invention proposes a computer system with multiple operating systems, including: a central processing unit; a control chip set connected to the central processing unit; a memory connected to the control chip set; a hard disk connected to the control chip set; and a basic input and output system , connected to the control chipset; wherein, the computer system under the first operating system triggers a system management interrupt, and the central processing unit makes the computer system enter the system management mode, and backs up the first environment parameters of the first operating system to the memory, and utilizes The BIOS starts the second operating system.

To sum up, the present invention does not need to restore the computer system to the initial state when it is turned on, and does not need to enter the sleep mode when switching between operating systems, thus saving time for switching between operating systems.

In order to have a better understanding of the above-mentioned and other aspects of the present invention, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 shows a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operating system switching method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

The present invention uses a system management mode (SMM) of a central processing unit (CPU), which can be used to handle memory or chipset errors, or power management operations. When entering the system management mode, the control right of the computer system will be transferred from the operating system to the basic input output system (BIOS for short).

In other words, when the computer system enters the system management mode, the computer system will temporarily store the background data of the central processing unit (CPU context). When the control is transferred to the basic input and output system, we need to back up the temporary background data. Data (CPU context) and data stored in memory by the operating system. The background data of the central processing unit and the data stored in the memory by the operating system can be collectively referred to as environmental parameters.

Since the time for the computer system to enter the system management mode is very short, the user can hardly notice it. In addition, it does not need to restart or sleep recovery, so it can save the operation when switching by restarting or sleep recovery. Application programs, driver programs, services, etc. in the system need to be executed for a corresponding amount of time. Therefore, the present invention uses the system management mode to achieve the purpose of quickly switching the operating system of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which shows a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computer system 100 includes: a central processing unit 110 , a control chipset 120 , a memory 130 , a hard disk 140 , and a basic input output system (BIOS) 150 . Wherein, the control chipset 120 includes: a north bridge chip 122 and a south bridge chip 126 . Wherein, the CPU 110 is connected to the north bridge chip 122 through a front side bus, and the north bridge chip 122 is connected to the memory 130 through a memory bus. The south bridge chip 126 is connected to the north bridge chip 122 through a private bus, and connected to the hard disk 140 and the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hard disk 140 is at least divided into a first partition 145 and a second partition 148 , the first partition 145 stores a first operating system, and the second partition 148 stores a second operating system. Furthermore, the BIOS 150 can at least divide the memory 130 into the first storage area 135 and the second storage area 138 during the booting process.

When the computer system 100 loads the first operating system, the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 will start (boot) the first operating system from the first partition 145 of the hard disk 140, and in the environment of the first operating system, the second All data of an operating system are temporarily stored in the first storage area 135 of the memory 130 . Similarly, when the computer system 100 loads the second operating system, the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 will start (boot) the second operating system from the second partition 148 of the hard disk 140, and in the environment of the second operating system At this time, all data of the second operating system are temporarily stored in the second storage area 138 of the memory 130 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a switching driver module (swap driver) is installed in both the first operating system and the second operating system. When the user wants to switch the operating system, the switching driver is issued by using a hardware button or a software program. The advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) call generates a trigger system management interrupt (SMI). At this time, the control right of the computer system will be transferred from the operating system to the BIOS 150 , and the BIOS 150 can switch the operating system.

For example, when the user wants to switch from the first operating system to the second operating system, the above method can be used to control the switching driver to issue an Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface (ACPI) call and trigger a System Management Interrupt (SMI) . When the system management interrupt (SMI) was triggered, the central processing unit 110 entered the system management mode (SMM) at once, and at this moment, the first environmental parameters under the first operating system were backed up, i.e. the background data (CPU context) of the central processing unit ) will be temporarily stored in the memory 130, and the data in the first operating system will be backed up in the first storage area 135. Afterwards, record the first breakpoint of the above-mentioned first operating system. After the above actions are completed, the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 can load the second operating system.

If this computer system has never loaded the second operating system, that is, when there is no second environment parameter of the second operating system in the internal memory 130, the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 will carry out a normal startup (boot) program to load the second operating system. operating system. That is, the second operating system is started (boot) by the second partition 148 of the hard disk 140, and in the environment of the second operating system, all data of the second operating system are temporarily stored in the second storage area 138 of the internal memory 130 .

On the contrary, if the computer system once loaded the second operating system, the second operating system environment parameters of the second operating system are backed up in the internal memory 130, and the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 will restore the second operating system environment previously backed up in the internal memory 130 Lowering the second environment parameters means restoring the background data (CPU context) of the central processing unit (CPU context) to the central processing unit 110, and restoring the data of the second operating system in the second storage area 138. After that, you can return to the original second breakpoint of the second operating system and return to the environment of the second operating system again.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a flow chart of an operating system switching method according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the computer system is in the first operating system environment (step S502), the user wants to switch to the second operating system environment. At this time, the control switching driver triggers a system management interrupt (SMI) and enters a system management mode (SMM), and the control right is transferred to the basic input output system (BIOS) (step S504 ). Next, back up the first environment parameters under the first operating system and record the first breakpoint (step S506). That is to say, the first background data of the central processing unit and the first data in the memory are backed up first.

Afterwards, it is determined whether the computer system has started the second operating system (step S508). That is, it is determined whether the second environment parameter of the second operating system is backed up in the computer system.

When the computer system has not started the second operating system, the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 uses the hard disk to start (boot) the second operating system (step S510 ). Finally, enter the second operating system environment (step S514).

On the contrary, when the computer system once started the second operating system, the basic input output system (BIOS) 150 will restore the second environment data previously backed up in the internal memory 130, and enter the second operating system by the second breakpoint (step S512). That is to say, the second background data (CPU context) of the central processing unit under the second operating system environment is restored (restore) to the central processing unit 110, and the second data in the memory is restored, and the second breakpoint Enter the second operating system, and finally enter the second operating system environment (step S514).

According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the operating system is switched, switching from the first operating system environment (step S502) to the second operating system environment (step S514) through step S512 hardly takes any waiting time. That is, the user can complete the switching between operating systems without waiting time. Of course, the flow of the method for switching from the second operating system to the first operating system is exactly the same as that in FIG. 2 , so details are not repeated here.

The advantage of the invention is to provide a method for switching multiple operating systems in a computer system. The present invention can switch the operating system without entering the sleep mode under the first operating system, and the user can also feel the fast switching of the operating system without any waiting time.

Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a method for switching between multiple operating systems in a computer system. The invention does not need to restore the computer system to the initial state when the operating system is switched, so the time for switching between operating systems can be saved.

To sum up, although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims.

Claims (9)

1. a method for switching multiple operating systems in a computer system, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: Under the first operating system, load the switching driver, issue an advanced configuration and power management interface call, and generate a trigger system management interrupt. The trigger system management interrupt causes the above-mentioned computer system to enter the system management mode, and the control right of the above-mentioned computer system is transferred to The above-mentioned first operating system is transferred to the basic input output system; Backing up the first environment parameters of the above-mentioned first operating system; judging whether the above-mentioned computer system has a second environment parameter; and When the second environment parameter is not present, the second operating system is started normally; when the second environment parameter is present, the second operating system is started according to the second environment parameter. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first environmental parameter includes the first background data of the central processing unit and the first data in the memory, and the second environmental parameter includes the first background data of the central processing unit. Two background data and the second data in the above memory. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the memory of the computer system includes a first storage area and a second storage area, the first data is backed up in the first storage area, and the second data Backup in the above-mentioned second storage area. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein starting the second operating system is to start using a hard disk of the computer system. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said hard disk comprises a first partition and a second partition, wherein said first operating system is stored in said first partition, and said second partition stores said second operating system. 6. A computer system with multiple operating systems, characterized in that the above-mentioned computer system includes: CPU; A control chipset, connected to the above-mentioned central processing unit; memory, connected to the aforementioned control chipset; a hard disk connected to the aforementioned control chipset; and a basic input output system, connected to the aforementioned control chipset; Wherein, the computer system loads the switching driver module under the first operating system to make an advanced configuration and power management interface call, which triggers a system management interrupt, and the central processing unit makes the computer system enter the system management mode, and backs up the first The first environmental parameters of the operating system are stored in the above-mentioned memory, and the second operating system is started by using the above-mentioned basic input-output system, wherein the above-mentioned second operating system is started by the above-mentioned basic input-output system, which is to check that the above-mentioned computer system has not backed up the above-mentioned second operating system When the second environmental parameters are set, the second operating system is started by the hard disk; when the second environmental parameters are backed up, the second operating system is started according to the second environmental parameters. 7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the first environmental parameter includes the first background data of the central processing unit and the first data in the memory; and the second environmental parameter includes the central The second background data of the processor and the second data in the above-mentioned memory. 8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein said internal memory includes a first storage area and a second storage area, said first data of said first environmental parameter is backed up in said first storage area, said The above-mentioned second data of the second environment parameter is backed up in the above-mentioned second storage area. 9. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the hard disk comprises a first partition and a second partition, the first partition stores the first operating system, and the second partition stores The above-mentioned second operating system.