As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to these users is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may vary with respect to the type of information handled; the methods for handling the information; the methods for processing, storing or communicating the information; the amount of information processed, stored, or communicated; and the speed and efficiency with which the information is processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include or comprise a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
One commonly used component of an information handling system is the system memory. The system memory may be volatile or non-volatile. A volatile memory component requires power to maintain the information stored therein. In contrast, a non-volatile memory component can retain stored information even when it is not powered. A common type of volatile memory is random access memory (“RAM”) which is typically in the form of Static Random Access Memory (“SRAM”) or Dynamic Random Access Memory (“DRAM”). These memory components are designed as integrated circuits and used in information handling systems. A series of DRAM integrated circuits may be combined to form a Dual In-line Memory Module (“DIMM”). These modules may be mounted on a printed circuit board and designed for use in an information handling system such as, for example, a personal computer, a work station or a server.
A printed circuit board in a typical information handling system may include a number of sockets. The different modular components used in the information handling system may then be “snapped” into these sockets, either during the manufacturing or at a later time by the user. With the increased complexity of information handling systems, the number of these sockets is on the rise.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/187,513 entitled “System and Method for Detecting Module Presence in an Information Handling System,” is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and discloses a method and system that detects a module's presence and proper insertion into a printed circuit board in an information handling system.
With the increased complexity of the information that is processed by an information handling system, the number of DIMMs in an information handling system is on the rise. The increased number of DIMMs in the system has made it more complicated to initially install or to upgrade the system memory. Moreover, many information handling systems include multiple central processing units (“CPU”). In multiple CPU systems memory must be installed in a particular order to achieve the maximum performance due to multiple memory channels. For example, an information handling system may use memory buffers and memory controllers. Some designs may use up to eight or more memory controllers. In such a system, the memory modules may need to be installed such that the memory controllers are in lock step, with each controller carrying an equal share of the load.
In order to meet the Chipset design guide for printed circuit board (“PCB”) lay out requirements, DIMM sockets have to be located with their associated memory buffer. With the increasing number of modules used in an information handling system and considering the system requirements for arrangement of those modules, identifying the modular sockets to be populated may be difficult. Therefore, a method and system to simplify the population of the modular sockets in an information handling system is desirable.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds