The Unabridged Pentium 4 IA32 Processor Genealogy

Chapter 60. System Management Mode (SMM)

The Previous Chapter

This chapter provided a detailed description of the CPUID instruction. It included:

• Prior to the Advent of the CPUID Instruction.

• Determining if the CPUID instruction Is Supported.

• Determining Basic Request Types Supported.

• Determining Extended Request Types Supported.

• The Basic Request Types.

• Request Type 1.

• Request Type 2.

• Request Type 3.

• Request Type 4.

• Request Type 5.

• The Extended Request Types.

• Enhanced Processor Signature.

This Chapter

This chapter provides a detailed description of System Management Mode (SMM). It includes:

• What Falls Under the Heading of System Management?

• The Genesis of SMM.

• SMM Has Its Own Private Memory Space.

• The Basic Elements of SMM.

• How the Processor Knows the SM Memory ...