System shipment lock

A controller comprising:

• an interface in communication with an input device;
• a persistent memory;
• and
• a processor subsystem of an information handling system (IHS) and which is in communication with the persistent memory device to execute a system shipment lock (SSL) utility and which:
• determines, during a start-up procedure, before boot of the operating system, whether a lock data structure in the persistent memory indicates one or more resources of an information handling system (IHS) are in a locked state, the lock data structure providing a value indicating one of a locked or an unlocked state of the IHS and associated with a system shipping lock (SSL) that protects the IHS during shipping by providing a password mode, which requires entry of an unlock passcode to clear a lock bit of the lock data structure, wherein entry of the unlock passcode is required to access each of at least one locked resource of the IHS, and the SSL and lock data structure prevents un-authorized activation of the IHS and/or changes to or tampering with the IHS during shipping, wherein the lock data structure is a separate memory data from the unlock passcode;
• and
• in response to determining that the lock data structure indicates the locked state is activated for the IHS:
• prevents the processor subsystem of the IHS from proceeding with the start-up procedure until a unique password, which is the unlock passcode, is received from the user interface, wherein a processor of the device is prevented from booting up an Operating System (OS) when the device is in the locked state;
• in response to powering up of the IHS while the shipping lock is activated, displaying a password prompt as a boot splash screen, where the password prompt prompts for entry of the unlock passcode to clear the lock bit of the lock data structure and change the lock state of the lock data structure to the unlocked state, the prompting being presented as the boot splash screen and completed via one of a basic input/output (BIOS) code and system management interface on system power up before execution of the operating system;
• in response to receiving an input, determines whether the input matches a unique password contained in an externally unreadable portion of memory of the IHS;
• and
• in response to determining that the input matches the unique password:
• permanently changes the lock data structure to an unlocked state;
• enables the processor subsystem to perform the start-up procedure;
• and
• in response to determining that the lock data structure indicates the unlocked state, indirectly unlocks all other system management interfaces that are subject to the SSL, wherein to perform the indirect unlocking, the controller sends the unique password to each remaining system management interface of the IHS that is locked with the unique password to disable system shipment lock throughout the IHS.

An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

• one of more locally-available information handling resources;
• an interface in communication with an input device;
• a persistent memory;
• and
• a processor subsystem in communication with the persistent memory device to execute a system shipment lock (SSL) utility and which:
• determines, during an initial start-up procedure of the IHS, before boot of the operating system, whether a lock data structure in the persistent memory indicates one or more resources are in a locked state, the lock data structure providing a value indicating one of a locked or an unlocked state of the IHS and associated with a system shipping lock (SSL) that protects the IHS during shipping by providing a password mode, which requires entry of an unlock passcode to clear a lock bit of the lock data structure, wherein entry of the unlock passcode is required to access each of at least one locked resource of the IHS, and the SSL and lock data structure prevents un-authorized activation of the IHS and/or changes to or tampering with the IHS during shipping, wherein the lock data structure is a separate memory data from the unlock passcode;
• and
• in response to determining that the lock data structure indicates the locked state is activated for the IHS:
• prevents the processor subsystem of the IHS from proceeding with the start-up procedure until a unique password, which is the unlock passcode, is received from the user interface, wherein a processor of the device is prevented from booting up an Operating System (OS) when the device is in the locked state;
• in response to powering up of the IHS while the shipping lock is activated, displaying a password prompt as a boot splash screen, where the password prompt prompts for entry of the unlock passcode to clear the lock bit of the lock data structure and change the lock state of the lock data structure to the unlocked state, the prompting being presented as the boot splash screen and completed via one of a basic input/output (BIOS) code and system management interface on system power up before execution of the operating system;
• in response to receiving an input, determines whether the input matches a unique password contained in an externally unreadable portion of memory of the IHS;
• and
• in response to determining that the input matches the unique password:
• permanently changes the lock data structure to an unlocked state;
• enables the processor subsystem to perform the start-up procedure;
• and
• in response to determining that the lock data structure indicates the unlocked state, the SSL utility configures a controller to indirectly and permanently unlock all other system management interfaces that are subject to the SSL, wherein to perform the indirect unlocking, the controller sends the unique password to each remaining system management interface of the IHS that is locked with the unique password to disable system shipment lock throughout the IHSs.