# US 12,008,359 B2 · Update of boot code handlers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,359 B2 - Document ID: US12008359B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/790,488 - Filed: 2020-02-13 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-13 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Sarathy Jayakumar; Mohan J. Kumar; Murugasamy K. Nachimuthu; Michael A. Rothman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008359B2 ## CPC - G06F 8/656: while running - G06F 9/4401: Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 21/572: {Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]} - G06F 2221/033: Test or assess software - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Examples described herein provide a central processing unit (CPU) to reserve a region of memory for use to store both a boot firmware code and a second boot firmware code and to perform the second boot firmware code without reboot. The reserved region of memory can be a region that is not configured for access by an operating system (OS). The reserved region of memory comprises System Management Random Access Memory (SMRAM). If a first interrupt handler is not overwritten after a second boot firmware code is stored, the CPU can roll back to use of the first interrupt handler. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a memory to store both a boot firmware code and a replacement boot firmware code and a central processing unit (CPU) to perform a portion of the replacement boot firmware code without reboot of the CPU, wherein: the boot firmware code is associated with a first System Management Interrupt (SMI) handler, the replacement boot firmware code is associated with a second SMI handler, the second SMI handler comprises an alternate version of the first SMI handler, the first SMI handler and the second SMI handler are stored simultaneously in the memory, and the perform a portion of the replacement boot firmware code without reboot of the CPU comprises execute the second SMI handler. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU is to reserve a region of the memory for the both the boot firmware code and the replacement boot firmware code and wherein the reserved region of the memory comprises a region that is not configured for access by an operating system (OS). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reserved region of the memory comprises System Management Random Access Memory (SMRAM). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boot firmware code comprises one or more of: Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), a boot loader, or System Management Interrupt (SMI) handler and wherein the replacement boot firmware code comprises one or more of: a BIOS, UEFI, a boot loader, or an SMI handler. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a processor to load the replacement boot firmware code from a storage device into the memory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, comprising one or more of a bus, interface, fabric, or network, wherein the storage device is locally or remotely connected with the CPU using one or more of the bus, interface, fabric, or network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU is to perform the portion of the replacement boot firmware code based on authentication of the portion of the replacement boot firmware code. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a server, data center, or rack, wherein the server, data center, or rack comprises the memory and the CPU. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second SMI handler comprises an updated version of the SMI handler. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the replacement boot firmware code comprises a Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) capsule. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: based on execution of a portion of a first version of boot firmware code by a processor, generating a region in memory of a size to store the first version of boot firmware code and a second version of boot firmware code and based on a detected indication of an update to boot firmware code, storing a portion of the second version of boot firmware code in the region in the memory, wherein: the first version of boot firmware code is associated with a first System Management Interrupt (SMI) handler, the second version of boot firmware code is associated with a second SMI handler, the second SMI handler comprises an alternate version of the first SMI handler, the first SMI handler and the second SMI handler are stored simultaneously in the memory; and performing a portion of the second version of the boot firmware code by executing the second SMI handler. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first version of the boot firmware code comprises one or more of: Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), a boot loader, or System Management Interrupt (SMI) handler and wherein the second version of the boot firmware code comprises one or more of: a BIOS, UEFI, a boot loader, or an SMI handler. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the region in the memory comprises a region that is not configured for access by an operating system (OS). ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the region in the memory comprises System Management Random Access Memory (SMRAM). ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising loading the portion of the second version of boot firmware code into the memory from one or more of: a locally connected storage device, a network accessible storage device, or a fabric accessible storage device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the storing the portion of the second version of boot firmware code in the memory comprises authenticating the portion of the second version of boot firmware code prior to storing the portion of the second version of boot firmware code in the memory. ### Claim 17 At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions stored thereon, that if executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: allocate a region in memory that is hidden from an operating system (OS), wherein the region is to store at least a first version of boot firmware code and a second version of boot firmware code; based on an indication of a second version of a boot firmware code and authentication of the second version of the boot firmware code, copy a portion of the second version of the boot firmware code into the region, wherein: the first version of boot firmware code is associated with a first System Management Interrupt (SMI) handler, the second version of boot firmware code is associated with a second SMI handler, the second SMI handler comprises an alternate version of the first SMI handler, the first SMI handler and the second SMI handler are stored simultaneously in the memory; and perform a portion of the second version of boot firmware code by executing the second SMI handler. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second version of boot firmware code comprises one or more of: Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), a boot loader, or System Management Interrupt (SMI) handler. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, comprising instructions stored thereon, that if executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: attempt to validate the second version of the boot firmware code and do not permit execution of a portion of the second version of the boot firmware code of the boot firmware code based on failure to validate the second version of the boot firmware code. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, comprising instructions stored thereon, that if executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: rollback to execution of a prior version of the boot firmware code stored in the region.