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US 12,608,481 B2Granted
Offloading secure boot during startups of data processing systems
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsAnkit Singh, Shrikant U. Hallur, Naveen Awasthy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for managing operation of a data processing system are disclosed. The data processing system may be managed during a startup process for the data processing system. The startup process may use startup data to enable functionality of hardware resources of the data processing system. During the startup process, the startup data may be validated by a management controller of the data processing system operating independently from the hardware resources. The management controller may report a validation state for the startup data to the hardware resources, and the hardware resources may use the validation state to guide completion of the startup process.
Claims20
A method for managing operation of a data processing system, the method comprising:
- making an identification that a startup process for the data processing system is being performed, the startup process using startup data to enable functionality of hardware resources of the data processing system;
- and
- based on the identification:
- obtaining, by a management controller of the data processing system, secure boot data usable to validate the startup data,
- performing, by the management controller, a validation of the startup data using at least a portion of the secure boot data to identify a validation state of a portion of the startup data, wherein the validation state indicates whether the startup data comprises a first predetermined amount of trusted startup data for completing one or more types of the startup process, the first predetermined amount being based on a predetermined list of trusted startup data,
- reporting, by the management controller, the validation state to the hardware resources, and
- using, by the hardware resources, the validation state to guide completion of the startup process that places the data processing system in a predetermined operating state,
- wherein when the validation state indicates that the startup data comprises a first instance of the first predetermined amount of the trusted startup data required for completing a remedial startup process but not for completing a nominal startup process, then using, by the hardware resources, the validation state to guide the completion of the startup process comprises:
- completing the remedial startup process for the data processing system.
6 more elements
A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for managing operation of a data processing system, the operations comprising:
- making an identification that a startup process for the data processing system is being performed, the startup process using startup data to enable functionality of hardware resources of the data processing system;
- and
- based on the identification:
- obtaining, by a management controller of the data processing system, secure boot data usable to validate the startup data,
- performing, by the management controller, a validation of the startup data using at least a portion of the secure boot data to identify a validation state of a portion of the startup data, wherein the validation state indicates whether the startup data comprises a first predetermined amount of trusted startup data for completing one or more types of the startup process, the first predetermined amount being based on a predetermined list of trusted startup data,
- reporting, by the management controller, the validation state to the hardware resources, and
- using, by the hardware resources, the validation state to guide completion of the startup process that places the data processing system in a predetermined operating state,
- wherein when the validation state indicates that the startup data comprises a first instance of the first predetermined amount of the trusted startup data required for completing a remedial startup process but not for completing a nominal startup process, then using, by the hardware resources, the validation state to guide the completion of the startup process comprises:
- completing the remedial startup process for the data processing system.
6 more elements
A data processing system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations for managing operation of the data processing system, the operations comprising:
- making an identification that a startup process for the data processing system is being performed, the startup process using startup data to enable functionality of hardware resources of the data processing system, and
- based on the identification:
- obtaining, by a management controller of the data processing system, secure boot data usable to validate the startup data;
- performing, by the management controller, a validation of the startup data using at least a portion of the secure boot data to identify a validation state of a portion of the startup data, wherein the validation state indicates whether the startup data comprises a first predetermined amount of trusted startup data for completing one or more types of the startup process, the first predetermined amount being based on a predetermined list of trusted startup data;
- reporting, by the management controller, the validation state to the hardware resources;
- and
- using, by the hardware resources, the validation state to guide completion of the startup process that places the data processing system in a predetermined operating state,
- wherein when the validation state indicates that the startup data comprises a first instance of the first predetermined amount of the trusted startup data required for completing a remedial startup process but not for completing a nominal startup process, then using, by the hardware resources, the validation state to guide the completion of the startup process comprises:
- completing the remedial startup process for the data processing system.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.