# US 2008/0189579 A1 · Method and System for a Process Monitor Using a Hardware Communication Format > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0189579 A1 - Document ID: US20080189579A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/554,662 - Filed: 2005-04-27 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2005-04-27 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Hao Zhou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080189579A1 ## CPC - G06F 11/3495: {for systems} - G06F 11/0715: {in a system implementing multitasking (multitasking per se G06F9/46)} - G06F 11/0748: {in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault (remote testing G06F11/2294)} - G06F 21/554: {involving event detection and direct action} - G06F 11/0793: {Remedial or corrective actions (recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method and system for a process monitor using a hardware communication format is described. The system includes a process monitor and a hardware device to send and/or receive messages in a hardware communication format to a management server. Hardware communication formatted messages are sent to a management server when an unexpected event occurs with the processes running on the system. The management server may respond with a command to perform an action on the system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: monitoring one or more processes on an operating system; and sending a message to a management server when an unexpected event occurs, wherein the message is in a hardware communication format. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring one or more processes comprises maintaining an expected processes list and an unexpected processes list. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein sending a message to a management server when an unexpected event occurs comprises sending a message to a management server when an expected process is not running on the operating system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein sending a message to a management server when an unexpected event occurs comprises sending a message to a management server when an unexpected process is running on the operating system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising terminating the unexpected process. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending a message to a management server comprises sending a message to a management server via a hardware device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending a message to a management server comprises sending a message to a management server via a process monitor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a periodic status message to the management server to report a status of the process monitoring. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising computing a signature for authentication via a hardware authentication device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein sending a message to a management server comprises sending a message to a management server that includes the computed signature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a response from the management server, wherein the response is in the hardware communication format. ### Claim 12 An apparatus comprising: a process monitor to check one or more processes on an operating system; and a hardware device coupled to the process monitor to send messages to and receive messages from a management server and to execute commands, wherein the messages are in a hardware communication format. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the hardware device to further receive one or more commands from the management server indicating one or more actions to be performed on the apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a hardware authentication device coupled to the process monitor to compute authentication information for the process monitor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the hardware authentication device is a Trust Protection Module (TPM). ### Claim 16 An article of manufacture comprising: a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to perform operations including: monitoring one or more processes via a process monitor; and sending periodic messages to a management server to provide a status of the process monitor, wherein each message is in a hardware communication format. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes content that causes the machine to perform operations comprising sending one or more messages to the management server to provide a status of one or more of the processes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein messages are sent to the management server via the process monitor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein messages are sent to the management server via a hardware device coupled to the process monitor. ### Claim 20 A system comprising: a management server; and a client apparatus communicatively coupled to the management server, the client apparatus including: a process monitor to check one or more processes on the client apparatus; and a hardware device coupled to the process monitor to maintain the process monitor and to send periodic messages to the management server to provide a status of the process monitor, wherein the messages are in a hardware communication format. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the management server to send a response in the hardware communication format to the hardware device, the response indicating an action to be performed on the client apparatus. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the client apparatus further comprises a hardware authentication device coupled to the process monitor to compute authentication information for the process monitor.