# US 2014/0195763 A1 · Hardware and file system agnostic mechanism for achieving capsule support

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- Number: US 2014/0195763 A1
- Document ID: US20140195763A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/153,492
- Filed: 2014-01-13
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2008-09-30
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Michael A. Rothman; Vincent J. Zimmer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195763A1

## CPC

- G06F 12/02: Addressing or allocation; Relocation (program address sequencing G06F9/00; arrangements for selecting an address in a digital store G11C8/00)
- G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- G06F 9/4401: Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- G06F 9/44505: {Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to a hardware and file system agnostic mechanism for achieving capsule support are described. In one embodiment, content associate with a capsule are stored in a non-volatile memory prior to a cold reset. A capsule descriptor may also be constructed, prior to the reset, which includes information about the physical location of the capsule content on the non-volatile memory. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
non-volatile (NV) memory to store content corresponding to a capsule; and
a processor, coupled to the non-volatile memory, to:
detect a capsule update request;
store the content corresponding to the capsule in the non-volatile memory; and
define a capsule variable for a capsule descriptor to comprise a list of one or more physical locations of the content corresponding to the capsule stored on the non-volatile memory; and
define an NV attribute to indicate whether the capsule variable is to survive a platform reset.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capsule descriptor is file system agnostic.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising firmware, wherein the firmware is to be updated in accordance with the content corresponding to the capsule.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to access the one or more physical locations on the non-volatile memory to read the content corresponding to the capsule in response to a platform initialization caused by a volatile memory destructive reset.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to detect the capsule update request based on a value stored in a capsule update request flag.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is to store a value in the capsule update request flag in response to a request by an operating system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a volatile memory to store the operating system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer system that comprises the processor and the non-volatile memory, wherein the computer system is incapable of supporting a memory non-destructive reset.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processor cores.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capsule variable is to be defined for the capsule descriptor to comprise: the list of one or more physical locations of the content corresponding to the capsule stored on the non-volatile memory and one or more attributes comprising: the NV (Non-Volatile) attribute, a BS (Boot Service) attribute, and an RT (Run-Time) attribute, wherein the BS and RT attributes are to indicate when the capsule variable is accessible.