Key management for a rack server system
AssigneeQuanta Computer Inc.
InventorsTsung-Wei LIN, Wei-Yu CHIEN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for providing security key exchange and management prior to the operating system of the server and also provides for executing various security functions to prevent a virus or malicious software from propagating through the server and the network. The system and method utilize the BIOS firmware and baseboard management controller (BMC), which are more secure since they do not rely on open source code for software plug-ins from the user layer. As a result, a secure code can be created for key management with a globally unique identifier (GUID). The system and method provides for a network manager to easily and flexibly manage multiple security keys for a rack server system.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a processor;
- a baseboard management controller;
- a unified extensible firmware interface BIOS firmware;
- and
- a computer-readable memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, causing the processor to perform operations comprising:
- determining, via the unified extensible interface BIOS firmware, a status of a key management server;
- requesting a security key from the key management server;
- receiving the security key from the key management server;
- and
- transmitting the security key to a baseboard management controller and the unified extensible interface BIOS firmware.
A method of managing a security key for a rack server system, the method comprising:
- determining, via a unified extensible interface BIOS firmware, a status of a key management server;
- requesting the security key from the key management server;
- receiving the security key from the key management server;
- and
- transmitting the security key to a baseboard management controller and the unified extensible interface BIOS firmware.
The method of managing a security key for a rack server system, the method comprising:
- requesting the security key through a unified extensible interface BIOS firmware;
- sending the security key request to a baseboard management controller;
- communicating the security key request via a network from the baseboard management controller to a key management server;
- determining, by the unified extensible interface BIOS firmware (a) whether the security key request is valid and (b) whether the security key is available;
- sending, in response to the determining, the security key to the baseboard management controller via the network if the security key request is valid and available;
- and
- providing the security key to the unified extensible interface BIOS firmware.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.