# US 2018/0322291 A1 · Operational verification

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- Number: US 2018/0322291 A1
- Document ID: US20180322291A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/747,868
- Filed: 2016-01-27
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-27
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Valiuddin Y. ALI; Lan WANG; Boris BALACHEFF
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180322291A1

## CPC

- G06F 21/572: {Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]}
- G06F 9/4401: Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- G06F 21/575: {Secure boot}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Example implementations relate to operational verification. In an example, operational verification includes a processor, a shared non-volatile memory storing updated system, and an embedded controller (EC) to operationally verify the updated system instructions based on comparison of a length of time associated with a BIOS boot of the computing system using the updated system instructions to a boot time threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computing system, comprising:
a processor;
a shared non-volatile memory storing updated system instructions; and
an embedded controller (EC) to operationally verify the updated system instructions based on comparison of a length of time associated with a basic input/out system (BIOS) boot of the computing system using the updated system instructions to a boot time threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the updated system instructions comprise updated BIOS instructions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the EC is to update BIOS instructions stored in a private non-volatile memory of the computing device in response operationally verifying the updated BIOS instructions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the BIOS instructions stored in the private non-volatile memory to be updated by the EC are a different version of BIOS instructions than the updated BIOS instructions stored in the shared non-volatile memory.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the length of time associated with the BIOS boot is begins upon initiation of the BIOS boot.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the length of time associated with the BIOS boot ends when the BIOS transfers control to a next component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the EC is to cryptographically verify the updated system instructions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the EC is to operational verify the updated system instructions when the amount of time associated with a boot of the system using the updated system instructions is less than the boot time threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the EC is to restore system instructions stored in a shared non-volatile memory when the updated system instructions are not operationally verified.

### Claim 10

A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions executable to:
receive updated basic input/out system (BIOS) instructions at a shared non-volatile memory of a computing system;
initiate a BIOS boot of the computing system using the updated BIOS instructions; and
operationally verify the updated BIOS instructions when an amount of time associated with the BIOS boot of the computing system using the updated BIOS instructions is less than a boot time threshold.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to restore the shared non-volatile memory to BIOS instructions stored in a private non-volatile memory when the amount of time associated with the BIOS boot is equal to or greater than the boot threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to initiate a BIOS boot of the computing system using the restored BIOS instructions.

### Claim 13

A method, comprising:
initiating a basic input/out system (BIOS) boot of a computing system using updated BIOS instructions stored in a shared non-volatile memory of the computing system;
comparing a length of time of the BIOS boot to a boot time threshold; and
operationally verify the updated BIOS instructions when the length of time of the BIOS boot is less than the boot time threshold.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, including updating BIOS instructions stored in a private flash of the computing system with the updated BIOS instructions in response to operationally verifying the updated BIOS instructions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, including providing a notification when the updated BIOS instructions are operationally verified.