# US 2021/0240484 A1 · Selectively updating a bios image > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0240484 A1 - Document ID: US20210240484A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/780,346 - Filed: 2020-02-03 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-03 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Sumanth Vidyadhara; Shekar Babu Suryanarayana - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240484A1 ## CPC - G06F 9/441: {Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded} - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 9/4408: {Boot device selection} - G06F 21/572: {Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]} - G06F 21/577: {Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security} - G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A BIOS image can be selectively updated. An image loader of the BIOS can be configured to detect whether a BIOS image to be loaded includes a selective update capability field, and if so, employ a value defined in the selective update capability field to determine whether an updated BIOS image exists. When an updated BIOS image exists, the image loader can load the updated BIOS image rather than the BIOS image. In this way, an individual BIOS image can be selectively updated without needing to update the entire BIOS. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, performed during a boot process on a computing system, for selectively updating a BIOS image, the method comprising: in response to a request to load a BIOS image from existing BIOS, obtaining an identifier from the BIOS image; employing the identifier to determine whether an updated BIOS image is available for the BIOS image; and upon determining that an updated BIOS image is available for the BIOS image, loading the updated BIOS image rather than the BIOS image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the identifier from the BIOS image comprises detecting that the BIOS image includes a selective update capability field and reading the identifier from the selective update capability field. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein employing the identifier to determine whether an updated BIOS image is available for the BIOS image comprises determining whether the identifier is mapped to a storage location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein loading the updated BIOS image comprises loading the updated BIOS image from the storage location to which the identifier is mapped. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to loading the updated BIOS image, verifying a signature of the updated BIOS image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to a request to load a second BIOS image from the existing BIOS, obtaining a second identifier from the second BIOS image; employing the second identifier to determine whether an updated BIOS image is available for the second BIOS image; and upon determining that an updated BIOS image is not available for the second BIOS image, loading the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein determining that an updated BIOS image is not available for the second BIOS image comprises determining that the second identifier is not mapped to a storage location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: storing an updated second BIOS image at a particular storage location; and mapping the second identifier to the particular storage location. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: in response to another request to load the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS, obtaining the second identifier from the second BIOS image; determining that the second identifier is mapped to the particular storage location; and loading the updated second BIOS image from the particular storage location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to a request to load a second BIOS image from the existing BIOS, determining that the second BIOS does not include a selective update capability field; and in response to determining that the second BIOS does not include a selective update capability field, loading the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 11 One or more computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed implement a method for selectively updating a BIOS image during a boot process on a computing system, the method comprising: in response to a request to load a BIOS image from existing BIOS, determining that the BIOS image includes a selective update capability field; employing an identifier defined in the selective update capability field to determine whether an updated BIOS image is available for the BIOS image; and upon determining that an updated BIOS image is available for the BIOS image, loading the updated BIOS image rather than the BIOS image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer storage media of claim 11, wherein employing the identifier defined in the selective update capability field to determine whether an updated BIOS image is available for the BIOS image comprises determining that the identifier is mapped to a storage location. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer storage media of claim 12, wherein loading the updated BIOS image comprises loading the updated BIOS image from the storage location to which the identifier is mapped. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises: in response to a request to load a second BIOS image from the existing BIOS, determining that the second BIOS image includes a selective update capability field; employing a second identifier defined in the selective update capability field included in the second BIOS image to determine whether an updated second BIOS image is available for the second BIOS image; and upon determining that an updated second BIOS image is not available for the BIOS image, loading the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises: storing an updated second BIOS image at a particular storage location; mapping the second identifier to the particular storage location; in response to another request to load the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS, determining that the second identifier is mapped to the particular storage location; and loading the updated second BIOS image from the particular storage location rather than loading the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 16 A computing system comprising: one or more processors; and computer storage media storing existing BIOS, wherein the existing BIOS implements an image loader and includes a plurality of BIOS images; wherein the image loader is configured to implement a method during a boot process for selectively updating BIOS images included in the existing BIOS, the method comprising: in response to a request to load a first BIOS image included in the existing BIOS, determining that the first BIOS image includes a selective update capability field; obtaining a first identifier defined in the selective update capability field of the first BIOS image; determining that the first identifier is mapped to a first storage location; and loading an updated first BIOS image that is stored at the first storage location rather than loading the first BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computing system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises: in response to a request to load a second BIOS image included in the existing BIOS, determining that the second BIOS image includes a selective update capability field; obtaining a second identifier defined in the selective update capability field of the second BIOS image; determining that the second identifier is not mapped to a storage location; and loading the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computing system of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises: in response to a subsequent request to load the second BIOS image included in the existing BIOS, determining that the second identifier is mapped to a second storage location; and loading an updated second BIOS image from the second storage location rather than loading the second BIOS image from the existing BIOS. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computing system of claim 16, wherein the computer storage media stores GUID-to-location mappings, and wherein determining that the first identifier is mapped to the first storage location comprises accessing the GUID-to-location mappings. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computing system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises: loading the updated first BIOS image after verifying a signature of the updated first BIOS image.