Recovery of a BIOS image

An apparatus for recovering a BIOS image for a computer system comprising:

• a nonvolatile memory for storing recovery code and a first BIOS image;
• a nonvolatile read/write storage system having a protectable storage partition, said partition storing a second BIOS image;
• an execution unit to execute said recovery code stored in said nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• a write circuit for rewriting said first BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory with said second BIOS image stored in said protected partition of said nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• and
• an update circuit for booting up said system using said second BIOS image written in said nonvolatile memory,
• wherein said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image if said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted and wherein said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted by comparing a signature of said first BIOS image to a signature received in a secure data packet.

A data processing system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a random access memory (RAM);
• a communications adapter coupled to a communication link;
• an I/O adapter coupled to non volatile read/write storage system, said nonvolatile read/write storage system (hard drive) having a protectable storage partition, said partition storing a second BIOS image;
• a nonvolatile electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM);
• and
• a bus system coupling said CPU to said EEPROM, said communications adapter, said I/O adapter, and said RAM, wherein said CPU comprises;
• circuitry for executing said recovery code stored in a nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• circuitry for rewriting said first BIOS image stored in said nonvolatile memory with said second BIOS image stored in said protected partition of said nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• and
• circuitry for booting up said system using said second BIOS image written in said nonvolatile memory,
• wherein said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image if said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted and wherein said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted by comparing a signature of said first BIOS image to a signature received in a secure data packet.

A computer program product for recovering a BIOS image for a computer system, said computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium, including programming for a processor, said computer program comprising a program of instructions for performing the program steps of:

• executing recovery code stored in a nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• rewriting a first BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory with a second BIOS image stored in a protected portion of a nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• and
• updating said system using said rewritten second BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory, wherein said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image if said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted and wherein said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted by comparing a signature of said first BIOS image to a signature received in a secure data packet.

A method for recovering a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) image in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

• executing recovery code stored in a nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• rewriting a first BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory with a second BIOS image stored in a protected portion of a nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• and
• updating said system using said rewritten second BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory,
• wherein said recover BIOS command is generated in response to a recover BIOS request received by said computer system over a communication link, said recover BIOS request is part of a secure data packet received by said computer system via said communication link, and said secure data packet has data which must first be authenticated by said recovery code before said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image.

An apparatus for recovering a BIOS image for a computer system comprising:

• a nonvolatile memory for storing recovery code and a first BIOS image;
• a nonvolatile read/write storage system having a protectable storage partition, said partition storing a second BIOS image;
• an execution unit to execute said recovery code stored in said nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• a write circuit for rewriting said first BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory with said second BIOS image stored in said protected partition of said nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• an update circuit for booting up said system using said second BIOS image written in said nonvolatile memory;
• and
• a receiver circuit to receive a recover BIOS request via a communication link,
• wherein said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image if said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted, said recover BIOS command is generated in response to said recover BIOS request received by said receiver circuit over said communication link, said recover BIOS request is part of a secure data packet received via said communication link, and said secure data packet has data which must be first authenticated by said recovery code before said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image.

An apparatus for recovering a BIOS image for a computer system comprising:

• a nonvolatile memory for storing recovery code and a first BIOS image;
• a nonvolatile read/write storage system having a protectable storage partition, said partition storing a second BIOS image;
• an execution unit to execute said recovery code stored in said nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• a write circuit for rewriting said first BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory with said second BIOS image stored in said protected partition of said nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• and
• an update circuit for booting up said system using said second BIOS image written in said nonvolatile memory,
• wherein said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image if said first BIOS image is determined to be corrupted, said recover BIOS request is part of a secure data packet received via said communication link, and said secure data packet has data which must be first authenticated by said recovery code before said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image.

A computer program product for recovering a BIOS image for a computer system, said computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium, including programming for a processor, said computer program comprising a program of instructions for performing the program steps of:

• executing recovery code stored in a nonvolatile memory in response to a recover BIOS command;
• rewriting a first BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory with a second BIOS image stored in a protected portion of a nonvolatile storage unit in response to said recovery code;
• and
• updating said system using said rewritten second BIOS image in said nonvolatile memory, wherein said recover BIOS command is generated in response to a recover BIOS request received by said computer system over a communication link, said recover BIOS request is part of a secure data packet received by said computer system via said communication link, and said secure data packet has data which must first be authenticated by said recovery code before said first BIOS image is rewritten with said second BIOS image.