Authentication system for gaming machines

A method of verifying a component using an authentication system to authenticate contents of a manifest in a gaming system including one or more processors, the component having a plurality of sub-components, the method comprising:

• determining if the manifest is authentic using a digital signature check, the manifest having contents including a plurality of sub-components each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks;
• booting an operating system, once the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• performing a hash calculation over each sub-component listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• verifying the plurality of sub-components for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest using the one or more processors;
• and
• loading the sub-component if the calculated hash and the stored hash for the sub-component are equal.

A system for verifying a component using an authentication system to authenticate contents of a manifest in a gaming system, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a set of instructions that are executable on the processor for determining if the manifest is authentic using a digital signature check, the manifest having contents including a plurality of components each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks, wherein an operating system is booted, once the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• a set of instructions that are executable on the processor for performing a hash calculation over each component listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• a set of instructions that are executable on the processor for verifying the component for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest;
• and
• a set of instructions that are executable on the processor for loading the component if the calculated hash and the stored hash are equal.

A system for verifying a component using an authentication system to authenticate contents of a manifest in a gaming system including one or more processors, the system comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured for verifying a component using the one or more processors, comprising:

• computer readable code configured to authenticate a manifest using a digital signature check, the manifest having contents including a plurality of components each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks;
• computer readable code configured for determining if the contents of the manifest are is authenticated, and booting an operating system, once the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• computer readable code configured to perform a hash calculation over each component listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• computer readable code configured to verify each component for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest using the processor;
• computer readable code configured to load the component, if the calculated hash and the stored hash are equal.

A method of authenticating the contents of manifests on a writable media device in a gaming system including one or more processors, the method comprising:

• authenticating a manifest using a digital signature check, the manifest having contents including a plurality of components each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks;
• determining if the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• booting an operating system if the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• performing a hash calculation over each component listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• verifying each component for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest using the one or more processors;
• and
• loading the component if the calculated hash and the stored hash are equal.

A method of installing one or more data components using an authentication system to authenticate contents of a manifest in a gaming system including one or more processors, the method comprising:

• creating a manifest having contents including a plurality of components each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks;
• creating a digital signature of the manifest;
• installing the one or more data components, the manifest, and the digital signature on a media device;
• determining if the contents of the manifest are authenticated, and booting an operating system if the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• performing a hash calculation over each component listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• and
• verifying each component for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest using the one or more processors;
• wherein the digital signature is for authenticating the manifest, and the hash values are for verifying the one or more data components before loading on an as-needed basis.

In a gaming machine, a method of verifying one or more files stored on a network associated storage device using an authentication system to authenticate contents of a manifest in a gaming system including one or more processors, the method comprising:

• determining if a manifest is authentic using a digital signature check, the manifest having contents including a plurality of files each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks;
• reading the file from the network associated storage device over a network connection if the manifest is authentic;
• booting an operating system if the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• performing a hash calculation over each file listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• verifying each file for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest using the one or more processors;
• and
• loading the file if the calculated hash and the stored hash are equal.

In a gaming machine, a method of verifying one or more files stored on a diskless storage device using an authentication system to authenticate contents of a manifest in a gaming system including one or more processors, the method comprising:

• determining if a manifest is authentic using a digital signature check, the manifest having contents including a plurality of files each having a file name, a block indicator, an associated stored hash, a block size field indicating a size of each data block, and a block number field indicating a number of data blocks;
• reading the file from the diskless storage device if the manifest is authentic;
• booting an operating system if the contents of the manifest are authenticated;
• performing a hash calculation over each file listed by file name in the authenticated manifest, as the component is needed, to produce a calculated hash;
• verifying each file for which a hash calculation was performed by comparing the calculated hash to the associated stored hash and associated file name located within the manifest using the one or more processors;
• and
• loading the file if the calculated hash and the stored hash are equal.