Bryon S Nevis

US Patent:

6581159, Jun 17, 2003

Filed:

Dec 23, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/471943

Inventors:

Bryon S. Nevis - Aloha OR
Mark Albrecht - Hillsboro OR

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 9445

US Classification:

713 2, 713187, 713191

Abstract:

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of updating BIOS using an externally provided module may include the following. In this context, the term externally provided means that the module resides in a device other than that used to hold the firmware code, such as a magnetic storage device, typically with a lower cost per bit of information. In this embodiment, the BIOS, while in control of or being executed by a processor, applies a one-way hash process to a portion of the externally provided module. The computed hash of the module portion is compared with the pre-computed hash value included with the BIOS code. The external module is then invoked as a subprogram if and only if the hash values compare as equal. The module, while executing, may then validate the remainder of the update using more sophisticated cryptographic techniques and/or perform the update directly.

US Patent:

62634313, Jul 17, 2001

Filed:

Dec 31, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/224413

Inventors:

John V. Lovelace - Hillsboro OR
Bryon S. Nevis - Portland OR

Assignee:

Intle Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 9445

US Classification:

713 2

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for booting an operating system having at least one boot component comprising the steps of accessing an ordered list identifying the at least one boot component; accessing each of the at least one boot component using the ordered list; computing a first hash value from the at least one boot component; accessing a second hash value, the second hash value being secure; comparing the first hash value to the second hash value; and booting the operating system if the first hash value matches the second hash value.