88 results about "Option ROM" patented technology

A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for at designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is disclosed for initializing expansion adapters installed in a computer system having similar expansion adapters that include detecting an expansion adapter installed in a computer system having a plurality of expansion adapters, the detected expansion adapter having an option ROM containing initialization code, identifying similar expansion adapters installed in the computer system that correspond to the detected expansion adapter, each of the identified similar expansion adapters having an option ROM containing initialization code, disabling the option ROM of each of the identified similar expansion adapters, and initializing the plurality of expansion adapters installed in the computer system without executing the initialization code of the identified similar expansion adapters.

An apparatus and method are described for identifying uncommitted memory in a system RAM during an initialization process of a computer system, such as a boot procedure or power-on self test, during which memory management is uncontrolled. In various embodiments of the invention, repeating patterns that are indicative of uncommitted memory blocks are identified within a conventional memory area of the system RAM. At least some of the uncommitted memory blocks are allocated for use by an option ROM or other BIOS data and a table is created identifying these uncommitted memory blocks. After the BIOS code exits the system RAM, the table is used to restore the uncommitted memory blocks into their previous data states.

In some embodiments, the invention involves a system and method for invoking a series of hypervisors on a platform. A hardware-based secure boot of a chained series of virtual machines throughout the life of the pre-operating system (OS) firmware/BIOS/loader/option ROM execution, with component-wise isolation of the pre-extensible firmware interface (PEI) and driver execution environment (DXE) cores is utilized. In an embodiment, a Cache-As-RAM (CAR) based hypervisor, executing directly from Flash memory manages sequential invocation of a next hypervisor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A system and method for initialization of a computer system is described. Faster initialization of a computer system is possible by allowing certain device driver initialization tasks to overlap with other initialization and operating system tasks. option-ROMs resident on hardware device drivers define the initialization tasks to be performed prior to device driver initialization. Initial computer code for booting the computing device, such as a BIOS, is executed. As option-ROMs for hardware devices are scanned and executed, specific device initialization information is accessed from the devices and placed in pre-defined buffer areas. These accesses occur in parallel to other start up tasks. When device drivers are loaded, some of their initialization has already completed, thereby shortening the time necessary to boot the system.

A method for platform independent management of devices using option ROMs. Under one embodiment of the method, manageability data is stored in an option ROM of a peripheral device of a computer platform. The manageability data includes a descriptor that provides an identity, data type, access method and potentially other data to discover, access, and control the device. An embedded instance of the Sensor/Effector Interface (SEI) subsystem is provided by a management engine (ME) implementation via execution of corresponding firmware by the ME. Via the use of an out-of-band communication channel facilitated by the ME or other means (e.g., LAN microcontroller), management data retrieved from option ROMs, and the SEI, a remote management server is enabled to remotely manage various devices and/or the computer platform.

Methods of conserving memory resources available to a computer system during execution of a system BIOS are provided. The method includes (a) executing the system BIOS; (b) loading the header, runtime code, and memory allocator code associated with the option ROM BIOS chip into the option ROM memory space; (c) passing control to the memory allocator code; (d) executing the memory allocator code to allocate conventional memory of the system RAM; (e) copying the decompressor code from the option ROM BIOS chip to the allocated conventional memory; (f) passing control to the decompressor code; (g) executing the decompressor code to decompress the compressed initialization code directly from the option ROM BIOS chip and thus loading the decompressed initialization code into the conventional memory; and (h) executing the decompressed initialization code to initialize the adapter card or controller.

A mechanism for automatically enrolling option ROMs into the system security database used for a UEFI Secure Boot is discussed. A request is received by a computing device to auto-enroll one or more option ROMs for one or more respective devices on the next boot of the system. Upon receiving the request, a flag or other type of indicator indicative of an auto-enroll status is changed to an active mode. The indicator is stored in non-volatile memory and may be stored as a UEFI Authenticated Variable. Following the changing of the indicator, the system is either reset or shut down. During the next boot only, after identifying the indicator indicative of an active mode auto-enroll status, the signatures for the option ROMs of all discovered devices whose signatures do not exist in the system security database are calculated(hashed) and added to the UEFI Secure Boot database without user interaction.

Methods for optimizing of memory resources during an initialization routine of a computer system which prepares the computer system for loading of an operating system is disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving a request from a system BIOS to locate an amount of conventional memory where the amount of conventional memory accommodates at least a decompressed version of data located in an option ROM BIOS. Then the amount of conventional memory requested by the system BIOS is determined. If the amount of conventional memory requested by the system BIOS is not available, the method continues and system BIOS data located within the conventional memory is read where the system BIOS data occupies at least the amount of conventional memory requested by the system BIOS. After the system BIOS data is read, the system BIOS data is written from the conventional memory to an extended memory, and the system BIOS data located in the conventional memory that has been written into the extended memory is deleted.

A method and system for virtualizing images. Multiple images are shadowed (i.e., copied) into portions of the physical address space of system memory. A mapping mechanism is effected to map all of the images into a common virtual address space, wherein images in the virtual address space are overlapped, thus enabling the images to be logically stored in a portion of virtual memory having a size less than the aggregated size of the images. In some embodiments, the images comprise option ROM images, which are shadowed into system memory during the pre-boot of a computer system. Due to legacy requirements, the option ROM images must be logically located in a limited portion of virtual memory (i.e., the common virtual address space). The embodiments enable a large number of option ROM images to be shadowed at the same time. In one embodiment, system hardware is programmed by firmware to effect a dynamic mapping between virtual pages at which an image is logically located to physical pages where the image is physically located.

In some embodiments, the invention involves a system and method relating to switching to protected mode to access extended memory while executing instruction code that is designed for real mode memory access. In at least one embodiment, the present invention is intended to enable complex option-ROM code to be executed during pre-boot without corrupting system memory used by the BIOS or other option-ROMs. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Option ROMs associated with information handling system processing components is selectively disabled to reduce the time associated with one or more boots of the information handling system, such as during deployment of applications after manufacture of the information handling system. An Option ROM selector module identifies one or more Option ROMs to disable at a boot, such as Option ROMs associated with processing components that are not needed for deployment of applications, and communicates the disabled Option ROMs to an Option ROM boot execution controller of the information handling system, such as with SMBIOS tokens. At a subsequent boot, the Option ROM execution controller prevents the BIOS from loading disabled Option ROMs for execution so that boot time is reduced with impact to the deployment of applications.

A system and method for configuring devices during pre-boot in a computer system which may have both legacy and EFI compatible option-ROMs. EFI versions of the Option-ROMs export a callable interface that can be invoked to execute the configuration utility. A hardware independent piece of software lists all the hardware devices in a single menu and allows the user to invoke the configuration utility for the appropriate hardware device(s).

A mechanism for controlling the execution of Option ROM code on a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-compliant computing device is discussed. A security policy enforced by the firmware may be configured by the computing platform designer/IT administrator to take different actions for different types of detected expansion cards or other devices due to the security characteristics of Option ROM drivers associated with the expansion card or device. The security policy may specify whether authorized signed UEFI Option ROM drivers, unauthorized but signed UEFI Option ROM drivers, unsigned UEFI Option ROM drivers and legacy Option ROM drivers are allowed to execute on the UEFI-compliant computing device.

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are disclosed for option ROM characterization by establishing an isolating execution environment for an expansion adapter of a computer, the adapter having an option ROM containing initialization code for the adapter, executing the initialization code for the expansion adapter in the isolating execution environment, identifying operating characteristics of the option ROM, including characteristics of the option ROM unavailable prior to execution of the initialization code in the isolating execution environment, and allocating virtual memory address space in a normal execution environment of the computer to the option ROM of the expansion adapter in dependence upon the identified operating characteristics of the option ROM.

An initialization picture displaying method is applicable to a server such as a network-attached storage (NAS) server without a display chip for remotely displaying working messages of the server. The initialization picture displaying method includes (1) utilizing a chipset to reserve a region of a memory as a display chip buffer, (2) initializing an option ROM completely, and (3) after the option ROM is initialized completely releasing the reserved region of the memory. Therefore, even if the server does not have any display chip, the NAS sever can still correctly remotely display an initialization picture of an option ROM.

A method for configuring a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) host adapter card is provided. The RAID host adapter card includes a flash storage chip and a RAID input/output processor (IOP). The RAID host adapter card is coupled to a peripheral connection interface (PCI) bus of a computer system and is interconnected to at least one storage container. The computer system has a system memory. The method includes booting the computer system and passing control to the RAID IOP. The RAID IOP reads the flash storage chip to execute a fraction of code previously written to the flash storage chip. The RAID IOP further communicates to the hard drive to locate a main portion of code previously written to at least one hidden sector. The RAID IOP also loads the main portion of the code to the system memory of the computer system to enable interoperability of the host adapter card with the computer system.

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for utilizing devices compliant with the BIOS boot specification (“BBS”) from within an EFI environment are provided. According to one method, an option ROM initialization procedure is executed to obtain a boot connection vector for each BBS compliant device. The boot connection vector for each device is executed to obtain a pointer to program code within the option ROM for accessing each device. When a request is received from within an EFI environment to access a device, the appropriate pointer for accessing the device and an interrupt thunk are utilized to access the requested device from within the EFI environment. The post-initialization state of memory used by the option ROM may also be saved and restored prior to booting a legacy operating system from the EFI environment.

Pre-validation of bootloader certificates for firmware bootloaders of an operating system boot list during a setup mode of BIOS boot initiation provides the end user with a tool to address boot certification problems associated with the firmware bootloaders before the operating system boot precludes execution of bootloaders that lack a valid certificate. For example, re-configuration of a boot list to address certification problems before exit of boot setup prevents boot to an inoperative state caused by lack of firmware execution during boot due to a failed certificate, such as a failure to load an unsigned option ROM.

The invention provides a method for realizing and testing a redundant array of independent disks (RAID). In the method, an RAID Option ROM (Read Only Memory) is independently operated in an environment provided by a DOS (Disk Operating System), and the RAID Option ROM is not required to be contained in BIOS (Basic Input Output System) Firmware, so that the time for setting up the BIOS Firmware can be reduced, and the RAID Option ROM is prevented from being interfered by other parts of a BIOS during the process of operating the RAID Option ROM. Furthermore, in the DOS environment, after a logic disk of the RAID is successfully set up, the functions of the logic disk of the RAID can be immediately verified through setting the logic disk of the RAID as a startup disk of an operating system.

A method and system whereby new devices may be introduced for use with a particular device driver without necessitating a change to the device driver binary is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an option ROM is provided within the hardware device. Program code contained in the option ROM executes during the system boot process and reads the vendor ID, device ID, subsystem vendor ID, and subsystem device ID from the device. This option ROM code then determines, based on the vendor ID, device ID, subsystem vendor ID, and subsystem device ID, whether to write a signature to a scratch pad register of the device. When the operating system is booted, the driver reads the signature written by the option ROM code. If the signature matches the signature programmed into the driver, the driver claims the device as its own and continues to load.

Techniques for supporting legacy VGA video using UEFI standard and extended UEFI graphics drivers. When an operating system that does not natively support the UEFI display protocols requires video services provided by firmware, the operating system communicates a request for video services to a generic video option ROM. The generic video option ROM notifies a generic video SMM driver of the request for video services. Such notification may be performed using a software system management interrupt (SMI). Upon notification, the generic video SMM driver notifies a third party UEFI video driver of the request for video services. The third party video driver provides the requested video services to the operating system. In this way, a third party UEFI graphics driver may support a wide variety of operating systems, even those that do not natively support the UEFI display protocols.