BIOS Variable-Based Application Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprises face inefficiencies and increased costs due to the cumbersome process of setting up and managing corporate-owned computing devices, particularly when deploying management applications, which can lead to security issues and delays in device provisioning.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a non-volatile storage device to store BIOS variables, allowing the processor to determine and deploy management applications during the operating system phase by communicating with an external server, generating BIOS variables, and using ACPI data structures for deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual setup and installation of management applications is performed by administrators, then device security and management can be ensured, but time consumption and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The management application is pre-installed on the computing device during manufacturing or provisioning, before the employee receives the device. This preliminary action eliminates the need for manual installation by administrators during the setup process, ensuring security is established in advance while significantly reducing setup time.
Solution Approach 2:
The device automatically detects and applies management applications through integrated update services during the boot process, without requiring administrator intervention. The system serves itself by automatically checking for available applications, downloading them, and installing them through ACPI data structures, thereby eliminating manual setup efforts.
2Productivity
If management applications are pre-installed during manufacturing, then deployment speed increases, but flexibility and adaptability to different employee needs are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines which management applications to deploy based on device detection during the boot process. Instead of having a fixed pre-installed application, the system adaptively selects and installs appropriate applications through communication with update services, maintaining both speed and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from device detection during boot to determine the appropriate management application to deploy. The update service receives information about the specific device, processes this feedback, and returns the appropriate application package, enabling both rapid deployment and customized configuration based on actual device needs.
3Reliability
If administrators manually configure each computing device, then customization and security control are maintained, but enterprise costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
An update service acts as an intermediary between the administrator and the device configuration process. This intermediary handles the complexity of application selection, downloading, and installation through automated ACPI data structure processing, while maintaining security control through centralized management. Administrators no longer need to manually configure each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of administrators physically installing and configuring applications on each device is replaced with an automated software-based system. The update service and ACPI data structures automatically handle the configuration process, substituting human manual operations with automated computational processes that maintain security while reducing complexity.
4Reliability
If management applications are deployed through traditional installation methods, then installation control is maintained, but the process is cumbersome and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The application package and installation instructions are prepared in advance through the update service, which handles all preparation work before the actual installation. This preliminary action includes validating the application package, preparing ACPI data structures, and ensuring compatibility, making the actual installation process simple and controlled without errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service installation by automatically detecting device requirements, selecting the appropriate application package, and executing the installation through integrated ACPI mechanisms. This eliminates the need for administrators to manually perform installation operations, making the process both easy and controlled through automated validation and execution.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a computing device includes a non-volatile storage device to store a basic input/output system (BIOS) variable. Further, the computing device includes a BIOS. During a boot process of the computing devices, the BIOS may read the BIOS variable from the non-volatile storage device. Further, the BIOS may detect that an application is to be deployed in the computing device based on the BIOS variable. Furthermore, the BIOS may load an application package from the non-volatile storage device into a volatile storage device and build an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) data structure with the application package loaded in the volatile storage device. Further, the BIOS may deploy the application using the ACPI data structure.