Boot Firmware OS Version Control via WPBT URL Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for restoring operating system application software in information handling systems lack control over software versions, as they are fixed once burned into the boot firmware, preventing the deployment of newer versions and limiting IT administrators' ability to select specific software versions for installation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a version identifier to specify the OS application software version to be restored, with a Content Deliver Network (CDN) server storing multiple versions and a registration web server mapping device and version identifiers to URL links, enabling the retrieval and deployment of the specified version using a Windows Platform Binary Table (WPBT).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the platform binary is contained within the boot block stored in ROM, then the boot firmware can provide runtime services for operating systems, but the software version is fixed once the boot block image is burned in ROM and cannot be updated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the boot firmware into multiple components: the boot block in ROM (containing only the platform binary), the ACPI table (containing WPBT entries with URLs), and the OS application software (downloaded separately). This allows the critical boot functionality to remain fixed and reliable while the OS application software can be updated independently by downloading new versions from remote servers, resolving the contradiction between software persistence and version control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the WPBT in the ACPI table) that acts as a bridge between the fixed boot block and the flexible OS application software. The WPBT contains URLs that point to remote locations where OS application software can be downloaded, allowing the system to maintain a fixed boot block while still enabling software updates through the intermediary URL mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If the platform binary is fixed in the boot block, then the boot process can be reliably initialized, but IT administrators cannot select specific software versions for installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the software version dynamic by introducing a version identifier parameter that can be modified. The WPBT URL can be dynamically updated to point to different versions of the OS application software, and the version identifier can be changed to select specific versions. This allows IT administrators to select and control software versions while maintaining automatic restoration functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables version selection by allowing changes to the version identifier parameter and the WPBT URL parameter. IT administrators can modify these parameters to specify different software versions, and the system will download and install the appropriate version. This parameter-based control mechanism resolves the contradiction between automatic restoration and version selection capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple versions of OS application software are stored on a remote server, then version control is possible, but the system lacks a mechanism to retrieve and deploy specific versions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the WPBT URL provides information about where to retrieve the OS application software, and the version identifier provides feedback about which specific version should be deployed. The system uses this feedback information to automatically download and install the correct version, making the version retrieval and deployment process straightforward and automated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the system to self-service the version retrieval and deployment process. The platform binary automatically reads the WPBT URL and version identifier, downloads the appropriate OS application software version from the remote server, and installs it without requiring manual intervention. This self-service mechanism resolves the contradiction between storing multiple versions and easily retrieving/deploying specific versions.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of systems and computer implemented methods are disclosed to automatically restore operating system (OS) application software to an information handling systems (IHS) when the OS application software is removed from a computer readable storage device of the IHS. The disclosed embodiments control the version of the OS application software being deployed to an IHS when deploying the software from the boot firmware. For example, the disclosed embodiments utilize a version identifier to specify which version of the OS application software should be restored, a Content Deliver Network (CDN) server to store multiple versions of the OS application software, and a registration web server to map a device identifier corresponding to the IHS and the version identifier corresponding to the specified version of the OS application software to a universal resource locator (URL) link identifying where the specified version of the OS application software is stored within the CDN server.