Extended Platform Binary Table Multi-Image Firmware Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for deploying software agents in operating systems, such as the Windows Platform Binary Table (WPBT), only allow for the publication of a single binary image from firmware during boot, limiting the ability to load multiple images simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
The extension of WPBT, known as Extended Platform Binary Table (XPBT), enables the publication of multiple binary images from firmware during the booting process, allowing OEMs to include their own images alongside the Absolute Persistence Agent, with the option for end-customers to select which agents to use, and providing a mechanism for secondary images to be deployed after the operating system has started.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the current WPBT method is used to deploy software agents, then a single binary image can be published from firmware to the operating system, but the ability to load and execute multiple images simultaneously is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the binary image deployment process into two distinct phases: (1) during booting, multiple binary images are installed into the configuration table and saved to the file system; (2) after the operating system has started loading, the first binary image is executed to deploy secondary binary images. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing multiple images to be prepared in advance without overwhelming the boot process, while still achieving multi-image capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by installing multiple binary images into the configuration table and saving them to the file system during the booting process, before the operating system fully loads. This preliminary preparation of multiple images enables subsequent execution of multiple agents without complicating the core WPBT structure, as the heavy lifting of multi-image preparation occurs in advance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple binary images are published during booting, then flexibility and user choice are enhanced, but the boot process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the multi-image deployment into two time-separated phases: image installation during booting, and image execution after OS loading. This segmentation prevents boot process delays by completing all image preparation work before the OS needs to execute agents, thus providing user choice without extending critical boot time.
Solution Approach 2:
By performing the preliminary action of installing and saving multiple binary images during the booting process itself, the patent ensures that when the OS starts loading, all necessary images are already in place. This eliminates the need for additional image loading time after boot, maintaining efficient startup while enabling multiple agent options.
3Device complexity
If a single binary table is used to hold information about publishable executables, then the table structure remains simple, but only one binary image can be published
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the contradiction by adding a temporal dimension to the configuration table usage: during booting, the table holds multiple binary images for installation; after boot, the table facilitates execution of multiple images. This dimensional transition allows the same simple table structure to support multi-image capability without structural complexity, by leveraging different phases of system operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Multiple binary images stored in the firmware of an electronic device are written to the device's configuration tables during booting of the device, where one of the binary images is a manager binary. During booting, the manager binary is saved to the file system of the operating system such that it automatically executes upon completion of booting. The manager binary then deploys the other binary images.