UEFI Client Distributed File System Mounting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Information handling systems lack pre-boot capabilities for dynamically locating bootable images on network storage and supporting distributed file systems, leading to limitations in power on self-test (POST) sequences and inadequate automatic failover and recovery tools in pre-boot environments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a UEFI client that initiates an SMB negotiation with a remote server for an augmented capability protocol, using secure distributed namespace compounding via customized commands and data structures over a secure tunnel, enabling the client to mount multiple remote shares without changing network configurations and facilitating silent recovery mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing network-based boot solutions (iPXE) are used with static profiles, then systems can connect to pre-profiled boot images, but the system lacks dynamic location capability for bootable images and cannot support distributed file systems in pre-boot environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static profile approach into a dynamic system where the UEFI client can dynamically locate bootable images on distributed file systems. The client negotiates SMB protocol capabilities and dynamically mounts remote shares during pre-boot, enabling adaptive image location without requiring pre-configured static profiles for each boot scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the UEFI client to perform multiple functions: traditional static profile booting, dynamic distributed file system mounting, and SMB protocol negotiation. This multi-functionality allows a single pre-boot environment to handle both legacy and modern boot scenarios, supporting diverse bootable images across different network locations without requiring separate specialized systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If distributed file system support is added to pre-boot environment, then dynamic location of bootable images is enabled, but transaction requests increase and system performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs capability negotiation and remote share mounting during the pre-boot phase before the operating system loads. By completing these file system operations in advance, the system reduces the transaction overhead during actual boot operations. The UEFI client establishes SMB sessions and mounts distributed shares beforehand, so subsequent boot image access requires fewer transactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the boot process into distinct phases: capability negotiation phase, remote share mounting phase, and boot image access phase. This segmentation allows the system to optimize each phase separately, performing complex distributed file system operations only when needed and using cached connections for routine boot operations, thereby reducing overall transaction overhead.
3Ease of operation
If multiple remote shares are mounted in pre-boot environment, then bootable image accessibility is improved, but the number of transaction requests increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple remote share mounting operations into a unified SMB negotiation process. The UEFI client negotiates capabilities with the server once and establishes a single SMB session that can access multiple distributed shares through a compound namespace. This consolidation reduces the number of separate transaction requests compared to mounting each share individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compound namespace as an intermediary layer between the UEFI client and multiple remote shares. This namespace abstracts the complexity of accessing multiple distributed file systems, allowing the client to access bootable images across different shares through a unified interface without requiring separate connection transactions for each share.
4Reliability
If secure tunnel with customized commands and data structures is implemented, then secure distributed namespace compounding is achieved, but protocol complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements security selectively by negotiating SMB protocol capabilities and establishing secure tunnels only when distributed file system access is required. The UEFI client assesses the need for secure remote share mounting and activates the enhanced security protocol only in those scenarios, rather than imposing it universally on all pre-boot operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A UEFI client initiates an SMB negotiation with a remote server for an augmented capability protocol that supports secure distributed namespace compounding via customized commands and trusted share-specific and transaction-specific data structures, referred to herein simply as secure blobs, communicated over a secure tunnel. The client platform may include a nonvolatile storage resource containing factory-installed AC modules for both the client and the server, as well as factory stored profile information for known remote shares. Upon successfully negotiating for the AC protocol, the UEFI client may retrieve and install the AC client and server modules to enable the AC protocol. The AC client may mount a local namespace, which includes a namespace folder for each remote share. The AC server module, in combination with remote share profile information provided by the AC client, enables the remote server to mount a virtual distributed namespace and function as a RVDN server.