Information handling apparatus and method for unlocking a persistent region in memory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11556483-B2
Application number	US-202016869102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for unlocking a persistent region in memory are disclosed. An information handling apparatus includes a controller, a memory coupled to the controller, the memory having a persistent region that can either be locked or unlocked, and a firmware configured to determine whether the persistent region of the memory is locked, obtain a stored passphrase from a storage device if the persistent region is locked, and use the passphrase to unlock the persistent region of the memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for unlocking a persistent region in a memory of an information handling apparatus, the method comprising:
during a boot process of the information handling apparatus, automatically performing:
configuring a firmware of the information handling apparatus to determine whether the persistent region in the memory is locked;
when the persistent region is locked, instructing a controller of the information handling apparatus to obtain a stored passphrase from a storage device, wherein the controller and the storage device are external to the memory; and
using the passphrase to unlock the persistent region in the memory of the information handling apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the firmware is a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI).

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing, by the controller, the storage device for the passphrase; and
returning, by a processor of the information handling apparatus, the passphrase to the firmware.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is a baseboard management controller (BMC) of the information handling apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the persistent region is formed in a non-volatile dual in-line memory module (NVDIMM).

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the persistent region is interleaved on a plurality of NVDIMMs.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the storage device is at least one of a local server and a remote server connected to the information handling apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the storage device is formed as part of a baseboard management controller (BMC) of the information handling apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, prior to determining, by the firmware, whether the persistent region in the memory is locked, storing the passphrase to the storage device.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein storing the passphrase to the storage device further comprises:
receiving the passphrase from a user input;
setting the passphrase to the persistent region in the memory of the information handling apparatus; and
saving the passphrase to the storage device.

11. An information handling apparatus, comprising:
a controller;
a memory coupled to the controller, the memory having a persistent region that can either be locked or unlocked; and
a firmware configured to, automatically during a boot process of the information handling apparatus:
determine whether the persistent region of the memory is locked;
instruct the controller to obtain a stored passphrase from a storage device when the persistent region is locked, wherein the controller and the storage device are external to the memory; and
use the passphrase to unlock the persistent region of the memory.

12. The information handling apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the firmware is a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI).

13. The information handling apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is a baseboard management controller (BMC).

14. The information handling apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the storage device is formed as part of the BMC.

15. The information handling apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the persistent region is formed in a non-volatile dual in-line memory module (NVDIMM).

16. The information handling apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the persistent region is interleaved on a plurality of NVDIMMs.

17. The information handling apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the storage device is at least one of a local server and a remote server connected to the information handling apparatus.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Zhijun
• Kochar Sumeet
• Huang He
• Chen Wenguang

Classifications

• G06F12/1466 Primary

  Key-lock mechanism · CPC title

• G06F12/0607

  Interleaved addressing · CPC title

• G06F21/79

  in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories · CPC title

• G06F13/1668 Primary

  Details of memory controller · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title