System and method for flexible startup of data processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12130925-B2
Application number	US-202217873364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2022
Priority date	Jul 26, 2022
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing the operation of data processing systems are disclosed. A data processing system may include a computing device that may enter various operating states by performing various types of startups. The startups may include use of code bases for which the computing device may not inherently be able to validate. To reduce risk of using the code bases, the computing device may perform processes to validate the code bases prior to using the code bases. Additionally, the computing devices may limit the types of interfaces that may be established during the startups while allowing other types of interfaces to be established to provide startup flexibility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for managing operation of a data processing system, the method comprising:
identifying a startup of the data processing system;
after a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) compliant startup manager finishes a power-on self-test (POST) portion of the startup:
making a determination regarding whether the startup is a UEFI compliant startup;
in an instance of the determination in which the startup is not a UEFI compliant startup:
obtaining a non-UEFI compliant firmware image from a management controller hosted by the data processing system;
making a second determination regarding whether the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is trustworthy; and
in a first instance of the second determination in which the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is trustworthy:
handing off management of the startup to an instance of a non-UEFI compliant firmware hosted by the data processing system using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to complete the startup; and

in a second instance of the second determination in which the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is not trustworthy:
remediating the startup without using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to complete the startup.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the non-UEFI compliant firmware image from the management controller comprises:
sending a request for the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to the management controller via a high speed bare metal interface; and
receiving a copy of the non-UEFI compliant firmware image via a message responsive to the request and obtained via the high speed bare metal interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the high speed bare metal interface is a shared memory architecture (SMA) or a memory mapped management controller interface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is executed prior to any operating systems being executed by the data processing system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the high speed bare metal interface is implemented without emulation.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is executed prior to any operating systems being executed by the data processing system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in a second instance of the determination in which the startup is a UEFI compliant startup:
obtaining UEFI compliant firmware; and
initiating execution of the UEFI compliant firmware during the startup.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second determination is made using security information corresponding to the non-UEFI compliant firmware image and by, at least in part, performance of an operation using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image, the operation having been used to obtain the security information.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein remediating the startup comprises at least one action selected from a group of actions consisting of:
halting the startup;
displaying an error with respect to the startup; and
performing a recovery for the data processing system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the management controller operates independently from hardware components of the data processing system used to provide computer implemented offered by the data processing system.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause a data processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
identifying a startup of the data processing system;
after a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) compliant startup manager hosted by the data processing system finishes a power-on self-test (POST) portion of the startup:
making a determination regarding whether the startup is a UEFI compliant startup;
in an instance of the determination in which the startup is not a UEFI compliant startup:
obtaining a non-UEFI compliant firmware image from a management controller hosted by the data processing system;
making a second determination regarding whether the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is trustworthy; and
in a first instance of the second determination in which the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is trustworthy:
handing off management of the startup to an instance of a non-UEFI compliant firmware hosted by the data processing system using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to complete the startup; and

in a second instance of the second determination in which the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is not trustworthy:
remediating the startup without using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to complete the startup.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the non-UEFI compliant firmware image from the management controller comprises:
sending a request for the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to the management controller via a high speed bare metal interface; and
receiving a copy of the non-UEFI compliant firmware image via a message responsive to the request and obtained via the high speed bare metal interface.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the high speed bare metal interface is a shared memory architecture (SMA) or a memory mapped management controller interface.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is executed prior to any operating systems being executed by the data processing system.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the high speed bare metal interface is implemented without emulation.

16. A data processing system, comprising:
a management controller;
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
identifying a startup of the data processing system;
after a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) compliant startup manager hosted by the data processing system finishes a power-on self-test (POST) portion of the startup:
making a determination regarding whether the startup is a UEFI compliant startup;
in an instance of the determination in which the startup is not a UEFI compliant startup:
obtaining a non-UEFI compliant firmware image from a management controller hosted by the data processing system;
making a second determination regarding whether the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is trustworthy; and
in a first instance of the second determination in which the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is trustworthy:
 handing off management of the startup to an instance of a non-UEFI compliant firmware hosted by the data processing system using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to complete the startup; and
in a second instance of the second determination in which the non-UEFI compliant firmware image is not trustworthy:
 remediating the startup without using the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to complete the startup.

17. The data processing system of claim 16 , wherein obtaining the non-UEFI compliant firmware image from the management controller comprises:
sending a request for the non-UEFI compliant firmware image to the management controller via a high speed bare metal interface; and
receiving a copy of the non-UEFI compliant firmware image via a message responsive to t

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Singh Sanjeev
• Vancil Paul W
• Khatri Mukund
• Giri Prashanth
• Liu Wei G

Classifications

• G06F9/4401

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F11/2284

  by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST] · CPC title

• G06F2221/033

  Test or assess software · CPC title

• G06F9/45541

  Bare-metal, i.e. hypervisor runs directly on hardware · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title