Techniques to verify and authenticate resources in a data center computer environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020053438-A1
Application number	US-201916656009-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2019
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Feb 13, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments are generally directed apparatuses, methods, techniques and so forth to receive a sled manifest comprising identifiers for physical resources of a sled, receive results of an authentication and validation operations performed to authenticate and validate the physical resources of the sled, determine whether the results of the authentication and validation operations indicate the physical resources are authenticate or not authenticate. Further and in response to the determination that the results indicate the physical resources are authenticated, permit the physical resources to process a workload, and in response to the determination that the results indicate the physical resources are not authenticated, prevent the physical resources from processing the workload.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
generate a nonce,
communicate the nonce to a physical resource of a sled,
receive a signed version of the nonce from the physical resource, and
determine whether the physical resource is authentic based in part on the signed version of the nonce.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to permit the physical resources to process a workload in response to a determination that the physical resource is authentic.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to prevent the physical resources from processing a workload in response to a determination that the physical resource is not authentic.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to determine whether the physical resource is authentic based in part on the signed version of the nonce and public key, the public key obtained from an original manufacturer of the physical resource.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to add an indication of the physical resources in a database in response to a determination that the physical resource is authentic.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to generate a composed node comprising the physical resources of the sled in response to a determination that the physical resource is authentic.

7 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising a plurality of instructions, that when executed by processing circuitry, enable the processing circuitry to:
generate a nonce; communicate the nonce to a physical resource of a sled; receive a signed version of the nonce from the physical resource; and determine whether the physical resource is authentic based in part on the signed version of the nonce.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the processing circuitry to permit the physical resources to process a workload in response to a determination that the physical resource is authentic.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the processing circuitry to prevent the physical resources from processing a workload in response to a determination that the physical resource is not authentic.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the processing circuitry to determine whether the physical resource is authentic based in part on the signed version of the nonce and public key, the public key obtained from an original manufacturer of the physical resource.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the processing circuitry to add an indication of the physical resources in a database in response to a determination that the physical resource is authentic.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the processing circuitry to generate a composed node comprising the physical resources of the sled in response to a determination that the physical resource is authentic.

13 . An apparatus comprising:
a physical resource of a sled; circuitry; and memory comprising instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the circuitry to:
receive a nonce from a pod management controller,
sign the nonce,
send the signed nonce to the pod management controller, the pod management controller to determine whether the physical resource is authentic based in part on the signed nonce.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the circuitry to receive an indication to process, via the physical resource, a workload in response to a determination, by the pod management controller, that the physical resource is authentic.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the circuitry to sign the nonce with a private key of a keypair.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a public key of the keypair is available from an original manufacturer of the physical resource.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising a plurality of instructions, that when executed by circuitry of a physical resource of a sled, enable the circuitry to:
receive a nonce from a pod management controller; sign the nonce; send the signed nonce to the pod management controller, the pod management controller to determine whether the physical resource is authentic based in part on the signed nonce.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the circuitry to receive an indication to process, via the physical resource, a workload in response to a determination, by the pod management controller, that the physical resource is authentic.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the plurality of instructions, when executed, enable the circuitry to sign the nonce with a private key of a keypair.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein a public key of the keypair is available from an original manufacturer of the physical resource.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Munoz Alberto J
• Nachimuthu Murugasamy K
• Kumar Mohan J
• Powiertowski Wojciech
• Ghetie Sergiu D
• Upasani Neeraj S
• Dalvi Sagar V
• Nnebe Chukwunenye S
• Guillory Jeanne

Classifications

• G06F15/161 Primary

  Computing infrastructure, e.g. computer clusters, blade chassis or hardware partitioning (casings, cabinets, racks or drawers for data centers H05K5/00) · CPC title

• G06F2209/5019

  Workload prediction · CPC title

• H05K7/1485

  Servers; Data center rooms, e.g. 19-inch computer racks · CPC title

• H05K2201/066

  Heatsink mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board [PCB] · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0079

  Operation or maintenance aspects · CPC title