Host embedded controller interface bridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535874-B2
Application number	US-201313847333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2013
Priority date	Sep 11, 2008
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium are disclosed. In one embodiment the system includes a remote computer system. The remote computer system has a remote host embedded controller interface (HECI) driver and a HECI simulator. The HECI simulator intercepts commands directed to the HECI driver from software running on the remote computer system and routes the commands as HECI messages to a local computer system also included in the system. The local computer system includes a HECI bridge that is capable of receiving the HECI messages sent from the remote computer system and then can pass the received HECI messages to a local HECI driver to be operated upon.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A local computer system, comprising:
a host embedded controller interface (HECI) message routing table to list a set of response target addresses within the local computer system and a set of response target addresses within a remote computer system;
a targeted technology comprising a hardware component or a firmware component of the local computer system; and
an HECI bridge, the bridge to:
receive HECI messages sent from the remote computer system, the HECI messages routed from commands directed to an HECI driver of the remote computer system from software running on the remote computer system, and wherein the HECI messages include an identifier indicative of the targeted technology;
pass the received HECI messages to the targeted technology of the local computer system to be executed;
receive response HECI messages to the received HECI messages from the targeted technology in response to passing of the received HECI messages to the targeted technology;
look up the target address of each response HECI message using the HECI message routing table;
route each response HECI message targeting an address in the remote computer system to the remote computer system, the response HECI messages to be passed as responses to the software running on the remote computer system;
route each response HECI message targeting an address in the local computer system to the local computer system; and
restrict the availability of one or more interfaces within the local computer system to the remote computer system.

2. The local computer system of claim 1 , wherein the HECI bridge is further operable to:
receive the response HECI messages from a local HECI driver.

3. The local computer system of claim 1 , wherein the HECI bridge is integrated in management firmware in the local computer system.

4. The local computer system of claim 1 , wherein the HECI bridge comprises an operating system agent in the local computer system.

5. The local computer system of claim 1 , wherein the HECI bridge is further operable to restrict the availability of the one or more interfaces to received HECI messages that include a security clearance level having a predefined relationship to a minimum security level associated with the one or more interfaces.

6. The local computer system of claim 1 , wherein the received HECI messages to be intercepted by an HECI simulator of the remote computing device.

7. A method, comprising:
receiving, on a local computer system, host embedded controller interface (HECI) messages sent from a remote computer system, the HECI messages routed from commands directed to an HECI driver of the remote computer system originating from software running on the remote computer system, and wherein the HECI messages include an identifier indicative of a targeted technology of the local computer system, wherein the targeted technology comprises a hardware component or a firmware component of the local computer system;
passing the received HECI messages to the targeted technology of the local computer system to be executed;
receiving response HECI messages to the received HECI messages from the targeted technology in response to passing the received HECI messages to the targeted technology;
determining destinations for the response HECI messages to the received HECI messages using an HECI message routing table of the local computer system, the HECI message routing table to list a set of response target addresses within the local computer system and a set of response target addresses within the remote computer system;
routing each response HECI message targeting an address in the remote computer system to the remote computer system, the response HECI messages to be passed to the software running on the remote computer system;
routing each response HECI message targeting an address in the local computer system to the local computer system; and
restricting the availability of one or more interfaces within the local computer system to the remote computer system.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving the response HECI messages, from a local HECI driver running on the local computer system, in the local computer system.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the HECI bridge is integrated in management firmware in the local computer system.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the HECI bridge comprises an operating system agent in the local computer system.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein restricting the availability of the one or more interfaces comprises restricting the availability to received HECI messages including a security clearance level having a predefined relationship to a minimum security level associated with the one or more interfaces.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the received HECI messages to be intercepted by an HECI simulator of the remote computing device.

13. A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium, having embodied thereon instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method, comprising:
receiving, on a local computer system, host embedded controller interface (HECI) messages sent from a remote computer system, the HECI messages routed from commands directed to an HECI driver of the remote computer system originating from software running on the remote computer system and wherein the HECI messages include an identifier indicative of a targeted technology of the local computer system, wherein the targeted technology comprises a hardware component or a firmware component of the local computer system;
passing the received HECI messages to the targeted technology of the local computer system to be executed;
receiving response HECI messages to the received HECI messages from the targeted technology in response to passing the received HECI messages to the targeted technology;
determining destinations for the response HECI messages to the received HECI messages using an HECI message routing table of the local computer system, the HECI message routing table to list a set of response target addresses within the local computer system and a set of response target addresses within the remote computer system;
routing each response HECI message targeting an address in the remote computer system to the remote computer system, the response HECI messages to be passed to the software running on the remote computer system;
routing each response HECI message targeting an address in the local computer system to the local computer system; and
restricting the availability of one or more interfaces within the local computer system to the remote computer system.

14. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving the response HECI messages, from a local HECI driver running on the local computer system, in the local computer system.

15. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the HECI bridge is integrated in management firmware in the local computer system.

16. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein restricting the availability of the one or more interfaces comprises restricting the availability to received HECI messages including a security clearance level having a predefined relationship to a minimum security level associated with the one or more interfaces.

17. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the received HECI messages to be intercepted by an HECI simulator of the remote computing device.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Saint-Hilaire Ylian

Classifications

• H04L69/32

  Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level · CPC title

• G06F15/17337 Primary

  Direct connection machines, e.g. completely connected computers, point to point communication networks (coupling between buses G06F13/4004) · CPC title

• H04L67/125 Primary

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04L69/326

  in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] (H04L69/16 takes precedence) · CPC title