摘要:
Methods and apparatus to provide dual-mode drivers in a processor system are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises including operating system (OS) agnostic mode services that are available during an OS agnostic mode to allow a single set of drivers to be used during boot mode and the OS agnostic mode. The example method further comprises including a dual-mode library that is capable of determining the current operating mode of the processor system and binding the drivers to available services accordingly.
摘要:
A method for managing a memory system includes comparing one or more conditions of a memory with historical memory data that predicts a future state of the memory. According to one embodiment, updating the historical memory data includes accumulating operation data on the memory during its operation, generating updated historical memory data with the operation data, and updating the historical memory data with the updated historical memory data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
摘要:
A flash memory has an interleaved boot block compatible with multiple processor architectures. The interleaved boot block may include one boot block compatible with a first CPU architecture and another boot block compatible with a second CPU architecture. These two boot blocks may be combined in an interleaved manner in the flash memory so that during a boot process only one of the two boot blocks executes, although both are stored in the flash memory. By interleaving different boot blocks, a common socket computer system capable of supporting multiple processor architectures may be achieved without fully replacing an incompatible basic input/output system (BIOS). Further, the flash memory may contain an updatable portion in which any BIOS segments incompatible with a processor architecture may be updated via a recovery, or update, process.
摘要:
Methods and apparatus to provide dual-mode drivers in a processor system are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises including operating system (OS) agnostic mode services that are available during an OS agnostic mode to allow a single set of drivers to be used during boot mode and the OS agnostic mode. The example method further comprises including a dual-mode library that is capable of determining the current operating mode of the processor system and binding the drivers to available services accordingly.
摘要:
BIOS framework for accommodating multiple service processors on a single server to facilitate distributed/scalable server management. During a pre-boot phase for a server, information is collected pertaining to service capabilities supported by each of a plurality of service processors used to service server management requests for a server, wherein the services supported by each service processor are performed via execution of service code associated with that service processor. The service capabilities are aggregated across all of the service processors, and a corresponding unified presentation of service capabilities is provided to a service consumer. End-users are enabled to provide preferences that define a usage order for like services hosted by different service processors within the same system. The BIOS framework can detect the addition or removal of hot-swap cards hosting one or more service processors and associated service code, and update the unified presentation of service capabilities to reflect new added service capabilities or remove previously existing service capabilities.
摘要:
Methods and systems for performing network port authentication without requiring any operating system (OS) complicity are disclosed. Under one method, port authentication instructions are loaded into a protected memory space during a pre-boot of a supplicant system. In response to a port authentication request, the supplicant system's processor is switched to a hidden execution mode and executes the port authentication instructions to authenticate a network port hosted by an authenticator system to which the supplicant system is linked. One authentication process employs an authentication server that authenticates the supplicant via one of various authentication schemes, including an access challenge. Port authentication may also be performed via an out-of-band base management controller that operates independently from an operating system running on the supplicant.
摘要:
A flash memory has an interleaved boot block compatible with multiple processor architectures. The interleaved boot block may include one boot block compatible with a first CPU architecture and another boot block compatible with a second CPU architecture. These two boot blocks may be combined in an interleaved manner in the flash memory so that during a boot process only one of the two boot blocks executes, although both are stored in the flash memory. By interleaving different boot blocks, a common socket computer system capable of supporting multiple processor architectures may be achieved without fully replacing an incompatible basic input/output system (BIOS). Further, the flash memory may contain an updatable portion in which any BIOS segments incompatible with a processor architecture may be updated via a recovery, or update, process.
摘要:
A system comprises a plurality of processor cores. The processor cores may comprise one or more application processor (AP) cores and a boot strap processor (BSP) core. A basic input/output system (BIOS) comprises an I/O device module to call a stall function in response to an I/O operation, a power management module that couples to the I/O device and a timer module that couples to the power management module. The power management module is to adjust a timer period of the timer module based on a stall delay of the stall function. The power management module may hook the stall function and compare the stall delay with a predetermined threshold and set the timer period to the stall delay in response to determining that the stall delay is longer. The power management module may put the BSP in a sleep mode during the timer period to save power.
摘要:
A system comprises a plurality of processor cores. The processor cores may comprise one or more application processor (AP) cores and a boot strap processor (BSP) core. A basic input/output system (BIOS) comprises an I/O device module to call a stall function in response to an I/O operation, a power management module that couples to the I/O device and a timer module that couples to the power management module. The power management module is to adjust a timer period of the timer module based on a stall delay of the stall function. The power management module may hook the stall function and compare the stall delay with a predetermined threshold and set the timer period to the stall delay in response to determining that the stall delay is longer. The power management module may put the BSP in a sleep mode during the timer period to save power.
摘要:
A method for authenticating clients and boot server hosts to provide a secure network boot environment. Messages are exchanged between a client and a boot server or authentication server proxy for the boot server during pre-boot operations of the client to authentic the boot server and the client. In one embodiment, authentication is performed by comparing shared secrets stored on each of the client and the boot server or authentication proxy. The shared secret comprises authentication credentials that may be provisioned by an administrator, user, or by the client itself via a trusted platform module. Authentication provisioning schemes include an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) exchange. In one embodiment, authentication is performed during the pre-boot via an authenticated Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) process. The scheme provides a faster and more simplified authentication mechanism, without requiring extensive set-up for IT administrators or significantly changing the login and OS boot user experience.