International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Brian Walter Stocker

Gerald Stanquist

Rohan A Jones

Michel H Joseph

Jonathan D Bradbury

Reinhard Theodor Buendgen

Marc Henri Coq

Nicolas Maeding

Jason Hirst

Anthony George Gorey

Richard W Gregory

Kurt J Leuchten

Anthony G Gorey

Matthew Gadzinski

A computer-implemented method for providing a system-specific secret to a computing system having a plurality of computing components is disclosed. The method includes storing permanently a component-specific import key as part of a computing component and storing the component-specific import key in a manufacturing-side storage system. Upon a request for the system-specific secret for a computing system, the method includes identifying the computing component comprised in the computing system, retrieving a record relating to the identified computing component, determining the system-specific secret protected by a hardware security module and determining a system-specific auxiliary key. Furthermore, the method includes encrypting the system-specific auxiliary key with the retrieved component-specific import key, thereby creating a auxiliary key bundle, encrypting the system-specific secret and storing the auxiliary key bundle and a system record in a storage medium of the computing system.

Deploying a system-specific secret in a highly resilient computer system

A fulfillment test of a computing system having components is performed within a build-to-order test phase. Responsive to the fulfillment test failing, the component that most contributed to the fulfillment test failing is replaced, regardless of whether the given component was determined to be suspect or marginally defective pursuant to a fabrication test previously performed within a build-to-plan test phase. Any other component of that contributed to the fulfillment test failing and that was determined to be suspect or marginally defective pursuant to the fabrication test previously performed within the build-to-plan test phase is also replaced.

Replacement of suspect or marginally defective computing system components during fulfillment test of build-to-order test phase

An apparatus includes a system test module that initiates a system power test for a computer system. The computer system includes one or more power supplies that provide power to system components. The system power test includes determining power system characteristics under various loading conditions. The apparatus includes a configure module that configures a system component during the system power test. The system component uses a higher amount of power after being configured than in a previous un-configured condition. The apparatus includes a de-configure module that de-configures the system component during the system power test. The system component uses a lower amount of power after being de-configured than in a previous configured condition. The apparatus includes a diagnostic module that measures power system performance of the computer system during varying loading conditions caused by configuring and de-configuring one or more system components by the configure module and the de-configure module.

Varying power load conditions on systems under test

A software preload arrangement uses a central server to store the software repository(ries) for various computer instruction files offered for preload into a system being manufactured. To execute the preload, a client workstation is used to execute the actual preload steps for a system under test (SUT). When the SUT needs a given piece of the software release, data is moved down to the client from the server and cached there for delivery to the system under test. In accordance with an important characteristic of this invention, the caching is predictive. That is, data is held in or moved to the client workstation based upon recent activity, so that the time needed to prepare a preload for a system under test is shortened.

Software installation method, apparatus and program product

Growing community of inventors

Port Ewen, NY, United States of America

Brian Walter Stocker