Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Ken Sasaki

Yusaku Morishige

Kishiko Itoh

Naoyuki Araki

Kazuya Shibayama

Seiichi Kawano

Hidetoshi Mori

Mikio Hagiwara

Eitaroh Kasamatsu

Yuichiro Seto

Yasuhiro Horiuchi

Hiroyuki Uchida

Kohsuke Ohtani

Yosuke Katayama

Yasuhito Shimizu

Norihiro Andoh

Hiroaki Mine

Yuuki Matsuura

Masaki Ohshima

An apparatus to shorten the time taken for executing a booting process includes, in one embodiment, a connection processing unit that establishes communication with and acquires information from a plurality of devices that are communicably coupled externally to an information processing device, the information relating to the plurality of devices regardless of whether a booting process is executed. The apparatus also includes a communication control unit that executes communication with each of the plurality of devices during the booting process, and a first processing unit that one of enables or disables communication between the communication control unit and a selected one of the plurality of devices in response to the acquired information related to the selected one of the plurality of devices. A method and a computer program product also perform functions of the apparatus.

Boot times in an information processing device with externally connected devices

An information processing apparatus includes: a processing unit configured to write setting data to be used for boot processing by BIOS (Basic Input Output System) in a predetermined area of a non-volatile memory in an order of changing, and execute the boot processing based on the setting data; a writing unit configured to write at least one tag in the predetermined area of the non-volatile memory at a predetermined timing during the boot processing, the tag corresponding to the timing; and an instruction unit configured to instruct the processing unit to execute the boot processing using setting data written before the tag in the predetermined area of the non-volatile memory.

Information processing apparatus, control method, and program

An information processing apparatus includes a BIOS storage unit that stores at least a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) program, a main controller that starts up an operating system by executing the BIOS program, and a sub-controller that manages peripheral apparatuses and accesses the BIOS storage unit, in which the sub-controller includes a digest computation unit that computes a digest value on the basis of BIOS program data stored in the BIOS storage unit in parallel to execution of a process in the main controller, and in which the main controller determines validity of the BIOS program on the basis of the digest value.

Integrity check staging

The malfunction of a system caused by data managed by system firmware is prevented. A firmware ROMis provided with a code area, a default area, and variable areas. Data (CV) fundamental to pre-boot created by a UEFI are written to the variable area. Global variables (GV) defined by the UEFI and data (UV) created by an OS are written to the variable area. The variable area is a recording area capable of being write-locked in the firmware ROM. The UEFI write-locks the variable area after completion of the pre-boot. Thus, the rewriting of CV by the OS can be prevented.

Method of preventing computer malfunction, computer program, and computer

A computer implemented method resumes a computer from a power-saving state in a short time. Prior to shifting to a power-saving state, a drive sets a status flag indicating a loading state of a disk at a flash memory. For resumption from the power-saving state, the BIOS requests a ready notification from the drive. When it is determined that the status flag indicates not-loading of a disk, the drive skips the detection processing of the disk including initialization of a read/write circuit and a servo mechanism such as a spindle motor and sends a ready notification indicating not-loading of the disk to the BIOS. Receiving the ready notification, the BIOS can continue the resume processing.

Shortening resume time from a power-saving state

Provided is a method for temporarily skipping a secure boot function. A computer is configured so that a secure boot function is set as enabled by default. Depression of a power button of the computer in a power-off state generates a startup signal. At the time of startup from S4/S5 state, a switch is turned ON and PP bit indicating physical presence is set at a register. Depression of a specific key on a keyboard causes DE bit to be set at a register. When PP bit and DE bit are found, UEFI firmware stored in a firmware ROM temporarily skips integrity validation of a boot program only for boot this time.

Allowing bypassing of boot validation in a computer system having secure boot enabled by default only under certain circumstances

For a hard disk drive divided into a user area that is an area operating in a user environment, and a host protected area that is an area protected from a user, provided are: a basic input/output system which supports a boot from the host protected area as well as supports a validation, for a system vendor authentication, of a Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application stored in the host protected area; and a Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application access module which generates a virtual Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application area by copying the Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application onto an unoccupied area of a memory.

Data protection for computer system

A process, apparatus, and system are disclosed that allow information to be passed between software modules in different partitions in an environment for a predetermined operating system (OS) and an area hidden from the operating system (OS) in a storage device, such as hard disk drive (HDD). The computer system may include a hard disk drive (HDD) that meets a protected area run time interface extension services (PARTIES) specification and that has an access environment for an operating system (OS) and a PARTIES partition. The PARTIES partition is an area hidden from the operating system (OS). The computers system also includes a CMOS/NVRAM that provides a work area for communication between a user mode module, operating in the access environment for the operating system (OS) in a user data management application, and a management mode module, operating in an environment corresponding to the hidden area.

Process, apparatus, and system for passing data between partitions in a storage device

The present invention provides a control method for notification of tampering of information apparatus, a computer, and/or a storage medium. It provides a technique for storing information related to a starting factor of the information apparatus and/or the computer, as well as notifying a certified user of the information apparatus and/or the computer of the information, thereby reporting and/or preventing the information apparatus and/or the computer from an illegitimate and/or illegal use. It enables a user to know that a computer or other information apparatus has been used and/or tampered by an uncertified user.

Growing community of inventors

Machida, Japan

Ken Sasaki