Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

Robin Kelley Schrader

Daniel Humphrey

Stewart Gavin Goodson, Ii

David Paul Mohr

Stewart Gavin Goodson

A power supply unit (PSU) comprises power conversion circuitry to convert input power into output power for an electronic system, microcontrollers to control operations of the power conversion circuitry, and a secure element communicably connected to a first microcontroller. The secure element and the microcontrollers are all paired together with each storing shared pairing information. The secure element and the microcontrollers comprise security logic. The security logic may be configured to, in response to a power on sequence being initiated, validate the secure element and the microcontrollers based on the shared pairing information, and make completion of the power on sequence conditional on successful validation. The security logic may be configured to, in response to receiving a new firmware image for updating one of the microcontrollers, use the secure element to validate the new firmware image and make acceptance of the new firmware image conditional on successful validation.

Security for power supply unit microcontrollers

A method, system, and device for using an interface controller to validate and authenticate controller code for a commodity device to be included within a computer system (e.g., a power supply) are provided. In one example, a commodity device controller includes dynamic memory for control software (e.g., control code to control operation of the commodity device) that may be validated (and/or updated) using an interface controller. The interface controller may perform this update/validation at startup (or run-time) to ensure secure control over aspects of the computer device including the commodity device control code. If a security risk is detected it may be mitigated in various ways, including disabling of the commodity device. Control code provided by third-parties (e.g., supplier of commodity device) may be validated and secured using disclosed techniques.

Interface controller for commodity devices

A system including multiple power supplies is provided. Each of the power supplies is configured to provide a standby power to a management unit in the system through a standby output and a main power through a main output, when an input power signal has been received for the system. The system also includes a resistor configured to receive a standby signal from each of the power supplies to raise a signal voltage, wherein the standby signal is a pre-selected current. The system also includes a controller in each of the power supplies, the controller configured to raise the signal voltage to the specified value when the signal voltage is greater than a threshold, and to enable the standby power from a respective power supply to reach the management unit when the signal voltage is within the specified value. A method to use the above system for a synchronized power supply to a management unit is also provided.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Robin Kelley Schrader