Establishing user-defined management engine default settings stored in a system memory
View Patent ↗The employment of a process of applying user-defined defaults to a management engine or analogous arrangement, wherein a system BIOS calls or recalls such defaults, as needed, from NVRAM responsive to the need for a reset of defaults.
1. A method comprising:
ascertaining, during a system boot, a computer system default set in effect;
comparing the computer system default set in effect to a user-defined predetermined default set; and
reverting the computer system default set in effect to the user-defined predetermined default set responsive to ascertaining a computer system default set in effect different from the user-defined predetermined default set;
said reverting comprising:
reading the user-defined predetermined default set from non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM); and
prompting a default reset, whereby the user-defined predetermined default set goes into effect.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said ascertaining, comparing and reverting are performed by a system basic input/output system (BIOS).
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining an active management technology default set in effect and said comparing comprises comparing the active management technology default set in effect with a predetermined active management technology default set.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reading comprises reading a user-defined predetermined default set that has been written into NVRAM by a BIOS-authorized process.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said reading of a user-defined predetermined default set that has been written into NVRAM by a BIOS-authorized process comprises reading an encrypted default set that has been written into NVRAM by a BIOS-authorized process.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reading comprises reading a user-defined predetermined default set that has been obtained from an external medium and written into NVRAM.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the external medium comprises a universal serial bus (USB) key.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said prompting comprises prompting a provisioning code to place the user-defined predetermined default set in effect.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said NVRAM comprises flash memory.
10. An apparatus comprising:
a main memory;
a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM);
a manager in communication with said main memory and said NVRAM, said manager acting to:
ascertain, during a system boot, a default set in effect;
compare the default set in effect to a user-defined predetermined default set; and
revert the default set in effect to the user-defined predetermined default set responsive to ascertaining a computer system default set in effect different from the user-defined predetermined default set;
said manager further comprising a reader which reads the user-defined predetermined default set from said NVRAM;
said manager further acting to prompt a default reset, whereby the user-defined predetermined default set goes into effect.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said manager comprises a system basic input/output system (BIOS).
12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
active management technology;
the default set in effect and the user-defined predetermined default set being associated with said active management technology.
13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
said manager comprises a system BIOS; and
the user-defined predetermined default set comprises a default set written into said NVRAM by a BIOS-authorized process.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the user-defined predetermined default set comprises an encrypted default set written into said NVRAM by said BIOS-authorized process.
15. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said user-defined predetermined default set originates from an external medium.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the external medium comprises a universal serial bus (USB) key.
17. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said manager acts to prompt a provisioning code to place the user-defined predetermined default set in effect.
18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said NVRAM comprises flash memory.
19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method comprising:
ascertaining, during a system boot, a computer system default set in effect;
comparing the computer system default set in effect to a user-defined predetermined default set; and
reverting the computer system default set in effect to the user-defined predetermined default set responsive to ascertaining a computer system default set in effect different from the user-defined predetermined default set;
said reverting comprising:
reading the user-defined predetermined default set from non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM); and
prompting a default reset, whereby the user-defined predetermined default set goes into effect.