Injecting a file from the bios into an operating system
View Patent ↗Techniques for the BIOS to install a file into the runtime environment of an operating system of a computer. A system management interrupt (SMI) handler, resident within the BIOS, receives a first request. The SMI handler identifies an address in memory at which a first file is to be stored, and determines how to access a function provided by a kernel of the operating system. The SMI handler calls the function using the address as an argument to create a thread in the runtime environment of the operating system. Upon the SMI handler receiving a request from the thread, the SMI handler stores a second file in the memory of the runtime environment of the operating system. The thread may, but need not, store the second file to a file system provided by the operating system. In this way, the BIOS need not include a driver to the file system.
1. A machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for installing a file on a computer, which when executed, cause:
upon a system management interrupt (SMI) handler, resident within a BIOS, receiving a first request, the SMI handler (a) identifying an address in memory at which a first file is to be stored, and (b) determining how to access a function provided by a kernel of an operating system resident on the computer;
the SMI handler calling the function using the address as an argument thereof, wherein execution of the function creates a thread in a runtime environment of the operating system; and
upon the SMI handler receiving a second request from the thread, the SMI handler storing a second file in memory of the runtime environment of the operating system,
wherein the first request is issued by an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) routine in the operating system during the boot process of the computer.
2. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second file is stored in memory of the runtime environment of the operation system without writing the second file to a file system provided by the operating system.
3. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the thread is configured to store the second file, or a portion thereof, to a file system provided by the operating system.
4. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the thread, once created, enters a sleep mode until the computer has finished the boot process.
5. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the SMI handler returns control to an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) routine after creating the thread.
6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein identifying the address in memory comprises determining an initial location in memory to begin scanning for available space based on the return address of the entity that issued the first request.
7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein determining how to access the function comprises:
reading a machine specific register (MSR) register to determine an address of the interrupt gate keeper of the kernel; and
using the address of the interrupt gate keeper to locate the export table of the kernel.
8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second request is a software-generated system management interrupt.
9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second file is an executable file, which when executed, performs functionality pertaining to recovery of resources of the computer, asset management of the computer, or providing customized content based on use of the computer.
10. A method for installing a file on a computer, comprising:
upon a system management interrupt (SMI) handler, resident within a BIOS, receiving a first request, the SMI handler (a) identifying an address in memory at which a first file is to be stored, and (b) determining how to access a function provided by a kernel of an operating system resident on the computer;
the SMI handler calling the function using the address as an argument thereof, wherein execution of the function creates a thread in a runtime environment of the operating system; and
upon the SMI handler receiving a second request from the thread, the SMI handler storing a second file in memory of the runtime environment of the operating system,
wherein the first request is issued by an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) routine in the operating system during the boot process of the computer.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second file is stored in memory of the runtime environment of the operation system without writing the second file to a file system provided by the operating system.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the thread is configured to store the second file, or a portion thereof, to a file system provided by the operating system.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the thread, once created, enters a sleep mode until the computer has finished the boot process.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the SMI handler returns control to an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) routine after creating the thread.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying the address in memory comprises determining an initial location in memory to begin scanning for available space based on the return address of the entity that issued the first request.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining how to access the function comprises:
reading a machine specific register (MSR) register to determine an address of the interrupt gate keeper of the kernel; and
using the address of the interrupt gate keeper to locate the export table of the kernel.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second request is a software-generated system management interrupt.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second file is an executable file, which when executed, performs functionality pertaining to recovery of resources of the computer, asset management of the computer, or providing customized content based on use of the computer.