IP Library Granted Patent US 11,669,619
Granted Patent B2
US 11,669,619 · App. 17/443,697 · Granted Jun 6, 2023

System and method of utilizing multiple information handling system firmware on an information handling system

Inventors: Prashanth Giri (Round Rock, TX); Wei G. Liu (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F21/572G06F9/4401G06F13/4282H04L9/3239H04L9/3247G06F2213/0042G06F2221/033
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,669,619
App. No.
17/443,697
Granted
Jun 6, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one or more embodiments, one or more systems, one or more methods, and/or one or more processes may read configuration information that indicates utilization of a custom information handling system firmware IHSFW image by an information handling system (IHS); provide the custom IHSFW image and a signature of the custom IHSFW image to a processor of the IHS; decrypt the signature of the custom IHSFW image to obtain a hash value of the custom IHSFW image; determine a test hash value of the custom IHSFW image; determine if the hash value matches the test hash value; if the hash value matches the test hash value, boot a custom IHSFW from the custom IHSFW image; and if the hash value does not match the test hash value, boot another IHSFW from another IHSFW image stored by a non-volatile memory medium of the IHS.

Claims (43)

1. An information handling system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a baseboard management controller (BMC) coupled to the at least one processor; and

a complex logic device coupled to the at least one processor and coupled to the BMC;

wherein the BMC is configured to:

execute a BMC firmware bootloader;

read, by the BMC firmware bootloader, configuration information that indicates utilization of a custom information handling system firmware image by the information handling system;

in response to reading the configuration information that indicates utilization of the custom information handling system firmware image, provide, to the at least one processor via a universal serial bus (USB), a file system, which includes the custom information handling system firmware image and a signature of the custom information handling system firmware image; and

configure, by the BMC firmware bootloader, the complex logic device with information handling system firmware selection information that indicates utilization of the custom information handling system firmware image; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

read the information handling system firmware selection information from the complex logic device;

decrypt the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image to obtain a hash value of the custom information handling system firmware image;

determine a test hash value of the custom information handling system firmware image;

determine if the hash value matches the test hash value;

if the hash value matches the test hash value, boot a custom information handling system firmware from the custom information handling system firmware image; and

if the hash value does not match the test hash value, boot another information handling system firmware from another information handling system firmware image stored by a non-volatile memory medium of the information handling system.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the BMC stores the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image via a non-volatile memory medium of the BMC.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein, to provide the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image to the at least one processor, the BMC is further configured to provide, by the BMC firmware bootloader, the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image to the at least one processor via shared memory access.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the custom information handling system firmware includes a LinuxBoot information handling system firmware.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the BMC is further configured to:

receive the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image; and

store the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image via a non-volatile memory medium of the BMC.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the other information handling system firmware image was produced by a manufacturer of the information handling system.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein, to configure the complex logic device with the information handling system firmware selection information, the BMC is further configured to write, by the BMC bootloader, the information handling system firmware selection information to a memory address associated with the complex logic device.

8. A method, comprising:

executing, by a processor of a baseboard management controller (BMC) of an information handling system, a BMC firmware bootloader;

reading, by the BMC firmware bootloader, configuration information that indicates utilization of a custom information handling system firmware image by the information handling system;

in response to the reading the configuration information that indicates utilization of the custom information handling system firmware image, providing, by the BMC via a universal serial bus (USB), a file system, which includes the custom information handling system firmware image and a signature of the custom information handling system firmware image, to a processor of the information handling system;

configuring, by the BMC firmware bootloader, a complex logic device with information handling system firmware selection information that indicates utilization of the custom information handling system firmware image;

reading, by the processor of the information handling system, the information handling system firmware selection information from the complex logic device;

decrypting, by the processor of the information handling system, the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image to obtain a hash value of the custom information handling system firmware image;

determining, by the processor of the information handling system, a test hash value of the custom information handling system firmware image;

determining, by the processor of the information handling system, if the hash value matches the test hash value;

if the hash value matches the test hash value, booting, by the processor of the information handling system, a custom information handling system firmware from the custom information handling system firmware image; and

if the hash value does not match the test hash value, booting, by the processor of the information handling system, another information handling system firmware from another information handling system firmware image stored by a non-volatile memory medium of the information handling system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the BMC stores the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image via a non-volatile memory medium of the BMC.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the providing the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image to the processor of the information handling system includes providing the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image to the processor of the information handling system via shared memory access.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the custom information handling system firmware includes a LinuxBoot information handling system firmware.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, by the BMC, the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image; and

storing, by the BMC, the custom information handling system firmware image and the signature of the custom information handling system firmware image via a non-volatile memory medium of the BMC.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the other information handling system firmware image was produced by a manufacturer of the information handling system.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the configuring the complex logic device with the information handling system firmware selection information includes writing the information handling system firmware selection information to a memory address associated with the complex logic device.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (058014/0560) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0473 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (057931/0392) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0382 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (057758/0286) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 061654/0064 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058014/0560 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057758/0286 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057931/0392 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 1, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 057682/0830 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2021
From: GIRI, PRASHANTH; LIU, WEI G.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 056994/0070 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230032359A1 · Feb 2, 2023