Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to flexible bootstrap code architecture. A device may comprise equipment for operating the device and an operating system (OS) for operating the equipment A boor, module may also be included in the device to execute boot operations. At least one flexible boot (FB) module in the boot module may interact with the equipment and/or OS during the boot operations to cause the boot operations to become device-specific. An example boot module may comprise a plurality of FB modules. An example FB module may verify a device/chipset identification and may control the boot operations based on the identification. Other example FB modules may select resources to load based on an OS type, may provide a boot configuration table location for use in OS runtime boot configuration or may load variables from a preload variable directory for use in configuring boot operations.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to a hardware and file system agnostic mechanism for achieving capsule support are described. In one embodiment, content associate with a capsule are stored in a non-volatile memory prior to a cold reset. A capsule descriptor may also be constructed, prior to the reset, which includes information about the physical location of the capsule content on the non-volatile memory. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for secure server system management. A payload containing system software and/or firmware updates is distributed in an on-demand, secure I/O operation. The I/O operation is performed via a secured communication channel inaccessible by the server operating system to an emulated USB drive. The secure communication channel can be established for the I/O operation only after authenticating the recipient of the payload, and the payload can be protected from access by a potentially-infected server operating system. Furthermore, the payload can be delivered on demand rather than relying on a BIOS update schedule, and the payload can be delivered at speeds of a write operation to a USB drive.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage media associated with switching operating systems are disclosed herewith. In embodiments, an apparatus for computing may include one or more processors; and a virtual machine manager to be operated by the one or more processors to instantiate a first virtual machine with a first operating system in a background, and a second virtual machine with a second operating system in a foreground; wherein the virtual machine manager is further to place the first virtual machine, on instantiation, in background into a standby state. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

Abstract: Power management commands from virtual machines (VMs) in a VM environment may be trapped by a VM monitor. Depending on the current power states of the other VMs in the VM environment, the VMM may emulate increase or decrease in available resources as applied to the VM issuing the power management commands. The VMM may modify the actual hardware resources available in a platform when such modification may not affect the current power states of the VMs in the VM environment.

Abstract: A computer system is partitioned during a pre-boot phase of the computer system between a first partition and a second partition, wherein the first partition to include a first processing unit and the second partition to include a second processing unit. An Input/Output (I/O) operating system is booted on the first partition. A general purpose operating system is booted on the second partition. Network transactions are issued by the general purpose operating system to be performed by the I/O operating system. The network transactions are performed by the I/O operating system.

Abstract: A method for redirecting I/O (Input/Output) sequences. A computer platform is initialized. If the computer platform is enabled for command packet rerouting, the platform firmware may be used to install a runtime enable block I/O interface and a standard UNDI (Universal Network Device Interface) interface for routing I/O requests to a network controller or an out-of-band processor may be used to route I/O requests to a network interface controller. The routing of the I/O requests to the network controller or network interface controller enables the computer platform to boot from a remote block I/O storage device.

Abstract: A method and system for improving responsiveness of a vehicle computing platform includes enabling a camera feature during the pre-boot phase of a computing device and using a special-purpose operating mode of the computing device to initiate the streaming of camera image data to a display.

Abstract: Methods and systems to perform a computer task in a reduced power consumption state, including to virtualize physical resources with respect to an operating environment and service environment, to exit the operating environment and enter the service environment, to place a first set of one or more of the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and to perform a task in the service environment utilizing a processor and a second set of one or more of the physical resources. A physical resource may be assigned to an operating environment upon an initialization of the operating environment, and re-assigned to the service environment to be utilized by the service environment while other physical resources are placed in a reduced power consumption state.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide dynamic messaging services are disclosed. An example method of displaying information on a display screen includes determining, using a virtual machine manager, supported dimensions for display of information on the display screen; generating, using the virtual machine manager, restricted dimensions that are less than the supported dimensions; providing the restricted dimensions to an operating system of a virtual machine supported by the virtual machine manager, wherein the restricted dimensions define a boundary between a first screen portion and a second screen portion; and using the virtual machine manager to display first information in the first screen portion, the virtual machine manager enforcing the presence of the first screen portion on the display screen.

Abstract: A computer system is partitioned during a pre-boot phase of the computer system between a first partition and a second partition, wherein the first partition to include a first processing unit and the second partition to include a second processing unit. An Input/Output (I/O) operating system is booted on the first partition. A general purpose operating system is booted on the second partition. Network transactions are issued by the general purpose operating system to be performed by the I/O operating system. The network transactions are performed by the I/O operating system.

Abstract: A method for redirecting I/O (Input/Output) sequences. A computer platform is initialized. If the computer platform is enabled for command packet rerouting, the platform firmware may be used to install a runtime enable block I/O interface and a standard UNDI (Universal Network Device Interface) interface for routing I/O requests to a network controller or an out-of-band processor may be used to route I/O requests to a network interface controller. The routing of the I/O requests to the network controller or network interface controller enables the computer platform to boot from a remote block I/O storage device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for re-instantiating a firmware environment that includes one or more firmware functions available at pre-boot time when transitioning the computing device from a wake state to a sleep state. A network event received by the computing device while in a sleep state may be handled by the firmware environment independent of the operating system and without returning the entire computing device to the wake state.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing seamless functionality in a computer are disclosed. For example, an encrypted file system manager is included to layer an encoded File Allocation Table on top of a disk and to pass to the operating system an Embedded Root Key to provide access to an encrypted Firmware Interface System Partition.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products that respond to wake events of communication networks are disclosed. One or more embodiments comprise setting a wake password of a computing device, such as a notebook computer or a server. Some of the embodiments comprise receiving a wake request from a communications network, establishing a secure communication session, and setting the wake password with the secure communication session. Some embodiments comprise an apparatus having a network controller to allow a platform to communicate via a communications network, non-volatile memory that stores a wake password, and a management controller that may communicate with a management console via a secure communication session to update the wake password. One or more embodiments the network controller may wake management hardware and/or wake the management controller while keeping one or more of the devices in the power conservation mode.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for re-instantiating a firmware environment that includes one or more firmware functions available at pre-boot time when transitioning the computing device from a wake state to a sleep state. A network event received by the computing device while in a sleep state may be handled by the firmware environment independent of the operating system and without returning the entire computing device to the wake state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described herein for emulating a physical trusted platform module (TPM) in a virtual monitor, such as a system management mode (SMM) or a system management interrupt (SMI) transfer monitor (STM). By allowing SMIs during a secure launch, SMM is allowed into the secure launch trust perimeter and a virtual monitor may emulate the structures, behaviors, and protected storage of a physical TMP, such as the storage of cryptographic keys, secure verification, attestation, and other TPM functions.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves a system and method relating to managing power utilization in systems having multiple processing elements. In at least one embodiment, the present invention is intended to control the sleeping/wakefulness of processing elements, as necessary, to maintain a preferred level of power utilization in the platform. Activity is routed to sequestered processing elements instead of sleeping processing elements to save power.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide dynamic messaging services are disclosed. An example method includes determining, in a pre-boot environment, supported dimensions for display of information on the display screen; generating, in the pre-boot environment, restricted dimensions that are less than the supported dimensions; providing the restricted dimensions to an operating system of a virtual machine supported by a virtual machine manager, wherein the restricted dimensions define a boundary between a first screen portion and a second screen portion; displaying first information in the first screen portion and displaying second information in the second screen portion; and preventing, via the virtual machine manager, elimination of the first screen portion from the display screen.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to a hardware and file system agnostic mechanism for achieving capsule support are described. In one embodiment, content associate with a capsule are stored in a non-volatile memory prior to a cold reset. A capsule descriptor may also be constructed, prior to the reset, which includes information about the physical location of the capsule content on the non-volatile memory. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.