Patents by Inventor David R. Safford

David R. Safford has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11503030
    Abstract: A service processor is provided that includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions for executing an operating system kernel having an integrity management subsystem, secure boot firmware, and a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The secure boot firmware performs a secure boot operation to boot the operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The operating system kernel enables the integrity management subsystem. The integrity management subsystem records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Patent number: 11176255
    Abstract: Mechanisms for booting a service processor are provided. With these mechanisms, the service processor executes a secure boot operation of secure boot firmware to boot an operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor of the service processor. The operating system kernel executing in the service processor enables an integrity management subsystem of the operating system kernel which records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Patent number: 11025640
    Abstract: A method alters a computer resource in response to the computer resource moving from a first geolocation to a second geolocation. One or more processors receive a message indicating that a computer resource has moved from a first geolocation to a new geolocation. In response to receiving the message that the computer resource has moved from the first geolocation to the new geolocation, the processor(s) encrypt data that is stored on the computer resource, and apply decryption information to the encrypted data from the new geolocation, where the decryption information is specifically for decrypting encrypted data at the new geolocation. In response to the decryption information failing to decrypt the encrypted data at the new geolocation, the processor(s) and/or a user alter the computer resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ashish Kundu, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford
  • Patent number: 10802990
    Abstract: Hardware mechanisms are provided for performing hardware based access control of instructions to data. These hardware mechanisms associate an instruction access policy label with an instruction to be processed by a processor and associate an operand access policy label with data to be processed by the processor. The instruction access policy label is passed along with the instruction through one or more hardware functional units of the processor. The operand access policy label is passed along with the data through the one or more hardware functional units of the processor. One or more hardware implemented policy engines associated with the one or more hardware functional units of the processor are utilized to control access by the instruction to the data based on the instruction access policy label and the operand access policy label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Hall, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Paul A. Karger, Mark F. Mergen, David R. Safford, David C. Toll
  • Publication number: 20200117806
    Abstract: Mechanisms for booting a service processor are provided. With these mechanisms, the service processor executes a secure boot operation of secure boot firmware to boot an operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor of the service processor. The operating system kernel executing in the service processor enables an integrity management subsystem of the operating system kernel which records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D.H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Publication number: 20200067941
    Abstract: A method alters a computer resource in response to the computer resource moving from a first geolocation to a second geolocation. One or more processors receive a message indicating that a computer resource has moved from a first geolocation to a new geolocation. In response to receiving the message that the computer resource has moved from the first geolocation to the new geolocation, the processor(s) encrypt data that is stored on the computer resource, and apply decryption information to the encrypted data from the new geolocation, where the decryption information is specifically for decrypting encrypted data at the new geolocation. In response to the decryption information failing to decrypt the encrypted data at the new geolocation, the processor(s) and/or a user alter the computer resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Ashish KUNDU, Dimitrios PENDARAKIS, David R. SAFFORD
  • Patent number: 10528740
    Abstract: Mechanisms for booting a service processor are provided. With these mechanisms, the service processor executes a secure boot operation of secure boot firmware to boot an operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor of the service processor. The operating system kernel executing in the service processor enables an integrity management subsystem of the operating system kernel which records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D.H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Patent number: 10528524
    Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product modify a computer resource that has been moved to a new geolocation. One or more processors detect that a geolocation of a software resource has changed to a new geolocation. In response to detecting that the geolocation of the software resource has changed to the new geolocation, the processor(s) apply a geolocation based resource policy to alter the software resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ashish Kundu, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford
  • Patent number: 10516676
    Abstract: A processor-implemented method alters a computer resource based on its new geolocation. One or more processors receive a message that a computer resource has moved from a first geolocation to a new geolocation. The processor(s) receive an identifier of the new geolocation for the computer resource. In response to receiving the identifier of the new geolocation for the computer resource, the processor(s) request and receive encrypted data from the new geolocation. The processor(s) apply decryption information to the encrypted data from the new geolocation, where the decryption information is specifically for decrypting encrypted data from the new geolocation. In response to the decryption information failing to decrypt the encrypted data from the new geolocation, the processor(s) determine that the identifier of the new geolocation is false and apply a geolocation based resource policy to alter the computer resource at the new geolocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ashish Kundu, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford
  • Publication number: 20190364048
    Abstract: A service processor is provided that includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions for executing an operating system kernel having an integrity management subsystem, secure boot firmware, and a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The secure boot firmware performs a secure boot operation to boot the operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The operating system kernel enables the integrity management subsystem. The integrity management subsystem records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D.H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Patent number: 10397230
    Abstract: A service processor is provided that includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions for executing an operating system kernel having an integrity management subsystem, secure boot firmware, and a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The secure boot firmware performs a secure boot operation to boot the operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The operating system kernel enables the integrity management subsystem. The integrity management subsystem records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Patent number: 10255463
    Abstract: A secure computer architecture is provided. With this architecture, data is received, in a component of an integrated circuit chip implementing the secure computer architecture, for transmission across a data communication link. The data is converted, by the component, to one or more first fixed length frames. The one or more first fixed length frames are then transmitted, by the component, on the data communication link in a continuous stream of frames. The continuous stream of frames includes one or more second fixed length frames generated when no data is available for inclusion in the frames of the continuous stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Hall, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Paul A. Karger, Mark F. Mergen, David R. Safford, David C. Toll
  • Patent number: 10228924
    Abstract: Examples of techniques for deploying an application on a cloud environment satisfying integrity and geo-fencing constraints are disclosed herein. A computer implemented method may include: receiving a guest application for deployment on a cloud environment; receiving the integrity constraints on the integrity of each of the plurality of host where the application is to be deployed; receiving geo-fencing constraints identifying a geographic location where the guest application is to be deployed; determining for which of the plurality of hosts the integrity constraints and the geo-fencing constraints are satisfied; and deploying the guest application on at least one of the plurality of hosts that satisfy the integrity constraints and the geo-fencing constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stefan Berger, Kenneth A. Goldman, Simon J. Kofkin-Hansen, Hui Lei, Vijay K. Naik, Dimitrios Pendarakis, Jayaram Kallapalayam Radhakrishnan, David R. Safford, Shu Tao
  • Publication number: 20180365424
    Abstract: Mechanisms for booting a service processor are provided. With these mechanisms, the service processor executes a secure boot operation of secure boot firmware to boot an operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor of the service processor. The operating system kernel executing in the service processor enables an integrity management subsystem of the operating system kernel which records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D.H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Publication number: 20180365422
    Abstract: A service processor is provided that includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions for executing an operating system kernel having an integrity management subsystem, secure boot firmware, and a tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The secure boot firmware performs a secure boot operation to boot the operating system kernel of the service processor. The secure boot firmware records first measurements of code executed by the secure boot firmware when performing the boot operation, in one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor. The operating system kernel enables the integrity management subsystem. The integrity management subsystem records second measurements of software executed by the operating system kernel, in the one or more registers of the tamper-resistant secure trusted dedicated microprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick J. Callaghan, Kenneth A. Goldman, Guerney D.H. Hunt, Elaine R. Palmer, Dimitrios Pendarakis, David R. Safford, Brian D. Valentine, George C. Wilson, Miriam Zohar
  • Publication number: 20180191733
    Abstract: A processor-implemented method alters a computer resource based on its new geolocation. One or more processors receive a message that a computer resource has moved from a first geolocation to a new geolocation. The processor(s) receive an identifier of the new geolocation for the computer resource. In response to receiving the identifier of the new geolocation for the computer resource, the processor(s) request and receive encrypted data from the new geolocation. The processor(s) apply decryption information to the encrypted data from the new geolocation, where the decryption information is specifically for decrypting encrypted data from the new geolocation. In response to the decryption information failing to decrypt the encrypted data from the new geolocation, the processor(s) determine that the identifier of the new geolocation is false and apply a geolocation based resource policy to alter the computer resource at the new geolocation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: ASHISH KUNDU, DIMITRIOS PENDARAKIS, DAVID R. SAFFORD
  • Publication number: 20180189308
    Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product modify a computer resource that has been moved to a new geolocation. One or more processors detect that a geolocation of a software resource has changed to a new geolocation. In response to detecting that the geolocation of the software resource has changed to the new geolocation, the processor(s) apply a geolocation based resource policy to alter the software resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: ASHISH KUNDU, DIMITRIOS PENDARAKIS, DAVID R. SAFFORD
  • Patent number: 9996709
    Abstract: A secure computer architecture is provided. With this architecture, data is received, in a component of an integrated circuit chip implementing the secure computer architecture, for transmission across a data communication link. The data is converted, by the component, to one or more first fixed length frames. The one or more first fixed length frames are then transmitted, by the component, on the data communication link in a continuous stream of frames. The continuous stream of frames includes one or more second fixed length frames generated when no data is available for inclusion in the frames of the continuous stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Hall, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Paul A. Karger, Mark F. Mergen, David R. Safford, David C. Toll
  • Publication number: 20170300309
    Abstract: Examples of techniques for deploying an application on a cloud environment satisfying integrity and geo-fencing constraints are disclosed herein. A computer implemented method may include: receiving a guest application for deployment on a cloud environment; receiving the integrity constraints on the integrity of each of the plurality of host where the application is to be deployed; receiving geo-fencing constraints identifying a geographic location where the guest application is to be deployed; determining for which of the plurality of hosts the integrity constraints and the geo-fencing constraints are satisfied; and deploying the guest application on at least one of the plurality of hosts that satisfy the integrity constraints and the geo-fencing constraints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: STEFAN BERGER, KENNETH A. GOLDMAN, SIMON J. KOFKIN-HANSEN, HUI LEI, VIJAY K. NAIK, DIMITRIOS PENDARAKIS, JAYARAM KALLAPALAYAM RADHAKRISHNAN, DAVID R. SAFFORD, SHU TAO
  • Patent number: 9075644
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for performing secure recursive virtualization of a computer system. A portion of memory is allocated by a virtual machine monitor (VMM) or an operating system (OS) to a new domain. An initial program for the new domain is loaded into the portion of memory. Secure recursive virtualization firmware (SVF) in the data processing system is called to request that the new domain be generated. A determination is made as to whether the call is from a privileged domain or a non-privileged domain. Responsive to the request being from a privileged domain, all access to the new domain is removed from any other domain in the data processing system. Responsive to receiving an indication that the new domain has been generated, an execution of the initial program is scheduled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Hall, Guerney D. H. Hunt, Paul A. Karger, Suzanne K. McIntosh, Mark F. Mergen, David R. Safford, David C. Toll