Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention is a method to use authentication certificates to authorize peers to particular applications. In addition to using authentication certificates to authenticate the identity and trustworthiness of a peer, authentication certificates are additionally used to authorize peers to particular applications. A list of certificates is maintained in a Peer Authorized Certificate Store (PACS), where the certificates may comprise any combination of root certificates, intermediate certificates, and peer certificates. When an authentication certificate is received from a peer, the peer is authenticated using the authentication certificate; and authorized by checking the authentication certificate against a Peer Authorized Certificate Store (PACS).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for diagnosis of a processor in an operating system-absent environment (i.e., without or prior to an operating system boot). A boot operation of the processor is begun, and a Power-On Self test (POST) process is run. If a failure in the POST process occurs, the failure is detected and information regarding it is stored. The processor is then rebooted and the POST process is begun again. The stored information of the prior POST failure is then used for diagnosis during the reboot operation. To assist in the diagnosis, information about the state of the boot process can be displayed as a supplement to beep codes customarily used for diagnosis. In another aspect of the invention, after a boot failure is detected, a Pre-boot Diagnostic System Loader can be run. Information stored in the Pre-boot Diagnostic System Loader can then be used to boot a diagnostic partition.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention is a method to use authentication certificates to authorize peers to particular applications. In addition to using authentication certificates to authenticate the identity and trustworthiness of a peer, authentication certificates are additionally used to authorize peers to particular applications. A list of certificates is maintained in a Peer Authorized Certificate Store (PACS), where the certificates may comprise any combination of root certificates, intermediate certificates, and peer certificates. When an authentication certificate is received from a peer, the peer is authenticated using the authentication certificate; and authorized by checking the authentication certificate against a Peer Authorized Certificate Store (PACS).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for diagnosis of a processor in an operating system-absent environment (i.e., without or prior to an operating system boot). A boot operation of the processor is begun, and a Power-On Self Test (POST) process is run. If a failure in the POST process occurs, the failure is detected and information regarding it is stored. The processor is then rebooted and the POST process is begun again. The stored information of the prior POST failure is then used for diagnosis during the reboot operation. To assist in the diagnosis, information about the state of the boot process can be displayed as a supplement to beep codes customarily used for diagnosis. In another aspect of the invention, after a boot failure is detected, a Pre-boot Diagnostic System Loader can be run. Information stored in the Pre-boot Diagnostic System Loader can then be used to boot a diagnostic partition.

Abstract: A hidden disk partition is accessed using a supplemental driver that is stored outside the master boot record of a disk drive. The boot loader used is standard, and hence can be refreshed as necessary. If a non standard partition is found, and a special key is pressed, the main master boot record is combined with additional information to form a special composite master boot record at runtime. This composite master boot record can read the additional information.