Abstract: A system or a device can include a processor core comprising one or more hardware processors; a processor memory to cache data; a memory link interface to couple the processor core with one or more attached memory units; and a platform firmware to determine that a device is connected to the processor core across the memory link interface; determine that the device comprises an attached memory; determine a range of at least a portion of the attached memory available for the processor core; map the range of the portion of the attached memory to the processor memory; and wherein the processor core is to use the range of the portion of the attached memory and the processor memory to cache data.

Abstract: Technologies for caching persistent two-level memory (2LM) data include a memory and a processor. The memory includes a volatile memory device and a non-volatile memory device. The processor determines a persistent memory address space for persistent 2LM data and determines one or more non-volatile memory devices that the persistent memory address space is mapped to. The processor further configures the persistent memory address space of the non-volatile memory device to operate in a persistent 2LM mode and further configures an operating system to cache accesses to persistent memory address space in volatile memory.

Abstract: An error handling device logs errors in a computing system including a plurality of devices connected to the error handling device. The error handling device provides groups of error registers. Each group of error registers is associated with a value of a plurality of values. Each of the devices that communicate errors to the error handling device are associated with one of the values. The error handling device receives error messages from the devices connected to the error handling device and for each received error message of the received error messages, determines a value of the plurality of values associated with the device transmitting the received error message, determines the group of error registers associated with the determined value, and log the received error message in the determined group of error registers.

Abstract: Embodiments of processors, methods, and systems for reconfiguring a processor without a system reset are described. In an embodiment, a processor includes configuration storage, shadow configuration storage, trigger storage, and a trigger circuit. The trigger circuit is to cause, based on trigger storage content, shadow configuration storage content to be copied to the configuration storage.

Abstract: Platform controller, computer-readable storage media, and methods associated with initialization of a computing device. In embodiments, a platform controller may comprise a boot controller and one or more non-volatile memory modules, coupled with the boot controller. In embodiments, the one or more non-volatile memory modules may have first instructions and second instructions stored thereon. The first instructions may, when executed by a processor of a computing device hosting the platform controller, cause initialization of the computing device. The second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, may cause the boot controller to monitor at least a portion of the execution of the first instructions by the computing device and may generate a trace of the monitored portion of the execution of the first instructions. In embodiments, the trace may be stored in the one or more non-volatile memory modules. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to allocating and/or configuring persistent memory are described. In an embodiment, memory controller logic configures non-volatile memory into a plurality of partitions at least in part based on one or more attributes. One or more volumes (visible to an application or operating system) are formed from one or more of the plurality of partitions. Each of the one or more volumes includes one or more of the plurality of partitions having at least one similar attribute from the one or more attributes. In another embodiment, memory controller logic configures a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) into a persistent region and a volatile region. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for implementing a scalable extended basic input/output system (BIOS) region that increases the BIOS footprint of a system, are provided and described. In addition to a traditional BIOS region located in the memory mapped input/output (MMIO) low region, an extended BIOS region is initialized in a MMIO area of the system address map, where both regions are accessed by MMIO access requests.

Abstract: Technology for a computing system is described. The computing system can include memory, a controller, and a security management module. The controller can receive a block erase command for erasing data stored in a block of memory. The controller can store information associated with the block erase command in a store, wherein the information includes a block address associated with the data to be erased based on the block erase command. The security management module can read block addresses from the store, update a block erase count array over a defined interval to include block addresses read from the store, compare the block erase count array to a defined threshold, identify block addresses for which the block erase count array is above the defined threshold, and deny subsequent block erase commands for the identified block addresses.

Abstract: An embodiment of a memory apparatus may include a system memory, and a memory manager communicatively coupled to the system memory to determine a first amount of system memory needed for a boot process, initialize the first amount of system memory, start the boot process, and initialize additional system memory in parallel with the boot process. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a memory interface employs selective memory mode authorization enforcement in accordance with the present description to ensure that memory modes of operation which have not been authorized, are not permitted to proceed. In one embodiment, mode control logic receives from memory control logic of the memory interface, memory mode selection data which is compared to a mode authorization classification structure to determine if the memory mode being selected in association with a memory transaction request is authorized or otherwise permitted. Memory mode enablement logic of the mode control logic enables the requested memory mode associated with a memory transaction request if it is determined that the selected memory mode associated with the memory transaction request is authorized. Other aspects are described herein.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for receiving one or more debug communications and programming, via a bus, a set of debug registers with debug information corresponding to the one or more debug communications. Additionally, tunnel logic hardware may be instructed to transfer the debug information from the set of debug registers to one or more test access ports of an intelligent device such as a non-volatile memory storage unit having a microcontroller. In one example, if it is detected that debug permission has been granted during a boot process, a control status register may be unlocked. If, on the other hand, the debug permission is not detected during the boot process, the control status register may be locked. Accordingly, an enable bit of the control status register may be used to activate the tunnel logic hardware only if the control status register is unlocked.

Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to the provision and use of various hardware and software components of a computing device to monitor the state of layered virtual machine (VM) monitoring software components. An apparatus includes a first processor element; and logic to receive an indication that a first timer has reached an end of a first period of time, monitor execution of a VMM (virtual machine monitor) watcher by a second processor element, determine whether the second processor element completes execution of the VMM watcher to verify integrity of a VMM before a second timer reaches an end of a second period of time, and transmit an indication of the determination to a computing device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for receiving one or more debug communications and programming, via a bus, a set of debug registers with debug information corresponding to the one or more debug communications. Additionally, tunnel logic hardware may be instructed to transfer the debug information from the set of debug registers to one or more test access ports of an intelligent device such as a non-volatile memory storage unit having a microcontroller. In one example, if it is detected that debug permission has been granted during a boot process, a control status register may be unlocked. If, on the other hand, the debug permission is not detected during the boot process, the control status register may be locked. Accordingly, an enable bit of the control status register may be used to activate the tunnel logic hardware only if the control status register is unlocked.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for hardware protection of a virtual machine monitor (VMM) runtime integrity watcher is described. A set of one or more hardware range registers that protect a contiguous memory space that is to store the VMM runtime integrity watcher. The set of hardware range registers are to protect the VMM runtime integrity watcher from being modified when loaded into the contiguous memory space. The VMM runtime integrity watcher, when executed, performs an integrity check on a VMM during runtime of the VMM.

Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to the provision and use of various hardware and software components of a computing device to monitor the state of layered virtual machine (VM) monitoring software components. An apparatus includes a first processor element; and logic to receive an indication that a first timer has reached an end of a first period of time, monitor execution of a VMM (virtual machine monitor) watcher by a second processor element, determine whether the second processor element completes execution of the VMM watcher to verify integrity of a VMM before a second timer reaches an end of a second period of time, and transmit an indication of the determination to a computing device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for receiving one or more debug communications and programming, via a bus, a set of debug registers with debug information corresponding to the one or more debug communications. Additionally, tunnel logic hardware may be instructed to transfer the debug information from the set of debug registers to one or more test access ports of an intelligent device such as a non-volatile memory storage unit having a microcontroller. In one example, if it is detected that debug permission has been granted during a boot process, a control status register may be unlocked. If, on the other hand, the debug permission is not detected during the boot process, the control status register may be locked. Accordingly, an enable bit of the control status register may be used to activate the tunnel logic hardware only if the control status register is unlocked.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods to implement boot operations in nonvolatile storage devices can include, in one example, a controller comprising logic to receive a power down instruction, record a timestamp associated with the power down instruction, and store the timestamp in a nonvolatile memory table communicatively coupled to the controller. Other examples are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for hardware protection of a virtual machine monitor (VMM) runtime integrity watcher is described. A set of one or more hardware range registers that protect a contiguous memory space that is to store the VMM runtime integrity watcher. The set of hardware range registers are to protect the VMM runtime integrity watcher from being modified when loaded into the contiguous memory space. The VMM runtime integrity watcher, when executed, performs an integrity check on a VMM during runtime of the VMM.

Abstract: A method is described that includes detecting that a memory access of system management mode program code is attempting to reach program code outside of a protected region of memory by comparing a target memory address of a memory access instruction of the system management program code again information that defines confines of the protection region. The method also includes raising an error signal in response to the detecting.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for accessing a non-volatile memory (NVM) device in a computer system that includes at least one host processor and at least one memory bus. The NVM device is communicably coupleable to the memory bus through an NVM device controller, thereby allowing the host processor to access persistent data storable within the NVM device by issuing one or more memory load/store commands to the NVM device controller over the memory bus. Because the NVM device controller includes at least one block window or aperture that defines at least one address range for accessing the persistent data storable within the NVM device, the computer system can exploit the full capacity of the NVM device without being unduly constrained by physical addressing limits imposed by the host processor, or by limits imposed by an operating system executed by the host processor.