Abstract: A method comprises one or more of measuring metrics of a node during boot up, storing the metrics, generating a signature record from the stored metrics, and broadcasting the signature record when said node initializes a network connection.

Abstract: A method comprises one or more of measuring metrics of a node during boot up, storing the metrics, generating a signature record from the stored metrics, and broadcasting the signature record when said node initializes a network connection.

Abstract: Systems and arrangements for remotely selecting a bootable image via a WOL packet for a wake-on-LAN (WOL) capable computer are contemplated. Server-side embodiments include hardware and/or software for determining a client to be managed, determining whether the client is active on the network, and transmitting a WOL packet having a vector, or operating system partition identification (OSPID), to describe a bootable image accessible by the WOL capable computer. Some embodiments may include an OSPID that points to a secure bootable image such as a bootable image on a hard drive, a compact disk (CD) connected to the computer, or other local resource. Client-side embodiments may receive the WOL packet at, for instance, a network interface card (NIC), recognize that the WOL packet includes an OSPID that describes the bootable image to boot, and implement an alternative boot sequence to boot from that bootable image.

Abstract: Systems and arrangements for remotely selecting a bootable image via a WOL packet for a wake-on-LAN (WOL) capable computer are contemplated. Server-side embodiments include hardware and/or software for determining a client to be managed, determining whether the client is active on the network, and transmitting a WOL packet having a vector, or operating system partition identification (OSPID), to describe a bootable image accessible by the WOL capable computer. Some embodiments may include an OSPID that points to a secure bootable image such as a bootable image on a hard drive, a compact disk (CD) connected to the computer, or other local resource. Client-side embodiments may receive the WOL packet at, for instance, a network interface card (NIC), recognize that the WOL packet includes an OSPID that describes the bootable image to boot, and implement an alternative boot sequence to boot from that bootable image.

Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for booting to a partition in a non-volatile storage unit without a local operator. In one embodiment, one or more bits in a BOOT register may be set by an operating system indicating if the BIOS should boot to the partition. The BIOS may then read the BOOT register to determine if the BIOS is to boot to the partition as well as any activities to perform if the BIOS is to boot to the partition. In another embodiment, a network interface card may insert directive information received from a packet in a register within the network interface card. The BIOS may then read the register within the network interface card to determine if the BIOS is to boot to the partition as well as any activities to perform if the BIOS is to boot to the partition.

Abstract: A method, software, and system for loading data from disk include comparing a current sequence of disk I/O requests to data indicative of a previous disk I/O request sequence. Responsive to detecting a match between the current disk I/O sequence and the previous disk I/O sequence, a copy of data blocks accessed during the I/O sequence is stored in a contiguous portion of the disk. Responsive to a subsequent request to data in the disk sequence, the request is mapped to and serviced from the sequential portion of the disk. In one embodiment, the disk sequence represents a boot sequence of the system.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for loading data from a disk. The method may comprise comparing a current sequence of disk requests to data indicative of a previous disk request sequence. Responsive to detecting a match between the current disk sequence and the previous disk I/O sequence, a copy of data blocks accessed during the current disk sequence may be stored in a contiguous portion of the disk. Responsive to a subsequent request for data in the disk sequence, the request may be mapped to and serviced from the sequential portion of the disk: The continuous portion of the disk to which the data is copied may be on a different partition of the disk than a disk partition on which the original data is stored. A sequence of disk accesses may be recorded. Responsive to retrieving data from the continuous portion, additional data from the contiguous portion of the disk may be prefetched and may be cached in a buffer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for protecting a password. A system for providing a protectable password including a storage device, an input mechanism for entering a protectable password in any position and a password validation engine coupled to the storage device and to the input mechanism for analyzing the string of characters and keystrokes to find the protectable password and for validating the apparent password if the protectable password and the random pattern are determined to be present in any position in the string of characters and keystrokes of the apparent password, is provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for protecting a password. In a first aspect, the method includes allowing a user to enter an apparent password into a computing system, wherein the apparent password is a string of characters and keystrokes including the password and an arbitrary number of non-password related characters and keystrokes. The method further includes analyzing the string of characters and keystrokes by the computing system to find the password, and validating the apparent password if the password is found in any position in the string of characters and keystrokes.

Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for booting to a partition in a non-volatile storage unit without a local operator. In one embodiment, one or more bits in a BOOT register may be set by an operating system indicating if the BIOS should boot to the partition. The BIOS may then read the BOOT register to determine if the BIOS is to boot to the partition as well as any activities to perform if the BIOS is to boot to the partition. In another embodiment, a network interface card may insert directive information received from a packet in a register within the network interface card. The BIOS may then read the register within the network interface card to determine if the BIOS is to boot to the partition as well as any activities to perform if the BIOS is to boot to the partition.

Abstract: Systems and arrangements for remotely selecting a bootable image via a WOL packet for a wake-on-LAN (WOL) capable computer are contemplated. Server-side embodiments include hardware and/or software for determining a client to be managed, determining whether the client is active on the network, and transmitting a WOL packet having a vector, or operating system partition identification (OSPID), to describe a bootable image accessible by the WOL capable computer. Some embodiments may include an OSPID that points to a secure bootable image such as a bootable image on a hard drive, a compact disk (CD) connected to the computer, or other local resource. Client-side embodiments may receive the WOL packet at, for instance, a network interface card (NIC), recognize that the WOL packet includes an OSPID that describes the bootable image to boot, and implement an alternative boot sequence to boot from that bootable image.

Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for booting to a partition in a non-volatile storage unit without a local operator. In one embodiment, one or more bits in a BOOT register may be set by an operating system indicating if the BIOS should boot to the partition. The BIOS may then read the BOOT register to determine if the BIOS is to boot to the partition as well as any activities to perform if the BIOS is to boot to the partition. In another embodiment, a network interface card may insert directive information received from a packet in a register within the network interface card. The BIOS may then read the register within the network interface card to determine if the BIOS is to boot to the partition as well as any activities to perform if the BIOS is to boot to the partition.

Abstract: A system remotely boots a plurality of server blades in a blade center to update each blade. A temporary network is created to provide an out-of-band communication channel between a management module and the plurality of server blades. The management module receives and saves the original boot sequence for each server blade and alters each boot sequence such that each server blade begins with a network boot. After receiving an initial transmission over the network containing server blade boot instructions and storing the boot instructions in a temporary boot server, subsequent server blade boot requests from the network are intercepted and the stored boot instructions are re-routed from the temporary boot server to each of the remaining blades in the blade server thus removing the need for repeated boot packet transmission over the network.

Abstract: A method and system for booting up multiple PCI peripheral devices, such that the number of bootable PCI peripheral devices is not limited by the amount of computer system memory that is dedicated to storing executable boot code for the peripheral devices. The executable boot code is stored on a Read Only Memory (ROM) on each peripheral device. When a new PCI peripheral device begins to boot up, a check for available memory space in a ROM scan memory address space is performed. If there is not enough available room in the ROM scan memory address space for the new device's executable boot code, then a ROM scan detection logic pages an image of another peripheral device's executable boot code out of the ROM scan memory address space before storing the new device's executable boot code into the ROM scan memory address space.

Abstract: A system and method for remote power control across multiple distinct nodes of a logically coherent data processing system where each node has the design of a traditional standalone SMP server. The system is partitioned into two or more static partitions. Remote power control for the partition is achieved using a modified wake-on-LAN implementation in which magic packet filters on each NIC in the partition are modified to enable remote, partition-wide restart by a magic packet that is recognized by or common to all of the nodes. In one embodiment the wake-on-LAN filters of each NIC in the partition recognize and respond to magic packets addressed to any of the NIC's in the partition. In another embodiment, the wake-on-LAN filters of each NIC in the partition are modified to respond to a universal magic packet.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for implementing a fault tolerant sleep mode of operation. The system state information may be stored in a volatile memory and in a non-volatile storage unit prior to entering the sleep mode of operation. If a memory corruption event, e.g., power outage, brownout, power surge, occurs during the sleep mode of operation, then, upon receiving an invocation to resume to a normal mode of operation, the system state information stored in the non-volatile storage unit may be reloaded into the volatile memory. By reloading the system state information stored in the non-volatile storage into the volatile memory, the computer system may resume to a normal mode of operation from a sleep mode of operation without any corruption or loss of data.

Abstract: A system and method of providing increased security of a personal computer through the use of its operating system and initialization. The invention provides a security profile which indicates the level of authorization which the user has and the security exposure which a user will be permitted, which combines with a stored log of attempts to access the personal computer through the use of the password and the results of each attempt to provide a system where unsuccessful attempts will turn off the system. The system also includes a plurality of access levels so that some functions in the computer may be denied to a user but permitted to a system administrator. The access log also may include a record of physical security attacks or attempt, such as removing the covers of a personal computer.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for substituting an anonymous Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) for a computer system's real UUID in order to disguise an identity of the computer system to an application which is requesting a UUID for the client computer system. A storage device is established in the computer system. The storage device includes a primary and a second location. A UUID stored in the primary location is used as a UUID for the computer system. An anonymous UUID is generated. The anonymous UUID does not identify any particular computer system. The anonymous UUID is stored in the primary location within the storage device, and the real UUID is backed up by moving it into the secondary location. Thereafter, the anonymous UUID is provided in response to requests for the computer system's UUID.

Abstract: A computer system (e.g., a personal computer (PC)) is loaded with multiple versions of the bootable program (e.g., an operating system (OS)). The boot record for each bootable program version is hashed to produce a digest and the digest is signed using the cryptographic signature engine using the program's private installation key. The resulting signature, along with data indicating the program's name and version, is stored in fields of the non-volatile memory. When the system boots with a version of the program, the active entry is decrypted and the resulting data is compared. If a new version is being booted, then it is determined if the new version is the alternative entry. If so, the active entry is discarded and the alternative version is moved to be the active entry and the system boots with the new version of the program.

Abstract: A hard drive having a protected partition is used in the recovery of a BIOS image for a computer system. An EEPROM is used to store a first BIOS image that is used to boot-up the system and recovery code is used to recover a new BIOS image if the first BIOS image has been corrupted. The new BIOS image is stored in the protected partition of the drive. A recover BIOS command is issued whenever the first BIOS image has been corrupted or a remote or local recover BIOS request is received. When the first BIOS is corrupted, the EEPROM is rewritten with the second BIOS image and the system boots with the rewritten first BIOS image. When a recover BIOS request is received in a data packet sent over a communication link, the data packet is authenticated before the first BIOS image is rewritten.