Abstract: A method may include during a Pre-Extensible Firmware Interface Initialization phase of a BIOS, receiving a mailbox command from a management controller of an information handling system, the mailbox command including information regarding a driver image stored in computer-readable media associated with the BIOS, the information including uniquely-identifying information for the driver image. The method may also include, during a Driver Execution Environment phase of the BIOS, locating the driver image stored in the computer-readable media, verifying the driver image based on the information from the mailbox command, extracting the driver image from the computer-readable media in response to verifying the driver image, and causing a driver stored within the driver image to load and execute during BIOS execution.

Abstract: A controller of a storage device is described for handling communications with a host device. In some examples, the storage device includes a wide port comprising a plurality of phys. The wide port is configured to receive, via a first phy of the plurality of phys, a signal. The controller is configured to select, based on a respective power factor associated with each respective phy of the plurality of phys and a respective performance factor associated with each respective phy of the plurality of phys, a second phy of the plurality of phys to utilize for performing an operation associated with the received signal. In such examples, the wide port is further configured to perform, using the second phy, the operation associated with the received signal.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed for performing initialization operations for a graphics processing unit (GPU). The approach includes detecting errors while performing one or more initialization operations. Further, the approach includes releasing a holdoff on a communication link that couples the GPU to a memory bridge and causing debug output to be displayed to a user that indicates the error.

Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus (USB) testing apparatus includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU); a Southbridge; a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), connected with the Southbridge via USB. The BMC determines if a test starts or finishes, generates a first instruction of creating a virtual control computer when determining the test starts, creates a control module and a comparing module in a memory unit which are running to become the virtual control computer, and connects the memory unit with the BMC according to the first instruction. The control module sends control data to the CPU. The comparing module obtains feedback data from the CPU and compares the control data with the obtained data to determine if the control data is consistent with the obtained data, thereby determining whether the USB is working normally.

Abstract: A system and associated method for monitoring the execution of software on one or more computers by receiving traffic from within the monitored computer(s). The monitoring may take place passively, such that the operation of the monitored computer or computers is completely unaffected by the monitoring. More intensive monitoring, such as maintenance of a shadow copy of the RAM of the monitored computer, may be initiated upon recognition of a pattern in the data received from the monitored computer. The execution of software on the monitored computer may be halted by the monitoring module. The monitoring module may also read from or write to the memories of the monitored computer.

Abstract: A processing system includes a processing circuit having one or more buses, a memory interface unit to control access by the processing circuit to a memory, and a metrics module. The metrics module includes one or more metrics registers and a metrics controller to monitor one or more operations selected from memory interface unit operations and bus operations, and to store metrics information corresponding to the monitored operations in the metrics registers. The monitored operations can include memory access operations, arbitration operations, bus operations, and the like. The metrics information can be analyzed to provide a basis for improving performance of a program that is executed on the processing system.