Patent ID: 7558966
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a non-volatile memory storing initialization information for a hardware platform, the initialization information including configuration settings for hardware components of the hardware platform, as well as initialization sequence code and hardware device driver data, the hardware platform providing hardware for a host operating environment to execute on the hardware platform; a validation circuit to read, at initialization of the host operating environment on the hardware platform, at least a portion of the initialization information of the non-volatile memory, and determine integrity of the read portion, including performing a validation algorithm to verify one or more of the configuration settings have expected values, and that the boot sequence code and hardware device driver data have expected values, wherein the validation circuit has operating logic that is separate from the non-volatile memory and the initialization information, and the validation circuit is inaccessible to the host operating environment; and a transmitter to indicate the integrity determination over a private network link to a remote network administration system separate from the hardware platform, the private network link being a communication channel inaccessible to the host operating environment.