Patent ID: 8108905

Claim:
A method for verifying an operating system image utilized to boot a data processing system has not been altered since the booting of said data processing system, said method comprising: partitioning a local store unit within an attached processor element into a general access region and an isolation region, wherein said isolation region is accessible only to an attached processor unit within said attached processor element of a data processing system having a main processor unit and a system memory; executing a loader to load a secure process in said isolation region, wherein said secure process is a system monitor; determining if said secure process is allowed to use real mode direct memory access commands; and in response to a determination that said secure process is allowed to use real mode direct memory access commands, enabling real mode direct memory access commands to allow said secure process to issue non-translated direct memory access commands to verify an operating system image utilized to boot said data processing system has not been altered since booting of said data processing system.