Patent ID: 7237126

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a host computer; an appliance server operably coupled to the host computer, the appliance server having a storage memory and an execution memory; a control operably coupled to the appliance server and to the storage memory to control storage of programs into the storage memory, the appliance server being adapted to replace a first program stored in the storage memory with a second program by loading the second program into the storage memory, wherein the appliance server is further adapted to verify the second program stored in the storage memory, wherein verifying comprises authenticating the second program and determining whether the second program is operable, and wherein the appliance server is further adapted to reload the first program into the storage program if the second program is not verified and to execute the second program if the if the second program is verified; and a security device operably coupled to the control, the security device being adapted to signal the control to permit the host computer to store the second program in the storage memory, the security device comprising a switch, wherein the second program is stored in the storage memory only if the switch is enabled.