Patent ID: 6941458

Claim:
A method comprising: in a platform with a processor and a memory, configuring the processor to run in an isolated execution mode within a ring 0 operating mode, wherein the processor also supports one or more higher ring operating modes, as well as a non-isolated execution mode within at least the ring 0 operating mode; configuring the platform to establish an isolated memory area in the memory and a non-isolated memory area in the memory, wherein the platform does not allow access to the isolated memory area if the processor is not in the isolated execution mode; executing a processor executive on the processor, with the processor running in the isolated execution mode; loading an operating system (OS) executive into the isolated memory area, the OS executive to manage at least a subset of an OS to run on the platform; verifying the OS executive, using the processor executive; and after verifying the OS executive, launching the OS executive, the launching of the OS executive performed by the processor executive.