Patent ID: 7853742

Claim:
A method for loading an executable firmware image on a target platform during boot, comprising: allocating a memory buffer of sufficient size to hold an executable firmware image file; determining whether the executable firmware image file has been pruned by checking at least one mask field in the executable firmware image file, wherein pruning comprises discarding data from the executable firmware image file when the data is irrelevant to the target platform, and wherein the at least one mask field is a standard field in a firmware image header and is configured to be selectively used for both pruned and legacy unpruned firmware images based on a pre-determined bit of the mask field; and loading, by a firmware service during boot, the executable firmware image file into the memory buffer for execution, wherein, if the executable firmware image file is determined to have been pruned, the executable firmware image file is reconstructed upon loading but without the discarded data; wherein loading the executable firmware image file further comprises: loading a plurality of section headers into the memory buffer; and loading the image content into the memory buffer; wherein each of the plurality of section headers loaded into the memory buffer comprises one of a default format section header and a reconstructed section header.