Method and apparatus for controlling operating system access to configuration settings

• US 20060184794A1
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Desselle, B. Dalvis, Ziarnik, Gregory P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method of operating a computer includes receiving an operating system request to access configuration settings. The request is executed in accordance with authorization determined by at least one operating system access control parameter.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer, comprising:

a) receiving an operating system request to access configuration settings; and

b) executing the request in accordance with authorization determined by at least one operating system access control parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

c) executing the request, if the request is authorized.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

d) returning a result buffer after executing the request.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

c) returning an empty buffer, if the request is not authorized.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) is performed by a protected function external to the operating system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request is a selected one of a read request to read the configuration settings, and a write request to modify the configuration settings.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration settings are stored within a nonvolatile memory.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile memory is a semiconductor nonvolatile memory.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein authorization is based on at least one of a username and a group name.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating system access control parameter defines a same authorization and access right for all modifiable configuration settings.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating system access control parameter is configurable to provide one authorization for a first access right and a second authorization for a second access right.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating system access control parameter is configurable to authorize all access rights for a first group of configuration settings distinctly from an authorization of all access rights for a second group of configuration settings.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating system access control parameter is configurable to authorize access rights for a first group of configuration settings distinctly from an authorization of access rights for a second group of configuration settings, wherein each configuration setting within a selected group has a same set of access rights, wherein each access right is selected independently from another access right.

14. A method of operating a computer comprising:

a) invoking a configuration program to access configuration settings during a pre-operating system boot phase of a computer boot process; and

b) selecting a value of an operating system access control parameter, wherein operating system access to the configuration settings is limited in accordance with the selected value.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the operating system access control parameter resides within a nonvolatile memory.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the nonvolatile memory is a semiconductor memory.

17. A computer apparatus, comprising:

a processor for executing instructions including a plurality of instructions forming an operating system;

a first nonvolatile memory storing a plurality of configuration settings including at least one operating system access control parameter; and

a second nonvolatile memory storing a protected function external to the operating system, wherein the protected function instructs the processor to execute an operating system request to access the configuration settings in accordance with an authorization determined by the at least one operating system access control parameter.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one of the first and second nonvolatile memories is a semiconductor memory.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the first nonvolatile memory is a battery-backed complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second nonvolatile memory is a flash electrically re-writable semiconductor memory.

21. A method of controlling operating system access to configuration settings, comprising:

providing a managed object format (MOF) file having content dependent upon an operating system access control parameter, wherein the MOF file is empty if the parameter indicates operating system access is disabled, wherein the MOF defines methods for accessing configuration settings if the parameter indicates operating system access is not disabled.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein both MOF file contents are stored within a nonvolatile semiconductor memory.