Managing access to computer components

• US 20080189782A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Broyles, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

In one embodiment a computer system comprises a user interface and a component disable module including logic to initiate boot operations, and present, on a user interface, a component disable feature when at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a user interface;

a component disable module including logic to;

initiate boot operations; and

present, on the user interface, a component disable interface when at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising logic to:

receive a component disable signal from the component disable interface, wherein the component disable signal identifies a component to disable; and

disable the component in response to the component disable signal.

3. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising logic to:

receive a component enable signal from the user interface, wherein the component enable signal identifies a component to enable; and

enable the component in response to the component enable signal.

4. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising logic to:

initiate a query to a management engine in the computer system; and

receive a response to the query, wherein the response indicates whether at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the component disable module resides in the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer system.

6. A method to manage access to a component of a computer system, comprising:

initiating boot operations;

presenting, on a user interface, a component disable feature when at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

receiving a component disable signal from the user interface, wherein the component disable signal identifies a component to disable;

and

disabling the component in response to the component disable signal.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a component enable signal from the user interface, wherein the component enable signal identifies a component to enable; and

enabling the component in response to the component enable signal.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

initiating a query to a management engine in the computer system; and

receiving a response to the query, wherein the response indicates whether at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising initiating boot operations in the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer system.

11. A computer program product comprising logic instructions stored on a computer-readable medium which, when executed by a computer processor, configure the processor to:

initiate boot operations; and

present, on a user interface, a component disable feature when at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising logic instructions stored on a computer-readable medium which, when executed by a computer processor, configure the processor to:

receive a component disable signal from the user interface, wherein the component disable signal identifies a component to disable; and

disable the component in response to the component disable signal.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising logic instructions stored on a computer-readable medium which, when executed by a computer processor, configure the processor to:

receive a component enable signal from the user interface, wherein the component enable signal identifies a component to enable; and

enable the component in response to the component enable signal.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising logic instructions stored on a computer-readable medium which, when executed by a computer processor, configure the processor to:

initiate a query to a management engine in the computer system; and

receive a response to the query, wherein the response indicates whether at least one of an active management technology or an alert standard format are disabled on the computer system.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising logic instructions stored on a computer-readable medium which, when executed by a computer processor, configure the processor to initiate boot operations in the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer system.