Managing the Customizing of Appliances

• US 20160147546A1
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chao, Chih-Wen, Galloway, Gregory L., Lee, Cheng-Ta, Wu, Ming-Hsun, Wu, Rick M. F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of customizing an appliance. The method includes steps of pre-storing a public key in the appliance; connecting the appliance to an external storage device; and booting up the appliance to automatically proceed with the following customization process: obtaining a customization file from the external storage device; authenticating the customization file with the public key; and executing customization with the customization file if the authentication succeeds.

Claims

1. A method of customizing an appliance, comprising steps of:

pre-storing a public key in the appliance;

connecting the appliance to an external storage device; and

booting up the appliance to automatically proceed with the following customization process;

obtaining a customization file from the external storage device;

authenticating the customization file with the public key; and

responsive to a successful authentication of the customization file, executing customization with the customization file.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of booting up the appliance to proceed with the customization process comprises:

booting up the appliance with a pre-stored firmware,

and wherein the step of executing customization with the customization file further includes;

modifying settings in the pre-stored firmware.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of booting up the appliance to proceed with the customization process comprises:

booting up the appliance with a pre-stored firmware,

and wherein the step of executing customization with the customization file further includes;

updating the pre-stored firmware.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of executing customization with the customization file comprises:

modifying a user interface of the appliance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of booting up the appliance to proceed with the customization process comprises:

proceeding with the customization process after confirming that a customization lock file does not exist in a non-volatile storage device of the appliance.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customization process further comprises:

shutting down or rebooting automatically by the appliance according to a scheme designated in the customization file after completing customization.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customization process further comprises:

enabling or disabling a specific function automatically by the appliance according to a scheme designated in the customization file after completing customization.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customization process further comprises:

generating a customization lock file in a non-volatile storage device of the appliance after completing customization.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

pre-storing verification reference information in the appliance,

wherein the customization process further includes;

verifying a content of the customization file according to the verification reference information,

wherein the appliance is customized according to the customization file after the content of the customization file is successfully verified.

10. A method of customizing an appliance, comprising steps of:

connecting the appliance to an external storage device; and

booting up the appliance to automatically proceed with the following customization process;

determining whether a customization lock file exists in a non-volatile storage device of the appliance; and

responsive to determining that the customization lock file does not exist, obtaining a customization file from the external storage device and executing customization according to the customization file.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the customization process further comprises:

generating the customization lock file in the non-volatile storage device of the appliance after completing customization.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the customization process further comprises:

determining whether to generate the customization lock file in the non-volatile storage device of the appliance according to a parameter in the customization file after completing customization; and

generating the customization lock file in the non-volatile storage device if determination is positive.

13. An appliance, including:

a processor; and

a memory, including a set of computer-executable instructions,

wherein the processor executes the set of computer-executable instructions to implement steps of;

pre-storing a public key in the appliance;

connecting the appliance to an external storage device; and

booting up the appliance to automatically proceed with the following customization process;

obtaining a customization file from the external storage device;

authenticating the customization file with the public key; and

responsive to a successful authentication of the customization file, executing customization with the customization file.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-usable program code embodied in the computer-readable medium that is configured to perform steps of:

pre-storing a public key in the appliance;

connecting the appliance to an external storage device; and

booting up the appliance to automatically proceed with the following customization process;

obtaining a customization file from the external storage device;

authenticating the customization file with the public key; and

responsive to a successful authentication of the customization file, executing customization with the customization file.