BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM (BIOS) UPDATE CONTROL

• US 20180004502A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Samuel, Balasingh, Phillips, Walter, Downum, Steven
• Application Number:
  US15/198,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20180004502A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A basic input/output system (BIOS) may be automatically updated by a BIOS distribution service. In certain environments such automatic updates may not be desirable as the update may not have been tested or may cause interruptions in one or more information handling systems or applications. Updating an extensible firmware interface system resource table (ESRT) with one or more values may disable such automatic updates. A BIOS version control policy may be utilized to determine the one or more values for the ESRT such that BIOS updates are not automatic or that only predetermined, tested, or otherwise approved BIOS updates are permitted. One or more values of the BIOS version control policy may be set or determined and may be protected, for example, password protected so that all information handling systems within a given environment or network maintain the proper BIOS version.

Claims

1. A method for version control of a basic input/output system (BIOS) of an information handling system, comprising:

providing an interface for the BIOS;

altering one or more parameters via the interface, wherein the one or more parameters are associated with a version control policy for the BIOS;

populating one or more values of an extensible firmware interface system resource table (ESRT) based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters, wherein the one or more values are indicative of a unique identifier associated with the BIOS and a BIOS version, and wherein the BIOS version is based, at least in part, on the version control policy;

providing the one or more values to a BIOS distribution service; and

updating the BIOS of the information handling system with a BIOS update from the BIOS distribution service based, at least in part, on the one or more values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the version control policy is associated with a plurality of information handling systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of enable automatic updates, disable automatic updates and permit predetermined updates.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the enable automatic updates to allow automatic updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, and wherein the BIOS version comprises a current version of the BIOS.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the disable automatic updates to prevent automatic updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, and wherein the BIOS version comprises an empty value.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the permit predetermined updates to restrict updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, wherein the one or more parameters comprises a predetermined BIOS version, and wherein the BIOS version comprises the predetermined BIOS version.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined BIOS version is an earlier version than a current version of the BIOS.

8. An information handling system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor has access to a basic input/output system (BIOS), wherein the BIOS includes one or more instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to;

provide an interface for the BIOS of the information handling system;

alter one or more parameters via the interface, wherein the one or more parameters are associated with a version control policy for the BIOS of the information handling system, and wherein the version control policy provides a target BIOS version;

set a value of an extensible firmware interface system resource table (ESRT) based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters, wherein the value is indicative of the target BIOS version;

provide the value to a BIOS distribution service; and

update the BIOS of the information handling system with a BIOS update from the BIOS distribution service based, at least in part, on the value.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the information handling system comprises a plurality of information handling systems, and wherein the version control policy is associated with a plurality of information handling systems.

10. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of enable automatic updates, disable automatic updates and permit predetermined updates.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the enable automatic updates to allow automatic updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, and wherein the BIOS version comprises a current version of the BIOS.

12. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the disable automatic updates to prevent automatic updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, and wherein the BIOS version comprises an empty value.

13. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the permit predetermined updates to restrict updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, wherein the one or more parameters comprises a predetermined BIOS version, and wherein the BIOS version comprises the predetermined BIOS version.

14. The information handling system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined BIOS version is an earlier version than a current version of the BIOS.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions, the one or more instructions representing a basic input/output system (BIOS), that, when executed by a processor of an information handling system, cause the processor to:

receive a version control policy associated with the information handling system;

determine a version of the BIOS of the information handling system;

provide via an interface a version control policy for the BIOS of the information handling system, wherein the BIOS of the information handling system comprises unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) firmware, and wherein the version control policy comprises the version of the BIOS of the information handling system and a target BIOS version;

alter one or more parameters of the version control policy via the interface;

set a value of an extensible firmware interface system resource table (ESRT) based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters, wherein the value is indicative of the target BIOS version;

receive a request from a BIOS distribution service;

provide the value to a BIOS distribution service in response to the request; and

update the BIOS of the information handling system with a BIOS update from the BIOS distribution service based, at least in part, on the value.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the version control policy is associated with a plurality of information handling systems.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of enable automatic updates, disable automatic updates and permit predetermined updates.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the enable automatic updates to allow automatic updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, and wherein the BIOS version comprises a current version of the BIOS.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the disable automatic updates to prevent automatic updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, and wherein the BIOS version comprises an empty value.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein altering the one or more parameters comprises altering the permit predetermined updates to restrict updates of the BIOS by the distribution service, wherein the one or more parameters comprises a predetermined BIOS version, and wherein the BIOS version comprises the predetermined BIOS version.