Methods for enabling software in storage-capable devices

• US 8,561,087 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Bryant-Rich, Donald Ray, Hahn, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US12/173,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Methods for enabling software from a storage-capable device including the steps of: loading, by a host system operationally connected to the storage-capable device, software from an authenticatable storage area residing in the storage-capable device; validating the software; and installing the validated software, wherein the validated software provides an interface between the host system and the storage-capable device. In some embodiments, the software is enabling software, the method further including the step of: loading, by the host system, device-functionality software from the authenticatable storage area. In some embodiments, the method further includes the steps of: validating the device-functionality software; and enabling the validated device-functionality software. In some embodiments, the method further includes the steps of: prior to the step of loading the software, executing a probe command in the host system; and returning, by the probe command, a list of device functional units residing in the storage-capable device.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a host system, for enabling software stored on a removable storage-capable device, the method comprising the steps of:

in the host system, performing;

executing a probe command in the host system;

subsequent to executing the probe command, receiving a list of device functional units residing in the removable storage-capable device;

subsequent to receiving the list, receiving the software based on a host-OS identifier sent in a security-protocol-out payload of the probe command;

determining whether an operating system of the host system supports the software;

when the operating system of the host system is determined to support the software;

loading software from an authenticatable storage area residing in the removable storage-capable device;

validating said software;

installing the validated software, wherein the validated software provides an interface between the host system and device-functionality software in the removable storage-capable device;

using the validated and installed software to load device-functionality software from the authenticatable storage area;

validating the device-functionality software; and

enabling the validated device-functionality software; and

when the operating system of the host system is determined not to support the software;

skipping the steps of loading, validating, and installing the software.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the host system is configured to access, from the list, only selected device functional units that are compatible with an operating system of the host system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe command is configured to return, from said list, only selected device functional units that are compatible with an operating system of the host system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the list is a silo-type identifier (STID) list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe command is configured to return, from the list, only selected device functional units that are authorized for use with a specific host system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe command is configured to return, from said list, only selected device functional units.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticatable storage area is a digital-rights management device functional unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of validating the device-functionality software is performed using a signature.

9. A method, performed by a host system, for enabling software stored on a removable storage-capable device, the method comprising the steps of:

in the host system, performing;

loading software from an authenticatable storage area residing in the removable storage-capable device;

validating said software;

installing the validated software, wherein the validated software provides an interface between the host system and device-functionality software in the removable storage-capable device;

using the validated and installed software to load device-functionality software from the authenticatable storage area;

validating the device-functionality software;

enabling the validated device-functionality software;

prior to the step of loading the software, authenticating the authenticatable storage area to the host system using a device certificate;

subsequent to the step of authenticating, establishing a secure session between the host system and a server; and

subsequent to the step of establishing, sending an image of the software with a server certificate to the removable storage-capable device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the image is encrypted with a key agreed upon via a key exchange using the server certificate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the software is enabling software, the method further comprising the steps of:

validating the image;

loading, by the host system, device-functionality software from the authenticatable storage area;

validating the device-functionality software; and

enabling the validated device-functionality software.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of validating the device-functionality software is performed using a signature in the device certificate.

13. A method, performed by a host system, for enabling software stored on a storage-capable device, the method comprising the steps of:

in the host system, performing;

loading software from an authenticatable storage area residing in the storage-capable device;

validating said software;

installing the validated software, wherein the validated software provides an interface between the host system and device-functionality software in the storage-capable device;

prior to loading the software, executing a probe command in the host system;

subsequent to executing the probe command, receiving a list of device functional units residing in the storage-capable device;

subsequent to receiving the list, receiving the software based on a host-OS identifier sent in a security-protocol-out payload of the probe command;

determining whether an operating system of the host system supports the software; and

skipping the steps of loading, validating, and installing the software upon determining that the software is not supported by the operating system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the host system is configured to access, from the list, only selected device functional units that are compatible with an operating system of the host system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe command is configured to return, from said list, only selected device functional units that are compatible with an operating system of the host system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the list is a silo-type identifier (STID) list.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe command is configured to return, from the list, only selected device functional units that are authorized for use with a specific host system.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe command is configured to return, from the list, only selected device functional units.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the authenticatable storage area is a digital-rights management device functional unit.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of validating the device-functionality software is performed using a signature.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

prior to the step of loading the software, authenticating the authenticatable storage area to the host system using a device certificate;

subsequent to authenticating, establishing a secure session between the host system and a server; and

subsequent to establishing the secure session, sending an image of the software with a server certificate to the storage-capable device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the image is encrypted with a key agreed upon via a key exchange using the server certificate.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the software is enabling software, the method further comprising the steps of:

validating the image;

loading device-functionality software from the authenticatable storage area;

validating the device-functionality software; and

enabling the validated device-functionality software.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of validating the device-functionality software is performed using a signature in the device certificate.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage-capable device is removable from the host system.

26. A method, performed by a host system, for enabling software stored on a storage-capable device, the method comprising the steps of:

in the host system, performing;

loading software from an authenticatable storage area residing in the storage-capable device;

validating said software;

installing the validated software, wherein the validated software provides an interface between the host system and device-functionality software in the storage-capable device;

prior to loading the software, authenticating the authenticatable storage area to the host system using a device certificate;

subsequent to authenticating, establishing a secure session between the host system and a server; and

subsequent to establishing the secure session, sending an image of the software with a server certificate to the storage-capable device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the image is encrypted with a key agreed upon via a key exchange using the server certificate.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the software is enabling software, the method further comprising the steps of the host system:

validating the image;

loading device-functionality software from the authenticatable storage area;

validating the device-functionality software; and

enabling the validated device-functionality software.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of validating the device-functionality software is performed using a signature in the device certificate.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the storage-capable device is removable from the host system.