Persistent servicing agent

• US 8,868,933 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Gardner, Philip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Peiliang
• Application Number:
  US11/093,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,494 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/188, 713/194, 713/193, 380/200, 380/201, 380/255, 380/277, 726/2, 726/22, 726/25, 726/34, 726/35, 726/3, 726/26, 717/168, 717/171, 709/202
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• 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 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links

Abstract

A tamper resistant software Agent for enabling, supporting and/or providing various services (e.g., tracking assets; data delete and updating software) comprises multiple functional modules, including a loader module (CLM) that loads and gains control during POST, independent of the OS, an Adaptive Installer Module (AIM), and a Communications Driver Agent (CDA). Once control is handed to the CLM, it loads the AIM, which in turn locates, validates, decompresses and adapts the CDA for the detected OS environment. The CDA exists in two forms, a mini CDA that determines whether a full or current CDA is located somewhere on the device, and if not, to load the full-function CDA from a network; and a full-function CDA that is responsible for all communications between the device and the monitoring server. In another aspect, the servicing functions that the Agent performs can be controlled by a remote server, by combining generic sub-function calls available in the Agent. This programmable capability of the Agent allow its functionality to be extended based on server-driven commands.

Claims

1. A persistent servicing agent disposed in an electronic device connected to a network to a remote server, to enable, support and/or provide at least one service with respect to the electronic device, comprising:

a driver agent concealed electronically in a normally user inaccessible location in the electronic device, wherein the driver agent is configured to be persistent against external tampering, including self-healing in the event of tampering, wherein the driver agent comprises at least one of a partial driver agent or a full function driver agent, wherein the full function driver agent is configured to communicate with the network in providing the service, wherein the partial driver agent is configured with a reduced set of functions compared to the full function driver agent, and to determine whether a full function driver agent is available in the electronic device, and wherein the partial driver agent is further configured to retrieve over the network a copy of the full function driver agent if it is determined to be not available in the electronic device; and

a run module configured to automatically initiate operation of the driver agent without user initiation or user intervention.

2. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 1, wherein the run module comprises:

an installer module configured to automatically adapt the driver agent to an operating environment of the electronic device to provide the service without user intervention; and

a loader module configured to automatically load the installer module, which in turn loads the driver agent.

3. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 2, wherein the installer module comprises a programmable module to configure to the specific operating environment of the electronic device.

4. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 3, wherein the run module is configured to initiate operation of the driver agent independently of an operating system of the electronic device.

5. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 1, wherein the service comprises at least one of asset tracking, asset recovery, data delete, software deployment, and software upgrade.

6. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 1, wherein at least a part of it is located in the electronic device in at least one of a firmware, software and hardware electronic device.

7. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 6, wherein the firmware comprises a non-volatile memory.

8. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 7, wherein the non-volatile memory is a BIOS chip.

9. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 2, wherein the loader module is stored in firmware, and at least one of the driver module and the installer module is stored in a user inaccessible area on a mass storage device in the electronic device.

10. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 1, wherein the driver agent is configured to communicate with the remote server, to receive instructions from the remote server to perform the service in accordance with such instructions, thereby to extend a range of services that can be performed by the agent.

11. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 10, wherein the service comprises at least one of asset tracking, asset recovery, data delete, software deployment, and software upgrade.

12. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 10, wherein the driver agent is configured to download an application from the remote server, and launch the application in accordance with instructions received from the remote server.

13. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 12, wherein the application includes an executable file.

14. An electronic device, comprising a persistent servicing agent as in claim 1.

15. A method of enabling, supporting and/or providing a service in an electronic device, comprising:

concealing a driver agent electronically in a normally user inaccessible location in the electronic device, wherein the driver agent is configured to be persistent against external tampering, including self-healing in the event of tampering, wherein the driver agent comprises at least one of a partial driver agent or a full function driver agent, wherein the full function driver agent is configured to communicate with the network in providing the service, wherein the partial driver agent is configured with a reduced set of functions compared to the full function driver agent, and to determine whether a full function driver agent is available in the electronic device, and wherein the partial driver agent is further configured to retrieve over the network a copy of the full function driver agent if it is determined to be not available in the electronic device;

providing a run module configured to automatically initiate operation of the driver agent without user initiation or user intervention; and

operatively connecting the driver agent to a network to communicate with a remote server, to receive instructions relating to the service.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the service comprises at least one of asset tracking, asset recovery, data delete, software deployment, and software upgrade.

17. A persistent servicing agent disposed in an electronic device connected to a network to a remote server, to enable, support and/or provide at least one service with respect to the electronic device, comprising:

a driver agent concealed electronically in a normally user inaccessible location in the electronic device, wherein the driver agent is configured to be persistent against external tampering, including self-healing in the event of tampering, wherein the driver agent comprises at least one of a partial driver agent or a full function driver agent, wherein the full function driver agent is configured to communicate with the network in providing the service, wherein the partial driver agent is configured with a reduced set of functions compared to the full function driver agent, and to determine whether a full function driver agent is available in the electronic device, and wherein the partial driver agent is further configured to retrieve over the network a copy of the full function driver agent if it is determined to be not available in the electronic device; and

a loader module configured to automatically initiate operation of the driver agent without user initiation or user intervention.

18. The persistent servicing agent as in claim 17, further comprising an installer module configured to automatically adapt the driver agent to an operating environment of the electronic device to provide the service without user intervention.