Managing a secure platform using a hierarchical executive architecture in isolated execution mode

US6941458B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Intel Corporation · US

Inventors

• Carl M. Ellison · Portland, US
• Roger Golliver · Beaverton, US
• Howard C. Herbert · Phoenix, US
• Derrick C. Lin · San Mateo, US
• Francis X. McKeen · Portland, US
• Gilbert Neiger · Hillsboro, US
• Ken Reneris · Wilbraham, US
• James A. Sutton · Portland, US
• Shreekant S. Thakkar · Portland, US
• Milland Mittal · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 22, 2000
• Grant date: Sep 6, 2005
• Expiry date: Mar 25, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F21/74
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A processor executive (PE) handles an operating system executive (OSE) in a secure environment. The secure environment has a platform key (PK) and is associated with an isolated memory area in the platform. The OSE manages a subset of an operating system (OS) running on the platform. The platform has a processor operating in one of a normal execution mode and an isolated execution mode. The isolated memory area is accessible to the processor in the isolated execution mode. A PE supplement supplements the PE with a PE manifest representing the PE and a PE identifier to identify the PE. A PE handler handles the PE using the PK and the PE supplement.