Method and apparatus to re-create trust model after sleep state

US7945786B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Intel Corporation · US

Inventors

• Alok Kumar · Supaul, IN
• Minal Patel · Long Beach, US
• Kuo-Lang Tseng · Cupertino, US
• Ramesh Thomas · Saratoga, US
• Madhukar Tallam · Fremont, US
• Aneet Chopra · San Jose, US
• Ned M. Smith · Beaverton, US
• David W. Grawrock · Beaverton, US
• David Champagne · Princeton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 30, 2007
• Grant date: May 17, 2011
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F2009/45587
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A processing system features random access memory (RAM), a processor, and a trusted platform module (TPM). When the processing system enters a sleep mode during which the RAM is to stay powered, the processing system may measuring a VMM and one or more secure VMs in the processing system. However, the processing system may not measure or encrypt all of system memory. Upon resuming from sleep, the processing system may verify the measurements, to ensure that the VMM and secure VMs have not been tampered with. Other steps may include sealing encryption keys to the TPM, while preserving the blobs in memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.