Methods and apparatus supporting access to physical and virtual trusted platform modules

US8584229B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Intel Corporation · US

Inventors

• Tasneem Brutch · Lincoln, US
• Alok Kumar · Supaul, IN
• Murari Kumar · Hillsboro, US
• Kalpana M. Roge · Cumming, US
• Vincent R. Scarlata · Beaverton, US
• Ned M. Smith · Beaverton, US
• Faraz A. Siddiqi · Portland, US
• Willard M. Wiseman · Tigard, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 2007
• Grant date: Nov 12, 2013
• Expiry date: Feb 4, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F2221/2153
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A data processing system features a hardware trusted platform module (TPM), and a virtual TPM (vTPM) manager. When executed, the vTPM manager detects a first request from a service virtual machine (VM) in the processing system, the first request to involve access to the hardware TPM (hTPM). In response, the vTPM manager automatically determines whether the first request should be allowed, based on filter rules identifying allowed or disallowed operations for the hTPM. The vTPM manager may also detect a second request to involve access to a software TPM (sTPM) in the processing system. In response, the vTPM manager may automatically determine whether the second request should be allowed, based on a second filter list identifying allowed or disallowed operations for the sTPM. Other embodiments are described and claimed.