US 12,229,269 B2
Techniques for restricted deployment of targeted processor firmware updates
Chinmay Ashok, Beaverton, OR (US); Vasudevan Srinivasan, Portland, OR (US); Atanas K. Iwanow, Hillsboro, OR (US); Martin G. Dixon, Portland, OR (US); Scott J. Cape, Portland, OR (US); Scott Bobholz, Bolton, MA (US); David T. Mayo, Boxborough, MA (US); Vinila Rose, Cupertino, CA (US); Lorie Wigle, Hillsboro, OR (US); and Jason Kennedy, Portland, OR (US)
Assigned to Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/127,122.
Prior Publication US 2021/0103662 A1, Apr. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. G06F 21/57 (2013.01); G06F 21/10 (2013.01); G06F 21/44 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 21/572 (2013.01) [G06F 21/105 (2013.01); G06F 21/44 (2013.01); G06F 21/1078 (2023.08); G06F 2221/033 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for restricted deployment of microcode (uCode) for a processing unit having a part identifier on a platform including firmware stored in a firmware storage device, comprising:
provisioning the platform with service entitlement license information;
storing the service entitlement license information in the firmware storage device;
receiving a restricted deployment uCode update release at the platform;
authenticating and verifying the restricted deployment uCode update release against service entitlement license information stored on the platform;
when the restricted deployment uCode update release is determined to be authentic and verified, updating uCode on the processing unit using uCode in the restricted deployment uCode update release,
wherein the firmware comprises Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware and the service entitlement license information is stored in a Firmware Interface Table region of the firmware storage device.